Lotus was established in 1952 by engineer Colin Chapman, in Hornsey, North London. Resulting from its Formula 1 racing pedigree, Lotus made street vehicles that placed function over form. Lotus cars often have spartan interiors, fiberglass or carbon fiber body panels and implement many other weight-saving measures. Many models, such as the existing Elise and Exige browse from other automaker’s parts bins to form a fast, light and trusty car. Mixing a 218hp boosted 1.8L VVTL-I four cylinder sourced from Toyota and a 2,000lb curb weight, the Elise SC is actually capable of a burning 4.3 2nd 0-60 and a top speed near 150mph. The “less is more” disposition of Lotus had been shunned by automakers in the past, preferring to add more h.p to counterbalance added weight. But with the current economy, more and more corporations are aping Lotus, trimming the fat off their cars and opting for smaller, forced induction engines that offer better fuel economy. With the recent release of the Exige, Lotus seems to be going in the right direction and remaining constant to their past.

With racing heritage ingrained deep in the soul of the company, the engine is the primary component of any Lotus. Born and bred on the tracks, Lotus autos have always favored shedding unnecessary equipment in favour of weight reduction and in turn, more speed. The existing Lotus Elise, whose production run has essentially just ended, is powered by a Toyota-sourced 1.8L 4 cylinder engine, which is turbocharged in the higher model levels. While the h.p number of 218 is modest, the car weighs in right around 1 ton, which interprets to a superb power to weight proportion. With a 0-60 of 4.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 150 mph, the Elise can stay alongside of supercars that have three times the horsepower! Many automakers today are just now coming around to the strategy that Lotus has changed since its establishment in 1952 “less weight = more power.

Some Lotus owners may be able to skip this section altogether! Many Lotus models before recent years did not even offer air-con as an option, seeing it as, what else, a waste of valuable pounds that could affect the performance of their vehicles. In order to satisfy the existing market and appeal to a broader base of patrons nonetheless , Lotus started offering air-con as an option on the Elise and the Espirit in the early 1990s. These aircon systems were tiny and just sufficient enough to cool the cabin enough so that the occupants could remain moderately cosy. Today, with the upcoming release of the Evora, Lotus continues to resentfully offer air-con as an option, so the general consumer can ride in comfort. They continue to reserve a small batch for the true fans who put performance over their own comfort, and require the lightest, most tossable car for their dollar. And to this day, no other automaker can make that like Lotus.

Lotus is all about driving pureness, and this translates very well into their transmissions. Up until recently, the only way you may have your Lotus delivered was with the “proper” transmission “a standard transmission. Beginning with a 5-speed manual and evolving into an all-aluminum short gated 6-speed manual, the Elise was able to grab the subsequent gear quickly so that the driver could get back on the throttle. Today, the Evora will be coming with an automatic transmission option; one which we can only think will be in the huge minority of the Evora vehicles to roll off the production line. With increased weigh and reduced performance, the automatic transmission goes against everything Lotus ever stood for, but they are held by consumer’s wants, and the general word was that an automatic transmission option was wanted. It is awfully clear that the easiest way to experience driving a Lotus is with a correct manual transmission. It is to be absolutely sure that Lotus will continue to offer their stellar manual transmission option on all of their upcoming models in the future.

While Lotus might be completely fine with sacrificing creature comforts that bloat both the final analysis and the number at the scales, they're uncompromising in including everything critical to make a great, track-ready auto. With antilock brakes and 13 inch cross-drilled rotors on some models the Elise can produce stopping distances below 100 feet in some instances, thoroughly beating the best from. Italy, Germany, Japan and the United States. Yet another reason which explains why one cannot put enough of a premium on weight-saving techniques for a vehicle’s performance. The new Lotus Evora, slated for release this year guarantees to carry on the legacy of the Elise, matching (if not exceeding) the Elise’s performance in nearly every way. We're looking forward to nice things from Lotus in the future as it continues to be one of the few vehicle makers who truly appear to just “get it”.

Just like every other part on a Lotus, the cooling system was hand-built with weight in mind. Using lightweight aluminum and plastic parts whenever possible the engineers at Lotus were able to construct autos that would contend with others with 2 – 3 times the hp and weight. With the execution of lightweight aluminum block engines, the need for cooling power is also not as great as in bigger automobiles with high displacement engines. Lotus was in a position to use smaller radiators and cooling lines than other automakers to reach similar results. The smaller engines may be able to rev more readily to produce power, and don't generate nearly as much heat, which also brings the price down on parts used, making Lotus vehicles more cost-effective than their bigger opposite numbers. With technology derived right from time at the track, there is no doubt that Lotus may continue to advance their engine cooling systems in both manners of performance and reduced weight.

English engineering and electronics are 2 classes that have not meshed well together for some time. Nonetheless that's quickly becoming an old stereotype that should be left behind as English automakers continue to produce stellar automobiles with electronic components that are quite as trusty as any other brand’s. Lotus is not an exception. Offering just about enough electronic equipment to get the task finished, Lotus vehicles are reasonably straightforward compared to other automobiles. Sometimes lacking navigation, a radio, Bluetooth connectivity or other niceties, Lotus owners make a knowing sacrifice in the name of performance. With each auto that Is developed and released, Lotus moves more and more away from the beat old stereotype of English electronics, replacing it with machines the world continues to lust over year on year.

Tyger Lucas has been in the car repair business for over 30 years and his independently owned shop Lucas Auto Care is the logical dealer alternative option to your agency for all Lotus Repair Houston.