so what's so good about Lotuses?

[Cyberian]

Here is the original Lotus 7 - introduced in 1957.

Text

 

[jaybert]

Are the new elises even out? They were just unveiled a while ago I thought.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Cyberian
Here is the original Lotus 7 - introduced in 1957.

Text

Whoa. It's the same as those Caterhams.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: jaybert
Are the new elises even out? They were just unveiled a while ago I thought.

They'll come to the US sometime next year as an '05 model.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Caterham is making continuation models. They bought the rights. Lotus did the design and initial production.

 

Man, back in the 80's Lotus was the HOT shizz man!

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Caterham is making continuation models. They bought the rights. Lotus did the design and initial production.

Not quite. The Caterhams are not exact copies, but they are very close.

ZV

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Cyberian
Here is the original Lotus 7 - introduced in 1957.

Text

Whoa. It's the same as those Caterhams.

I do belive the 7 came along before the Caterham, long before.

The reason ppl with money buy exotics, is to buy a piece of it's history.

A short good read.......Text...Notice the list of the men that drove his cars.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
aren't they expensive and ugly and unsafe because they weigh 2lbs?
what's so good about them compared to other fast cars?

Test drive one.

 

[db]

Q: "So what's so good about Lotuses?"
A: They stay crunchy in milk. Yum!

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
N8: If two cars have the same exact power to weight ratio, the heavier car will win. Why? You can lighten every part of the car except one: the driver. The spec's and figures don't take that into account.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. If you're dealing with a drag race with unlimited traction, sure, but once you introduce turns and limited traction then the lighter car will always come out on top.

Lotuses aren't about being the fastest thing out there. They're about being street-legal lightweight race cars. Lotus has always used new, often untested, designs to try and make their cars lightweight, good handling cars. Also there's the whole spartan feeling they give you. Even in a Porsche or Ferrari (typically considered 'pure sports cars') you get leather, A/C, cruise control, power seats, etc. In a lotus you're lucky if you get a roof that seals out the weather. The dash is nothing more than an aluminum panel with a few guages in it. Lotus also has a racing heritage on par with Ferrari as well which adds to it's desire.

 

[dpopiz]

how can you drive a lotus fast though? don't they just flip if you touch the wheel?
how can if be possible to drive something so light faster than 10mph?

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
how can you drive a lotus fast though? don't they just flip if you touch the wheel?
how can if be possible to drive something so light faster than 10mph?

wow.... is it possible to have more gross exaggerations?

 

[Apex]

They have a very low center of gravity. It's nearly impossible to flip one on flat roads, even for the most boneheaded drivers.

The elise was just over 1500lbs, but the federalized one will be around 2k, unfortunately.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
how can you drive a lotus fast though? don't they just flip if you touch the wheel?
how can if be possible to drive something so light faster than 10mph?

How ignorant are you?

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: dpopiz
how can you drive a lotus fast though? don't they just flip if you touch the wheel?
how can if be possible to drive something so light faster than 10mph?

Just for reference there are go karts out there capable of over 100mph through a turn. Weight is the ENEMY, not your friend. Other than trying to do more damage in an accident there is NO advantage to weight.

 

[dpopiz]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: dpopiz
how can you drive a lotus fast though? don't they just flip if you touch the wheel?
how can if be possible to drive something so light faster than 10mph?

How ignorant are you?

very ignorant. bare with me

so is it correct to say that if you go out to drive a Lotus at a big parking lot or some place where there's nothing to crash into, you don't have to worry about getting killed?

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: dpopiz

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: dpopiz
how can you drive a lotus fast though? don't they just flip if you touch the wheel?
how can if be possible to drive something so light faster than 10mph?

How ignorant are you?

very ignorant. bare with me

so is it correct to say that if you go out to drive a Lotus at a big parking lot or some place where there's nothing to crash into, you don't have to worry about getting killed?

Let me put it into this perspective for you: A Formula 1 car, or Indy 500 car weights LESS than a Lotus and is capable of 200mph safely. No you can't go and drive one like an idiot and have absolutly no fear of flipping it, but your typical honda accord will roll LONG before a lotus elise.

 

[KokomoGST]

Methinks the Elise is a tad overrated anywho... it's a great car and I wouldn't mind one if handed the keys but if I had that kind of $$... I'd be begging TVR to bring their cars over sooner.

TVR Tamora >>>>>>>> Lotus Elise

Heck, it's better than a Boxster S or a Honda S2000 or a Audi TT or 350Z Roadster... you get the idea.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST
Methinks the Elise is a tad overrated anywho... it's a great car and I wouldn't mind one if handed the keys but if I had that kind of $$... I'd be begging TVR to bring their cars over sooner.

TVR Tamora >>>>>>>> Lotus Elise

Heck, it's better than a Boxster S or a Honda S2000 or a Audi TT or 350Z Roadster... you get the idea.

The new TVRs are what a hairy chested British sports car is all about!

Do they even produce a left hooker for the rest of the world?

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee

The new TVRs are what a hairy chested British sports car is all about!

Do they even produce a left hooker for the rest of the world?

Christ, is TVR still around?
They were being imported here in the early '60s.
I think the early ones had a 260 Ford V8. (289 maybe?)

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee

The new TVRs are what a hairy chested British sports car is all about!

Do they even produce a left hooker for the rest of the world?

Christ, is TVR still around?
They were being imported here in the early '60s.
I think the early ones had a 260 Ford V8. (289 maybe?)

Haven't you been playing Gran Turismo?

 

[IEatChildren]

The basic frame of a Lotus is made from folded aluminum IIRC, which is just as strong, if not stronger than the steel we use here, and a LOT lighter. So it's just as safe inside as any other car out there, and because of the light weight, a high-HP engine is definitely not required to make it go fast.
As for flipping it, the car's aerodynamics keep it from flipping at high speed. I doubt the car can go fast enough to flip over, even if you were to go down a hill at full speed and all of a sudden hit a flat zone.
Almost like trying to flip an Enzo.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee

The new TVRs are what a hairy chested British sports car is all about!

Do they even produce a left hooker for the rest of the world?

Christ, is TVR still around?
They were being imported here in the early '60s.
I think the early ones had a 260 Ford V8. (289 maybe?)

Haven't you been playing Gran Turismo?

Actually I don't play any video games - you don't want to even think about how old I am!

 

[Apex]

Safety wise, the height is a bigger concern than the weight here in the US.

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