Lotus Elises

["Hearnden,Jim,J,BGOI6 HEARNDJ M" <HEARNDJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David writes
>What kind of car *would* you want to crash in?  Once again, is it better to
>drive a car that avoids and evades crashing or one that stands up to a
>crash it can't drive out of? ( cement truck? ).    

The Elise is so small and agile, I can well believe it would avoid the
accident, heavy brick like cars (Volvo)
actually make accidents worse because of the large masses involved, they
also encourage the "it aint going to hurt me mentality"

>More seriously, yes, it is small and yes it is much like a formula Ford.  I
suggest that the early
>Elan (1350lbs) was more like a Formula Ford and that the Elise is beyond
>that.  (One *wears* an Elan rather than sits in it.  It seems to respond to
>one's thoughts more than actions)

Having been involved with Elan's, I disagree, the Elise is much smaller and
minimalist than an Elan ever was. 

>( My wife MUST have an Elise.  She is considering a move to GB. !!!! )
If you see it in the flesh you'll grab your cheque book immediately. I
suppose women would call it cute.

>I must say that I do have a bias against front wheel drive sports cars
>which may be unfounded.  The performance of the Elise should be enough,
>perhaps, to negate my bias as it is spectacular.
The Elise is not front wheel drive it is mid engined using a Rover 1800 K
series engine on a 5 speed Rover trans. 
The engine is a 16 valve belt driven twin cam using some very hi-tech
systems, like the cylinder head bolts 
go down thru' the block and into the main bearings. The engine gives circa
120 Bhp.
The chassis is specially made aluminium extrusions glued together in order
to avoid the work hardening that occurs when it is welded. (The Renault
Spider uses aluminuim but does weld it).   
Rover build an MG the MGF using the same mid engined config, but lower tech.
using a conventional monocoque, although this is available with the VVC
engine. VVC is variable valve timing like a Honda VTEC.

Regards

Jim
Alfa 75 about to be replace with a Subaru. (sob....)
Chatham 
Kent
England
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