An electric you might actually want to drive

[Kaido]

Looks like a 1.21-jigawatt Elise to me :awe:

http://www.slashgear.com/detroit-electric-unveils-all-electric-sp01-luxury-sports-car-03276420/

* 4-hour charge time
* 190-mile range
* 2,354 pounds (carbon fiber body)
* 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds
* 201 HP, 166 lb/ft torque
* 4-speed manual or automatic
* Limited to 999 units, made in Detroit, production starts Aug 2013
* $135K USD

Sounds too good to be true, but I'll take 3 😛

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...hicle-performance-and-handling-201353491.html

 

[Doppel]

Doesn't sound too good to be true, since it sounds like a Roadster, which already is true! But is cheaper and has the exact same 0-60!

http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster

Roadster also has a much larger battery; 53 kWh.

 

[manimal]

for 140k I will buy a prius and three segways and still have enough for a world record texas mile car 😛

 

[Topweasel]

Doesn't sound too good to be true, since it sounds like a Roadster, which already is true! But is cheaper and has the exact same 0-60!

http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster

Roadster also has a much larger battery; 53 kWh.

I think its about being an electric that is built to be as fun to drive as a true roadster. That and the Exige is so much better then an Elise. And this weighs considerably less. Part of that is the battery, but that will keep the feeling of the original lotus making it much more fun to drive.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I think its about being an electric that is built to be as fun to drive as a true roadster. That and the Exige is so much better then an Elise. And this weighs considerably less. Part of that is the battery, but that will keep the feeling of the original lotus making it much more fun to drive.

Considerably less than an Elise? I don't think you know how much a Lotus Elise actually weighs. In reality this electric car is actually considerably heavier than an Elise. A 2005 Lotus Elise weighs under 2,000 lbs.

And the Exige is nearly identical to the Elise. There are (or were) two different versions of the Exige, the Exige and the Exige S. The S had the supercharger and put out about 50 more hp. The only discernible difference between the non-S Exige and the Elise was the hard top, the engine cover (which made the rear view mirror completely useless) and the wing.

By the way, a Lotus Elise gets around 27mpg city. Not bad for a car with such capabilities.

Lotus Exige

Lotus Elise

 

[sgrinavi]

Do you really need a 4 speed transmission in an electric car?

 

[Topweasel]

Considerably less than an Elise? I don't think you know how much a Lotus Elise actually weighs. In reality this electric car is actually considerably heavier than an Elise. A 2005 Lotus Elise weighs under 2,000 lbs.

And the Exige is nearly identical to the Elise. There are (or were) two different versions of the Exige, the Exige and the Exige S. The S had the supercharger and put out about 50 more hp. The only discernible difference between the non-S Exige and the Elise was the hard top, the engine cover (which made the rear view mirror completely useless) and the wing.

By the way, a Lotus Elise gets around 27mpg city. Not bad for a car with such capabilities.

Lotus Exige

Lotus Elise

Not less than the Elise. It weighs less than the Tesla.


As for the Exige. I have never been an convertible lover. I like my hoods one solid piece. So for me the Exige is where its at.

 

[Topweasel]

Do you really need a 4 speed transmission in an electric car?

No but that is the point. I think they wanted to recreate the feel of driving a normal car. Some people will never give up their manuals. Nice to see manufactures playing around with ideas that could open the doors to alternate options through design instead of attempting to guilt or scare them into it.

 

[halik]

So it's a tesla roadster for a bit more money? I can get a 4 car garage filled with Elises for that money...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Not less than the Elise. It weighs less than the Tesla.


As for the Exige. I have never been an convertible lover. I like my hoods one solid piece. So for me the Exige is where its at.

It is the same car. Same roll structure, same chassis, same body, different roof panel. Pretty sure you can remove the roof panel on the Exige and there is a hard top for the Elise.

 

[Topweasel]

It is the same car.

Exige and the the Elise? Or the Tesla and the DE?

The Exige and Elise are so close its not worth really discussing I get that. It's just how much I hate T top's, convertibles, and moon roofs. It would be Exige or nothing for me if I had the money or reason for a second car.

The Tesla and the DE. The DE while mostly the same (though once again the Tesla uses the Elise as a base and the DE a Exige). The DE weighs a decent amount less. A large part being the smaller battery.

 

[brainhulk]

they need to cut the price to under $20k

 

[_Rick_]

they need to cut the price to under $20k

That's unlikely to happen on a chassis that's more expensive than that.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Exige and the the Elise? Or the Tesla and the DE?

The Exige and Elise are so close its not worth really discussing I get that. It's just how much I hate T top's, convertibles, and moon roofs. It would be Exige or nothing for me if I had the money or reason for a second car.

The Tesla and the DE. The DE while mostly the same (though once again the Tesla uses the Elise as a base and the DE a Exige). The DE weighs a decent amount less. A large part being the smaller battery.

I was talking about the Elise and Exige. Both cars come with removable tops the only difference between the roof structure is that the top on the Exige is bolted on but can be removed. The Elise comes with a removable soft top (which is just two sticks, some fabric and one support on each side that connects the windshield frame to the roll structure behind the driver) and there is an optional hard top. The construction and layout of the two cars is nearly identical. The Elise is not a convertible, it is more like a targa than anything else but with the hard top in place it isn't any different inside than an Exige, except you can see out the rear view mirror in an Elise... a little bit anyway.

I'd bet that the Tesla and DE are also using the same chassis (which is a Lotus Elise chassis).