Pictures of a wrecked Lotus Elise.

[Sparky]

While wandering around last week looking at cars I ran across this Elise in the dealers back lot. The driver survived but is suffering from a multitude of serious injuries. one of the mechanics there told me that the driver was driving rather hard and lifted off the throttle mid turn resulting in some rather nasty oversteer that in turn resulted in a rather unfortunate incident with a tree. funny how solid TREES are....who knew.

 

[Guest HBZ81]

[Cody 82 ZXT]

 

That had to hurt!!

[VRJoe]

Man, that had to hurt, I don't think he could have found a worse spot for the tree to push in.

 

- Joe

[Guest ON3GO]

if he would have bought the orange one he wouldnt have had the problem.

if ya buy a elise you have to get bright colors or just black .

 

man that sucks! that had to hurt like everybody said.

my local elise got one exige this week for demo.. i dunno why so early but man o man is it awesome.

im so happy im small cuz i fit in it perfect!

 

mike

[DavyZ]

I look at that and I see: PAIN

 

Ouchie...

 

Davy

[BlackBeaut]

Damn, nasty. I was lucky when I stacked my Liz, another case of list off oversteer and mid-engine layout combining to a nearly impossible to rectify spin. I hit a dry stone wall head on and walked away unhurt and the car was repairable. That side impact is a whole different case though, it will require a completely new chassis plus all body panels by the looks of things. I see a quick visit to the scrap yard!

 

Hope the guy recovers quickly and gets back out on the road - in anything!

 

Cheers,

Rob

[Mikelly]

Twice at VIR this past year we saw Elises hit guardrails due to similar instances where the snap oversteet caught the drivers off guard.

 

That car, for all the hype from the magazines, is one of the hardest vehicles to get maximum performance out of. They require a very smooth hand and steady feet. One of my instructors told me that it is one of the most difficult cars he's driven.

 

Mike

[Scottie-GNZ]

Hope the guy recovers quickly and gets back out on the road - in anything!

 

Cheers' date='

Rob[/quote']

He survived?

[Gollum]

I agree they're hard to drive all out on. To do it safelly you have to do ALL your slowing down before even getting close to the apex. Mid engines just like to accellerate through turns, wich is why driving real hard on streets you don't know is stupid.

 

I wonder how the pre DOT inspected elise would have faird in that situation, because I thought that was one of the areas lotus did work to get it into the US market.

 

Basic reality of it though is that the elise is one of the best track cars you can get for the price. It offers racing experience like no other car in it's range. Go head, say it. I know we've got plenty of GM people here. "The Z06 is a better/faster car for the same price and you don't have to wait forever on a huge waiting list." Blah blah blah blah blah. The Z06 is great, but it's a 50/50 street/track car while the elise is a 20/80 street/track car. Just look at the extige, 10 way adjustable dampers! DANG! Adustable spring height/perches of course. Gutted interior. CD player opitional, I could go on but we all know the spec sheet.

 

Many people complain why spend so more for so much less car? My simple responce "Because with all that less car you get more race car under warrenty." People praise the S2k because it's a blast to drive under Vtec 24/7, but for just a little more you can own a lotus that IS what the S2k WANTS to be. But the S2k is a compromise just like all other street cars.

 

And then we get "street drivers" (see street driving vs race driving thred) that want to drive a lotus like they know what they're doing. I think this thred is a perfect sequel to the street driving/race driving thred. The general statistics are obvious. MOST car guys don't even race, and if they do they drag race. And yet MANY guys at the track drive like they don't know what they're doing. I'll admit, I'm far from a great driver, but I know my weaknesses and I'm working on them every chance I get. There are guys that just don't understand how much they suck at driving sans wreaked lotus...

 

On the last note, I feel really sorry for this guy and that looks very painful. It looks like the corner panel was untouched, so who's gonne fix it? You could have a lotus at a decent price.

[Guest ON3GO]

Gollum even the best drivers crash.. its part of race/driving hard.

 

the lotus is a awesome car, people put hype on ALL cars, the lotus is one of them.

would i own a Lotus Exige over a Z06? YES.. why? its suites my needs and wants more. i want a car that will teach me to know my limits and work more and more on improving them.

the Z06 is a very forgiving car, i know my dad owns a 50th anv Z06 and you can place that car anywhere you want it too.. if it oversteers just give it more gas.. it oversteers back off abit and point and shoot. its a awesome awesome ride!

new Z06? even better... where else can you get a car that does it all and i mean ALL for 60k!! its the **** when it comes to all around racers wet dream.

 

BUT! i can drive a Z06 everyday and it would feel like any other car out there, i can be at a red light just sitting there and i can and will forget im in a Z06.

in the lotus you never forget, its always fun no matter what.

 

ive drive both more then a few times and i just have a blast no matter what im doing in the lotus.

im also a BIG fan of MR2's, as thats what me and my partner do at our shop, JDM turbo swaps and etc on MR2's. I love the whole Mid engine rwd combo!

 

its all up to the person though, most hybridz guys would choose the Z06 over the lotus, because most of us are all about bang for the buck and crazy power at the push of the go go pedal.

 

but ill take the lotus sense nobody wants it here

 

mike

[Gollum]

Well when I'm making money I'll buy an extige and we'll go club race together 8)

 

I understand all drivers crash, but lift oversteer into a tree he obviously came into the turn way to hot, unless the road is a small single lane road. Obviouslly total miscalculations. I agree all cars are hyped, lotus included. But the ones I've driven I've loved to death. The mere sound and feeling from driving one can't be explained.

 

And I was in no way trying to bash the Z06, it's a great car. I'm just trying to state for those that would like to compare the two they're not comparable. Like the GTO and new stang. They're for completelly different people.

