Project Elise – A Proper Introduction

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For braking the Elise uses a servo-assisted 4 channel ABS system to control the Lotus/AP racing twin piston aluminum front caliper. The front uses Brembo brake pads and 26mm thick 11.5″ diameter ventilated and cross drilled rotors. The rear uses a single-piston Brembo caliper with a Brembo brake pad and the same 26MM rotor as the front of the car. 
 

You can plainly see how much more of the rotor is used in the front than in the back.  For simplicity’s sake the front and rear rotors are the same thickness and diameter.

2 Piston AP racing calipers, 1″ thick 11.5″ rotors.  Not bad to stop a car that weighs about 400 lbs less than a Miata.

Power for the US spec Elise is provided by the 2ZZ-GE from Toyota. This 1796cc motor utilizes an aluminum block and head, DFI, COP ignition, and Toyota’s VVTL-i. The bore is 82mm with a stroke of 85mm, it uses forged connecting rods and Toyota’s VVTL-i system to rev freely to 8500 RPM’s (in the Lotus platform ONLY) and produce 189HP @ 7,800 and 133lbft @ 6,800. VVTL-i is Toyota’s intelligent variable valve timing and lift system that features a dual profile camshaft. Ironically enough the 2ZZFE was apparently the first production engine in North America to combine variable cam phasing with dual-profile variable valve timing. In the case of the 2ZZFE the big cam is engaged at 6200 RPMs and the engine will not let this occur until temps have reached 140 degrees. In real world dynamometer testing the Elise puts down an average of 166HP and 120LB ft of torque to the wheels.

 The power is put to the ground through a 6 speed gearbox with ratio’s of: First 3.116:1, Second 2.050:1, Third 1.481:1, Fourth 1.166:1, Fifth 0.916:1, Sixth 0.815:1, Reverse 3.250:1, Final drive 4.529:1 and the car uses an open differential. Due to demand Lotus started offering a Limited Slip Differential in 2006. 

The Elise features dual oil coolers that are fully ducted by the front fiberglass crash structures and then vented through the wheel well.

To keep the Elise cool it uses a front mounted radiator that is mounted horizontally within the crash structure. The fiberglass reinforced crash structure is molded to create a duct that takes air from the front end of the car, through the radiator, and out of the vents directly above the radiator.  Also molded in to the crash structure are the mounting points and ducting for the dual front oil coolers. That’s right, the Elise features dual front oil coolers from the factory (after mid 2005 the second oil cooler was an option). The coolers take air ducted from the front of the car, through the cooler core, and discharges it in to the wheel well. Just a reminder that the car was built for one thing… Speed and Efficiency.