Since you can’t weld steel to aluminum, rollcages must be bolted to a Lotus chassis.
With a name like Nitron you might get the impression that Lotus Elises are expensive to modify, and to some extent this is true. But just like with an EVO or STI, it depends entirely on how much faster than stock you want to go. According to Shinoo, “They are more expensive to modify because there are so few of them built, but it’s not cost prohibitive. The first mod I usually recommend is a harness for improved track performance and safety [there is a factory-integrated roll bar in these cars that is triangulated to the rear, so it’s safe to use a 5- or 6-point racing harness]. Beyond that, there are three issues that should be addressed in any frequently tracked Lotus: the rear toe link weakness, oil starvation and fuel starvation. Solutions for these three problems areas exist and will ensure reliability and safety. Make sure you have a good alignment, too, as these cars are very sensitive. After that, the sky is the limit, but I would recommend getting a couple of track days under your belt before going wild. I recommend removing weight as it helps all performance categories. Brakes, suspension and lastly power would be the order of mods I would take.”
The Elise has excellent aerodynamic balance from the factory, thanks in part to its low nose, slick shape, flat bottom and aluminum rear diffuser. But significant improvements to total downforce and front/rear balance are possible if you equip one with functional parts like those made by ReVerie. According to Shinoo, “ReVerie is one of our key suppliers. Their parts have made many of our clients turn much faster and more confident lap times. The Lotus benefits from properly designed aero and luckily ReVerie has sorted some great solutions.” All of ReVerie’s parts—including front spoilers and splitters, undertrays, rear diffusers, rear wings and side skirts—feature aerospace quality carbon-fiber construction and have been wind tunnel tested. Just what you would expect from a company that has designed and built aerodynamic parts for Formula 1, and unlike most aero companies, they’ve made some of their wind tunnel test results available online (http://www.reverie.ltd.uk/techdata.php).
Sector 111 recommends a coilover suspension setup as one of the first modifications for an
One of the negatives I’ve heard about Elises is that the aluminum chassis is quite fragile—an off-track excursion has the potential to cause expensive damage that’s difficult (or even impossible) to repair. Here’s what Shinoo had to say on the subject: “The chassis is a 150-lb asset of the car that can take a good track beating and actually provides some good safety protection. Any severe hit to a suspension mount can be disastrous, but there are specialists who are sorting out good fixes. New clams can be expensive, but repaired clams are becoming very affordable. A Lotus is not a cheap car to fix compared to a sport compact vehicle, but compared to a Porsche or Ferrari it’s a relative bargain.”
The other most common criticism aimed at the Elise is its tight interior, but according to Shinoo, “I have seen some guys as big as 6 feet, 5 inches and 230 lbs fit into these cars. Anyone at these extremes must be limber and athletic to make it work. Even for shorter folk, you generally must be willing to fold yourself up a bit to get in or out. Once you are in, the driving position is pretty good for most. We have seat-lowering kits that buy some additional headroom. A rollcage will definitely restrict ingress/egress and the overhead bars can come in contact with your helmet if you’re taller than 6 feet and/or have an especially long torso. It would be best to sit in a Lotus with your helmet on before deciding if this car is a good fit for you. Of course, if you drive it on track, you will likely get hooked and make whatever mods you can to fit.”