Tigz™ Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Met up with Darren for a Lupo meet two weeks early Managed to get a couple of snaps, loving the car.Shame about the cup holder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willcrook Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 hehe,yummy!whats the spec? touring + aircon?next step = powder coat those wheels black! then Larni exhaust ? : Ddo you still miss the Lupo ?what's it like to drive?i've still not decided on what colour to have mine, but i'm thinking white or black hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lupo D Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Fantastic Car...! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunalupi Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) It looks like a toy in some of those photos!Nice car though (even with the cup holder ) Edited October 23, 2007 by lunalupi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
payna Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 verrry nice darren! ...gorgeous colour - no doubt this will be incredibley clean ALL of the time!love the lupo gti style exhaust too! review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clairey Fairy Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Bestest colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swoxy Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Oh crap.Now I understand why he sold the Lupo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vworks41 Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Very nice mate, good color choice to Bet the lupo was easier to get in and out of though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little rich Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 nice looks mint mate, bloke in my street had one, he drives it every day to work etc what ever the weather, . got a diferent exhaust on it to, no idea what but sounds mint, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINCOLNSHIRESLUPOGTI Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks for the pictures Andi, shame it was a damp, cold day so it doesnt look as bright as it should.To answer some questions and to do a mini review please read on.SpecificationElise R with MY08 touring/super touring packs combined so has the airbags, Alpine stereo system, much improved heating system and the famous cup holder! Also got the Exige seats with harness holes. Also got sport pack so it has Exige suspension, Exige geometry, front oil coolers, forged wheels (about 6kg each so very light) and also switchable traction control which is good for a young lad like me who is used to fwd...also good for wet days.So what do I think?Initially blown away with the fun of having a mid engined two seater without a roof so for the first few days I was living a dream (that I wanted to live since I was 18). I do not want to say what has been said before (or sound big headed) but it handles like nothing I have ever driven. I have had a race spec Mini (old mini) that was fast and went round corners, and obviously the Lupo but neither came close to the Elise for precision of steering and braking response and feedback. I think the Lupo handled mid corner bumps better as the Elise tends to feel uneasy at the rear (my suspension is much stiffer damped than the standard Elise set-up) and I actually think I could get places faster in the Lupo as I felt more confident driving it fast-though after 5 years and 80,000 miles I should have done really!Elise is certainly useable daily and once work sort out their carpark issues I will use the Elise in all but very wet/icy weather. Heating works, both for demisting and heating the car, it does not leak, even when hosed down and it all works apart from a slight crunch going 2nd to 3rd but this is likely the gear linkage and is being looked at tommorrow at the post running in service.Not driven it too hard yet as had to go easy for 600 miles and then a little less easy until 1000 miles. It certainly is fast in a straight line (13.0s quarter as standard) and it takes smoothish, sweeping bends with no effort at all but yet to give it full revs or full throttle until this weekend after the service and also until I have had my driver training next week at Lotus. 40mpg so far and this is likely to improve as the engine loosens up with a few more miles, my Lupo didn't stop loosening up until about 30,000 miles so I have a while to wait yet if the 'Yota engine is anything like as tight at the VW was.Do I miss the Lupo then? Yes, every day and I still question if I did the right thing. Yes the Elise is new, fast and perhaps the greatest drivers car ever for the money.....but.....and it is a big but.....it is not unique like my Gti was, I have had no input to its specification and there are lots about (alhough mine is currently the only storm titanium MY08 of my specification that has been made). I have many Lupo memories and at the risk of sounding sad, I think I enjoyed the Lupo as much after 5 years as I do the Elise after a month sop hopefully I wont get bored of Elise too soon. I know I still miss my race mini and I sold that in 2002!!!So what do I have planned...I don't leave things standard do I.1. I had it de-badged at the factory, the Elise rear sticker, the "R" wing badges were removed leaving just the nose badge and rear letters of "LOTUS" on the rear.2. I had Exige seats fitted from new.3. Lotus stage 2 exhaust being fitted tommorrow at first service, apparantly this should give pops and bangs on the over-run and make some nice raspy tones. Rumured to give near 10bhp too.4. Maybe a replica Exige front splitter and black rear diffuser in the future.5. Small front number plate in the future.6. Might get the Lotus coilovers when my dampers wear out so I can go the 10mm lower to make it look more aggressive.And that is all.....although