[Mikelly]

Nope, Bang for the buck track day car would be a Miata if I was on a tight budget... MazdaSpeed 2004 model, with low miles for under $20K. The Elise is a car that is low on torque and you have to drive it smooth all the time and carry speed into the corners. It is the same concept as road racing 125-250CC 2 cylinder sport bikes.

 

Gollum, You need to get out to the track a bit and really see what we're talkin' about. The Elise isn't for 99% of drivers out there. We lap those things like they are road hazards...

Mike

[Guest ON3GO]

not saying bang for the buck track car.. im talking all around car.. thats the Z06 or 03 04 cobra.

now ive seen good drivers in lotus make everybody in whatever car there in look like fools compared to them on the track.. there amazing machines in good hands.

 

man i want a miata or elise!

 

mike

[slownrusty]

Ouch.....that looks mighty painful.

[kj280z]

The Elise isn't for 99% of drivers out there. We lap those things like they are road hazards...

Mike

 

Mike...

 

I have to disagree... There were 3 Elises at Sebring the last time I ran. One of them was being driven by a very experienced Lotus engineer. He was turning some pretty impressive lap times. There were 6 Miata spec racers (all out race cars) being driven by pro drivers and if I remember correctly the Elise was 7-10 seconds faster around the 3.7 mile long coarse... It was light years faster than the non-street-legal race prepped miata's (with road race slicks, cage etc). The Elise was pure stock with street tires.

 

I talked with the driver of the Elise at length after our session... He basically said "Ya steer this thing with your right foot" jokingly...

 

He actually said just the opposite of how things are being characterized in this thread about the Elise... He said it was a very manageable and forgiving car that was very competent on the track or street... And based on what he was able to do with the car, I'd say he nailed it...

[olie05]

I was fortunate enough to get a ride around in an elise at houston's Motor Sport Ranch. The driver (extremely good driver) would turn the steering wheel in to the corner in mid corner and nothing would happen. He was able to kick the tail out with application of the throttle without a problem. He even went as far to show me how much it understeered by jerking the steering wheel towards the apex of the corner in the middle of the corner repeatedly. The car just stayed on its line.

-Oliver

 

ps. "Extige" = Exige

[Heavy Z]

Mike...

 

I have to disagree... There were 3 Elises at Sebring the last time I ran. One of them was being driven by a very experienced Lotus engineer. He was turning some pretty impressive lap times. There were 6 Miata spec racers (all out race cars) being driven by pro drivers and if I remember correctly the Elise was 7-10 seconds faster around the 3.7 mile long coarse... It was light years faster than the non-street-legal race prepped miata's (with road race slicks' date=' cage etc). The Elise was pure stock with street tires.

 

I talked with the driver of the Elise at length after our session... He basically said "Ya steer this thing with your right foot" jokingly...

 

He actually said just the opposite of how things are being characterized in this thread about the Elise... He said it was a very manageable and forgiving car that was very competent on the track or street... And based on what he was able to do with the car, I'd say he nailed it...[/quote']

 

We've talked about the Elise here before and it seems questions persist until those with doubts ride in an Elise. Mike Kelly, didn't you say you're coming to SF soon? Maybe I can have my brother take you for a spin in his Elise. He took a friend for a ride last week who got so worked he threw up a few minutes after the drive! (True story, folks)

[Mikelly]

Mike...

 

I have to disagree... There were 3 Elises at Sebring the last time I ran. One of them was being driven by a very experienced Lotus engineer. He was turning some pretty impressive lap times. There were 6 Miata spec racers (all out race cars) being driven by pro drivers and if I remember correctly the Elise was 7-10 seconds faster around the 3.7 mile long coarse... It was light years faster than the non-street-legal race prepped miata's (with road race slicks' date=' cage etc). The Elise was pure stock with street tires.

 

I talked with the driver of the Elise at length after our session... He basically said "Ya steer this thing with your right foot" jokingly...

 

He actually said just the opposite of how things are being characterized in this thread about the Elise... He said it was a very manageable and forgiving car that was very competent on the track or street... And based on what he was able to do with the car, I'd say he nailed it...[/quote']

 

Ken, I'm sure to the guy you mention above driving the car was easy. But to the guys I've talked to that have kissed guardrails, their descriptions were that the car snapped loose so fast they had no time to react. What is "so easy to drive" to a skilled professional (And if he is a lotus engineer, I bet he is VERY skilled) is not "Easy" for some hack amature... Same principle with sport bikes and new motorcyclists!

 

You guys are confirming what I stated above... You got a ride with a GOOD driver... I'm tellin' you that most guys who buy them can't drive them. Atleast not the ones I've seen at VIR and Summit Point and pretty much all the footage I've seen from other track days. These owners are the laugh of the paddock because they honest to god are getting lapped like they are on a Sunday drive. The car is certainly capable. And if you got the chance to ride in one that was in the hands of a capable driver, then you got a treat.

 

Again, just relaying MY experience here...

 

I still have yet to have that experience.

 

Mike

[randy 77zt]

i would probably suspect that since the lotus is an expensive little car it is bought by a few people with more money than driving talent.it is very easy to wreck any car if driven incorrectly on the street.at least at a race track you might only have to pull the weeds and mud out of it.if you try to drive any car at the limit on the street you can see the results on the elise door.i have not drove an elise.so i cannot have an honest opinion about 1.every thing is bs unless i have had a chance to drive 1 on a track i have driving time at.it would be great fun to line up an elise,2004 z06,subaru wrx sti,350z track edition,honda s2000,rx8,or anything else at my local track(thunderhill) for 10 timed laps.then i would have an honest opinion-not speculation.looks to me like the elise driver was lacking talent or common sense.