If Colin Chapman were still with us he might be having a quiet chuckle to himself about the current state of affairs in the car world. As the cost of fuel rises with unbounded enthusiasm on an almost daily basis, manufacturers are tossing overweight large car platforms in the dustbin and turning to smaller lighter alternatives.
Lotus on the other hand like to point out that they are already there. The low-volume sports car manufacturer has seen a global shift in manufacturing to emulate the philosophies and production already in place at Lotus.
Using an extruded and boned aluminium chassis weighing just 68kg and lightweight components and body panels, the Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars are known for their dedication to focused handling and performance. Now Lotus would like us to appreciate their sensitivity to the environment as well.
The Lotus core philosophy of performance through light weight also has positive knock-on effects of improving fuel economy and reducing the effect on the environment. Using a modest 1.8-litre four-cylinder, its 100kW Variable Valve Timing (VVT) engine produces a combined fuel economy figure of just 8.3l/100km.
The Elise S boasts an environmentally friendly CO2 output figure of just 196g/km, combining low emissions with a fair slab of performance: 0-100km/h takes 6.1 seconds.
The recently released 2008 Lotus Elise SC takes performance and economy to new levels. Using a supercharger on the 1.8-litre four-cylinder, the Elise SC exhibits combined fuel consumption figures of just 8.5l/100km, which is remarkable considering its power of 163kW and its ability to reach 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds.
You’re probably thinking, “wouldn’t it be great to compare those figures to those of some other popular performance cars”. So did Lotus and they provided us with the following handy table.
SPORTS CONVERTIBLE COMPARISON:
|
|
L/100km |
0-100km/h |
CO2 output |
Price |
|
Mazda MX-5 |
8.5 |
7.8 |
174g/km |
$42,870 |
|
Lotus Elise S |
8.3 |
6.1 |
196g/km |
$69,990 |
|
Nissan 350Z Roadster |
11.7 |
5.7 |
280g/km |
$73,990 |
|
BMW Z4 2.5 |
8.4 |
6.5 |
216g/km |
$78,200 |
|
Mercedes-Benz SLK200K |
9.2 |
7.9 |
220g/km |
$89,990 |
|
Lotus Elise SC |
8.5 |
4.6 |
202g/km |
$104,990 |
|
Porsche Boxster 2.7 |
13.8 |
6.1 |
222g/km |
$109,300 |
The Lotus Exige S PP is the fastest car in the Lotus Cars Australia range with 179kW and just 935kg, mixing supercar performance with fuel economy figures of a small hatchback. With its supercharged and intercooled engine, its acceleration, handling and economy is impossible to match. Again, a handy table gives you an idea how the Exige compares to the competition.
SPORTS COUPE COMPARISON:
|
|
L/100km |
0-100km/h |
CO2 output |
Price |
|
Porsche Cayman S |
11.6 |
5.4 |
254g/km |
$149,000 |
|
Lotus Exige S PP |
9.1 |
4.1 |
216g/km |
$149,990 |
|
Aston Martin V8 Vantage |
14.0 |
4.9 |
358g/km |
$269,000 |
|
Lamborghini Gallardo |
17.0 |
4.2 |
400g/km |
$414,993 |
|
Ferrari F430 |
15.6 |
3.7 |
345g/km |
$416,850 |
Your piece of the Lotus low-fat pie isn’t necessarily out of reach either with the entry level Elise S kicking off from a reasonable $69,990.
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Figures confirm what most of us probably knew, although it’s never shouted about.
I guess all car makers need to produce more economical vehicles, and sports car manufacturers are no exception… Ferrari have also stated that their supercars will become smaller and lighter in the medium-to-long term.
In the meantime I’d definitely consider a 2-3 year old Elise. Surely it can’t be that hard to strap on a supercharger onto an older Elise either? Hmm…
Strange, the same engine in the Corolla returns about 7.5litres in a fatter 1300kegs chassis.
Could toyota be telling porkies about fuel economy? front wheel drive and gearing cant give it that much an advantage.
Not sure, but isn’t the engine in the latest generation Elise from the (now dead) Celica? i.e. 140kW, very peaky motor but suited to Elise’s frenetic character and lighter weight?
If it’s true it is a bit strange that a lighter car running the same engine would use more fuel, but maybe Lotus has tinkered with the fuel mapping / exhaust and this means better response / power but reduced economy?
Maybe but it still not making sense. Short of putting a Peter Brock Polariser in the thing 300kilos should make a world of difference to economy.
Haha yeah they could make a low economy version, put Colin Chapman’s signature on the side and call it a plus pack
hmm I meant economy not low economy