A&Q about Lotus
Q:
I am in santa monica, ca and looking to buy an elise.
My question is where are good places for servicing and tech inspections for track use in this area. Often my biggest problem taking cars to the track is getting them tech'ed out beforehand (without resorting to dealers)
Also, have there been issues taking these cars to local tracks without installing rollbars or having the hardtop in place?
Is the warranty voided with track use? People here keep mentioning ECU dumps and warranty claim rejections. What is the experience in SoCal?
I currently drive a BMW Mcoupe (2000) as my luxury car and a Mitsu evolution 8 as my "track" car. The problem is that the I can't get over the fact that the evo makes me feel like I am cheating. Where the bmw wants to swap ends, the evo just grips and goes.
Thanks for any help in advance, and I wonder if Lotus sponsors this forum, because it works better than any other kind of advertising I can think of...
A:
I can't help you with your questions. Buy one...........tomorrow.
A:
you weren't out at Streets this weekend with the Evo were you?
The Elise/Exige have roll bars in them factory, while not as good as a cage they will be allowed to run with the top off.
ECU dumps can cause warrenty issues if you are reving past 9k.
I do agree though..buy one ASAP, JUST DO IT! *pays fees to nike*
A:
Lotus does not sponsor this site.
Oh, and buy one tomorrow.
A:
Originally Posted by vasracer
...I wonder if Lotus sponsors this forum, because it works better than any other kind of advertising I can think of...
(vasracer..inside joke)
A:
LOL
That is funny. Nice words though!
A:
You warranty is voided under certain condition and the void will affect certain things. In other words, a drivetrain warranty issue will not mean that your radio will not get replaced. You are not allowed to use the car in competition. Too many "standing starts" may also void your warranty. Excessive track use may void your warranty. But Lotus has also helped out people (off the record).
There are good places for service in SoCal. Read the forum and check out the dealers near you. Don at Newport has done a lot of my stuff, and I have also had a lot of work done at two different race prep shops in Los Angeles.
The requirement for a hardtop is not a track issue locally, but can be an issue depending on the group putting on the event. Since the Elise has an integral rollbar (you can take a picture of that to the track to show them), most tracks and groups do not have a problem with the Elise for HSDEs).
A:
for the great advice, of course I want to buy one, its only a matter of time...no, I wasn't at streets, i was at fontana 2 weekends ago with bmwcca, one of the instructors there had a very very fast chrome orange elise...I am hooked on the elise, and I haven't even driven one yet...i regret the evo purchase, though that really isn't a bad car by any means...
thanks, and maybe i will get one tomorrow! (and then sleep in it after I am kicked out of bed)