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Clyde brought a Federal Elise prototype to a Peachtree Miata Club driving event yesterday. It was fresh off the boat and headed to California for testing.
It was the Federal Elise, except for the interior. The interior was still the Euro spec 111S interior, but with seats from the new S2 Exige.
I asked Clyde a bunch of questions (all of which he answered) and he even took me for a short ride. Here's what I can remember.
The front clam shell is updated and the radiator vents on the hood aren't as deep as the original S2 ones, to make that ugly bump disappear. Just like the ones seen on the Euro S2 Exige photos. The two outer air intakes on the sides of the main front air intake are now functional, feeding air to the twin oil coolers.
On the back, Lotus has added twin round chrome exhaust tips to the exhaust hanging out of the bottom of the rear diffuser. I personally think it looks great. Clyde prefered it without them.
On a side note, many of the Peachtree people took a ton of photos of the car, which was Bordeaux Red with black interior BTW, so when these get posted to the Internet, I'll let you know the link.
The ride Clyde gave me was only about 5 minutes, but I could tell the acceleration was very healthy indeed! He said that out of three possible gear ratio sets from Toyota, Lotus picked the one with the shortest gearing to make sure that the engine was easy to keep in it's power band. The ride is not harsh at all, although on a long trip I guess it could get tiring.
The redesigned soft top is indeed a wonderful work of engineering. I watched Clyde put it on and take it off in about 30 seconds and it looks great.
Other news: there will be no fog lights on the Federal model. They're too low to the ground for California regulations, so they're being scrapped. We're also getting a standard tire pressure warning system and a starter button. A four speaker stereo is also standard. No alcantara for the US either. It can't hold up to are harsh sun. Lotus still hasn't decided whether the power windows, carpets and extra sound insulation will be standard or part of an option package. Other possible options include a Lotus designed induction kit which Clyde warned was pretty damn loud and possibly a titanium exhaust system.
A side note about the exhaust system: Clyde stated that the system that Lotus designed for the Federal Elise is so good and helps the Toyota 1.8 have such healthier torque, that he doubts that any aftermarket exhaust can improve on it. That's good news.
Clyde is a super nice guy, very willing to talk cars and Elises and a true enthusiast. It was very nice to finally meet him.
Why? That's the kind of redundant feature I expect on cars made for people who don't pay attention to their cars. It seems like a waste of money and weight to me, especially considering that Elise owners will almost certainly be some of the most attendant car owners and check their tire pressure regularly with or without the system. Maybe I just don't understand it.
I believe it is a federal regulation now. I too feel it is unnecessary for the people that will be driving an Elise but NHTSA can't stereotype cars and their likely drivers.
Sounds like the tire pressure warning system is to fend off liability issues. I never checked - I assume the Elise does not have a spare of any kind, correct?
Assuming this is correct, I'm sure Lotus is trying to keep the few fools that would have a blowout due to under-inflated tires from blaming them.
Sounds like the tire pressure warning system is to fend off liability issues. I never checked - I assume the Elise does not have a spare of any kind, correct?
Assuming this is correct, I'm sure Lotus is trying to keep the few fools that would have a blowout due to under-inflated tires from blaming them.
I think the law is more emmisions oriented than it is for liability issues, but you have to think the Ford/Bridgestone fiasco had something to do with it. And no the Elise will not have a spare tire just a can of fix-a-flat.
The exhaust sounded really good. Not too loud from inside the cockpit. Throaty without being too raspy. Not deep like a V8, but not as buzzy as my Miata either.
Not forced induction. Just an upgraded intake tract/filter in place of the standard factory one. Probably allows for a little more engine breathing at the price of increased noise. A lot of people in the Miata community get rid of their airboxes to leave just an exposed air filter. Doesn't really help performance but sounds a lot more exciting.
Re: Re: Got a ride in the Federal Elise yesterday!
ya hachu said:
Why? That's the kind of redundant feature I expect on cars made for people who don't pay attention to their cars. It seems like a waste of money and weight to me, especially considering that Elise owners will almost certainly be some of the most attendant car owners and check their tire pressure regularly with or without the system. Maybe I just don't understand it.
Clyde said that it was soon going to be required on all cars so it was included. He suggested that Lotus may make optional the intelligent tire pressure system from the Esprit that shows actual tire pressure and temperature on a dash display. Pretty cool for track days!
Sounds like the tire pressure warning system is to fend off liability issues. I never checked - I assume the Elise does not have a spare of any kind, correct?
The new interior should be pretty neat also. It's just like the one pictured in Road&Track. The four round air vents at the base of the windshield will be replaced with more normal looking flush vents. To the left of the steering wheel will be the light switches, starter button and tire pressure display. To the right of the steering wheel will be the HVAC controls below the stereo. Above that will be two round air vents.
Re: Re: Re: Got a ride in the Federal Elise yesterday!
L8BRAKR said:
I believe it is a federal regulation now. I too feel it is unnecessary for the people that will be driving an Elise but NHTSA can't stereotype cars and their likely drivers.
Thanks, I looked it up on Google and apparently regulation is imminent. Laws like this really are pathetic. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?
Not forced induction. Just an upgraded intake tract/filter in place of the standard factory one. Probably allows for a little more engine breathing at the price of increased noise. A lot of people in the Miata community get rid of their airboxes to leave just an exposed air filter. Doesn't really help performance but sounds a lot more exciting.
Sounds exciting, alas, sad to see the fog lights go, the way the lights were arranged in a 30 degree line in decreasing size and increasing curvature fit nicely.
I'm not hurt much by losing the fog lights, I thought they looked of poor quality from the pictures I've seen. On the plus side the Exige grill should fit now, right? No need to remove or cut out for the fogs.
I too am sort of sorry to see the fog lights go, but PIAA"s are always an option of you have to have them. Everything else sounds great.
Im curious what you mean about the center exhaust "hanging down"? You said clyde prefers it without it? Im fuzzy on what you mean? Do you mean he prefers it without chrome?
The vents are shallower? Does the car still look distinctive up front? How shallow are they? Do they still look about the same to the untrained eye?
Im jealous! Sounds like a terrific day. Sorry I missed out.
Im curious what you mean about the center exhaust "hanging down"? You said clyde prefers it without it? Im fuzzy on what you mean? Do you mean he prefers it without chrome?
The Federal Elise has twin pipes exiting throught the center of the rear diffuser, as see in the Road&Track article. The newest prototype I saw had chrome round tips added to the pipes, that's all. Clyde prefered them without the tips. You'll see what I mean when some pictures are posted.
OneFastMiata said:
The vents are shallower? Does the car still look distinctive up front? How shallow are they? Do they still look about the same to the untrained eye?
The car looks about the same from the front to the untrained eye. Before, the dip in the hood where the radiator exited was about 4 - 5 inches deep. Now it's about 2 - 3 inches deep. To get an exact idea, look at the S2 Exige front clam that's in the Evo magazine.
I really liked seeing that dip on the hood. Made to look like the exotic it is. I hope it won't look too flat of a contour. In a way, I rather have that bulge than just a screen on top of the hood. That's my opinion.
The difference in curvature on the US car and the standard 111S is barely noticeable. I had to look really closely to see the difference, I'm guessing at most the front of the access panels are only raised an inch or so.
Chris
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