Interior Exterior
Q:
O.K. I'm going to ask a stupid question so be gentle.
I've had numerous passengers ask me "why do they make it like this?" when they open the door to get in. I've never had a good answer, so I just tell them to shut up and roll in.
Why is the sill so high? Is it simply a safety issue to be surrounded by the aluminum tub when you are so low to the ground?
A:
It's an Elise worthiness test.
A:
It allows them to make a more rigid structure. If you play with some legos, it makes sense.
- J
A:
It's an Elise worthiness test.
LOL, I do believe that is the best answer.
A:
the structure (chassis) of the Elise is VERY solid, that strength allows the suspension to be tuned very compliant - end resault, great road maners and tons of grip.
now to get the super stiff chassis they did a very cool thing - Lotus built a bath tub out of aluminum, and even cooler, the made it out of extruded Alum. and bonded the pieces together. now for the most part tub chasis are typically used only in racing and very expensive exotics (frequentyl carbon composite tubs, like in F1)
so to answer your question, that big sill IS the chassis. it is tall and wide for strentgth and to resist twisting. that big sill is what allows the elise to be so light, and so stiff that the suspension to be tuned to handle so well.
so if some asks that question you should say "because that how million dollar race cars are built!"
...i love that sill - i look at and think - "WOW, i can't believe i own this technology and construction."
A:
Structure! The chassis gets its its stiffness through the side sills, whereas most cars have a lot of metal in the center of the car providing that strength (or a fixed roof providing the same function). Without getting into too many details, if you're talking about the resistance to bending of the chassis, the strength increases linearly as you increase the width of the side sill, but increase the height and the benefit is cubed! A small increase in height of the side sill results in a huge increase in chassis stiffness, whereas a small increase in the width of the side sill doesn't add a whole lot.
A:
It's not a stupid question. The siderails are structural, and larger than life to give rigidity to the body. Convertibles generally suffer from more flexing in the body than cars with roofs. On the Elise the large siderails reduce this flex when you are cornering. In addition, they add a degree of safety to the occupants. In most cars the door sill is above the chassis. On the elise it IS the chassis.
But I just tell people "It's British." Plus it's fun to watch.
A:
It's an Elise worthiness test.
A:
Okay delete my post. You guys type way faster than me!
A:
Even with high sills, the car doesn't have to be so hard to get in/out of. Mercedes invented a great solution a half century ago.
So the answer to your question is that it's hard to get in and out because Lotus doesn't care how difficult ingress/egress are, because they believe they can sell cars despite that fact.
A:
I think difficult ingress/egress is a feature and I like it
It feels like you are strapping the car on when you get in
A:
It needs to come with a disclosure label:
All passengers must successfully negotiate the qualification bar before being allowed on the ride.
A:
The Fed Elise is better than the S1 Elise. Note the drop in sill height at the back of your seat. That was cut down for the S2 Elise. The S1 had straight extrusions. The new Europa is cut down even further (makes one wonder about the loss of rigidity).
Besides the structural rigidity the side rails provide, the car was originally envisioned as a step-in car, with no doors (ala the Seven), so the height of the rails was immaterial.
A:
Even with high sills, the car doesn't have to be so hard to get in/out of. Mercedes invented a great solution a half century ago.
So the answer to your question is that it's hard to get in and out because Lotus doesn't care how difficult ingress/egress are, because they believe they can sell cars despite that fact.
You're talking about a gull wing? I'm 6'1" and I have NO problem with head clearance. The only difficulty is getting my feet under the steering wheel, made more difficult by the fact they are above my ass at this point of the maneuver.
Getting in and out is not much different from my TT. Both involve dropping into the seat and then sliding the feet around to the front. The TT just doesn't have you sitting inside/below the tub.
Out is my only reall complaint. I have to push my rear end up and over the sill. There isn't a "good" place to brace oneself for this, but it involves the steering wheel and/or the sill. Again, nothing to do with the head clearance.
A:
Yep. This car was meant for an "Elaine."
Just stand back: watch and listen.
A:
Yep. This car was meant for an "Elaine."
BTW, in response to North American difficulties with egress, all 2006 Lotus Elaine's will be equipped with "Get OUT!!!".
Also, there will be a Jon Voight edition to follow. It will be imported/exported by Art Vanderlay.
A:
BTW, in response to North American difficulties with egress, all 2006 Lotus Elaines will be equipped with "Get OUT!!!".
A:
BTW, in response to North American difficulties with egress, all 2006 Lotus Elaine's will be equipped with "Get OUT!!!".
Also, there will be a Jon Voight edition to follow. It will be imported/exported by Art Vanderlay.
Now THAT was funny!
The Lotus Elaine will not accomodate those wearing puffy shirts or those who can't spare a square. However, it is perfect for "close-talkers."
Mike - BIG Seinfeld fan
A:
I'm registering the domain name www.ElaineTalk.com tonight, just in case.
Dang! It's taken!!!