I would like some throttle bodies one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINCOLNSHIRESLUPOGTI Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 .....and before anyone else mentions cleaning!I Zymolled the entire car (inside and outside) the first weekend I got it. Then last weekend decided it was not clean enough, so I Zymolled it again. I have driven 950 miles, its got slightly wet once but been washed 4 times and Zymolled twice!I am not losing my cleaning touch.....it is a lot easier than the Lupo to clean though. So glad I sold out of black paint, grey is so less fussy with smearing and swirling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willcrook Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 was a rear centre badge an option or are they putting the LOTUS letters on the back now?i've heard some really bad things about the lotus stage 2 exhaust - did you read up on it before going ahead?shame you've not managed to give it some beans yet - 2nd cam change is what the 'yota is all about you going to get the motorsport ECU that reduces the 2nd cam change down to 5750? i've heard its an essential mod!still 4 months to go till I get mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTi T Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Tis lovely that is DarrenEnjoy the Lotus day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisty b-road Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 I hate you. Don't ever speak to me again* * Lend me 20 grand mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINCOLNSHIRESLUPOGTI Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 was a rear centre badge an option or are they putting the LOTUS letters on the back now?i've heard some really bad things about the lotus stage 2 exhaust - did you read up on it before going ahead?shame you've not managed to give it some beans yet - 2nd cam change is what the 'yota is all about you going to get the motorsport ECU that reduces the 2nd cam change down to 5750? i've heard its an essential mod!still 4 months to go till I get mineIIRC the early cars had "LOTUS" accross the back in silver stickers. Then MY04 they changed to the Lotus roundell same as the front of the car. Customer feedback said they preferred the letters so Lotus returned to "LOTUS" across the back but in chrome letters as opposed to stickers. The rear round badge was only MY04 cars I think.I have heard lots of the brackets failing on the stage 2 because of poor welding but then it is covered under warranty so I dont mind, I will keep getting new ones if they break. The sound it makes is excellent, after 4000rpm when you lift off the exhaust bangs like a turbo car on the boost limit, can do it to order everytime. Also really raspy like a race car at about 8000rpm (so yes I have used second cam now...all the way to nearly 9000rpm!).I have been offered the ECU modification, just a reflash of my ECU for about £350. I dont want it though, I like the aggressive cam change point and the fact I have to keep the revs high, moving the change lower and softening the change is taking away the feel of the car...in my opinion anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINCOLNSHIRESLUPOGTI Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 I hate you. Don't ever speak to me againI have nothing more to say to you.Except get one bought mate. You can get a series 2 for quite a good price now, although it does depend on if you can live with the Rover K and I know I certainly couldn't after the total dependability my Lupo gave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicki Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Looks fantastic Darren! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty_Gti Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 looks stunning! bit of a mission to get in and out of tho i expect. get a video of it with the new exhaust on, i bet it will sound mean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keppel Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 haha,i work at Lotus.I probably did some of the paperwork for your car!we just built an exige s in nimbus grey, was pretty lush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willcrook Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 keppel, can you supercharge my 'r for free or cash in hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keppel Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 keppel, can you supercharge my 'r for free or cash in hand? ha ha, if I could I would!Would be nice to 'borrow' a charger from work and strap it to something VAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Lovely car Darren With the Alfa being away, I'm getting a bit twitchy and have been trawling the classifieds looking at Elises again, specifically the 135R - I'd be after something raw again like my old S160 was...Although I would point out that I'd have no hesitation buying a K-series engined car - the HGF problem really isn't as bad as you'd believe. And the old K really is a fantastic partner to the Elise.But I implore people to try one, or buy one, I miss mine more than any car I've owned. Can get S1's for £7k+ now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigz™ Posted November 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 The K-Series is just crying out for throttle bodies.Every part on the shelf, cheap and easy to do with shed loads of space.Id love one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willcrook Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 s1 with the type R conversion is a fun car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopcraft Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 pictures look spot on....so does the car ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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