A&Q about Lotus
Q:
Test drove an elise yesterday:
1. Clutch seemed to easily "smell" if slipped. Though it was stinky on our SF hills, it worked just fine. Any long term issues with this clutch, ie, does it wear out quickly under nomal driving conditions (I was told it is about $1,000 to replace).
2. Is the '06 pedal box significantly bigger/better than '05? I would like to buy a used '05, but I'm sporting size 12 sneakers and had to drive the '06 in socks. Thoughts?
3. I thought the ride of the base suspension was damn good for a car of this size and type - is the sport suspension jarring? I like to do track days from time to time, but a purely track-oriented suspension can be a drag on our bumpy NorCal roads - suggestions?
Great forum - thanks for the help!
tim
A:
Could you tell me where you got your test drive, I'm interested in one myself.
Thanks
A:
Tim,
Sounds like you enjoyed your test drive.
I've never found the Sports suspension overly jarring. There are sections of concrete freeways that can/do get rough, but no so much that I consider it jarring. Of course I used to drive a very stiff Super Seven on the street, so perhaps my butt is tuned differently from the average guy.
Cheers,
Kiyoshi
P.S. If you'd like to compare PM me and we can take a ride
A:
1. i've noticed the clutch smell too, i think it just common with our cars not sure about long term... i havent heard of too many problems on the forums.
2. not sure about the 06 pedals, but i have 12-13 shoes, and i had issues with most of my shoes. i bought some cheap reebok ($20 on clearance) driving shoes and they are sweet... i never drive the car w/o them. i tried once to drive to get gas with my regular gym shoes the other week... you don't notice how amazing driving shoes are until you switch back to regular shoes.
3. i like the LSS wheels, and don't mind the a048s that only last 6k miles. the suspension is a little tight for norcal roads, but ive heard it doesn't matter much in comparison to the non-LSS suspension... if a road is bumpy, you're gonna feel it.
kiyoshi: i bought the mirror, going to install it now i think!! hope my old mirror comes off easy
A:
I have the same problem with my clutch. It is ALWAYS smelling when I get "sporty" with the car. Unfortunately I hear that replacement is a BEE-otch! However I've had my car for over a year, and besides the smell, have had no problems with it.
I wear size 13 shoes, and its hard to find shoes to drive in. I've got some Piloti's if I don't plan on getting out of the car. There has been threads on here posting several styles of shoes you can buy which look decent and allow plenty of space between gas and brake. If you're tall, the biggest problem with regular shoes is the big sole...they make me have to bend my legs too much so my right knee is jammed between the wheel and the shifter. Easiest and cheapest solution, drive with your shoes off. Sounds silly, but I now prefer it. More feeling through the pedals.