Latest Lotus Elise Sports Cars

A review of the latest Lotus Elise Series 1 sports car, which covers development, important features and technical data from this thirtieth model Lotus range.

In this article, I offer a nostalgic look at the latest Lotus Elise Series 1, one of the elite group of classic cars, which was produced in the years 1999-2000.

The Lotus Elise Series 1

The Heritage Lotus Elise Type 79

In July 1999, a limited edition Lotus Elise, with 100 Left Hand Drive cars were built for the Italian dealer network.

They were painted in the John Player Special (JPS) color black with gold wheels and grilles, and appeared in "Heritage" badge.

Furthermore, another limited edition of 50 cars with right-hand drive, and designated Type 79 sports car, were ofered with either 1.8 liter Rover K-Series standard or Variable Valve Control (VVC) engine.

The Lotus Elise Type 79

Introduced in October 1999 London Motor Show, this special edition Lotus Elise sports car shared the same color red, gold and white as Type 49 Formula One race car.

This Elise was powered by either the 1.8-liter Rover K-Series standard or VVC engine.

The Millenium Edition Lotus Elise

Also introduced in October 1999, this Millenium Edition Lotus Elise based on the standard Elise and Elise 111S variant.

Painted Atlantis Blue, both leather seats and road bikes from the 111S were painted black, the rear wheel arches had spats.

The Lotus Elise 340R

Based on the Series 1 Elise, and name from the fact that only 340 units were built on the Lotus Elise 340R sports car was launched in August 1999 Hippodrome in London.

It was the most radical of all Elise variant.

The body shell, which was custom made, contained neither ceiling nor doors, and was painted in silver and black.

It was powered by a 1.8-liter Very High Performance derivative (VHPD) Rover K-Series engine, which developed 177 hp at 7800 rpm and 126 ft / lbs of torque at 6750 rpm.

Equipped with Rover five speed close ratio of PGI gearbox, it had a top speed of 135 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds and 0-100 mph time of 12.4 seconds.

Power enhancement was available by way of a Track Pack, which include changes to the engine management system, no catalyst, and no sports silencer.

With such an addition, the power increased to 195 hp at 7500 rpm and 139 ft / lbs of torque.

In the UK, Elise 340R was road legal.

The Lotus Exige

Launched by Lotus at Brands Hatch in April 2000 Lotus Exige sports car was in fact, a fixed head coupe version of the Elise.

It was designed to be used on both track and road.

He was driven by the 1.8-liter Rover K-Series VHPD unit, as used in the Elise 340R, and developing 177 hp at 7800 rpm.

It was possible to upgrade from 177 hp to 190 hp by using a Track Pack, which exclude catalyst.

This resulted in a top speed of 137 mph and 0-60 mph time of 4.7 sec.

The Exige features a lightweight, reinforced fiberglass body, a front aerodynamic splitter, sports suspension, a close ratio of the gearbox, the larger the black wheel and transparent tailgate view system.

It was equipped with a large carbon fiber rear wing high, which is similar to that used Lotus Esprit Sport 350, which increased downwrd pressure to improve rodholding and minimize drag.

Optional extras with a sports exhaust and the same place and used 340R.

In October 2000, the air conditioning was standard on the Exige.

The Series 1 Lotus Exige was produced until 2002, when 604 units were built. It was revived in 2004 and Series 2 variants.

The VX220 Type 116

New EU directives on vehicle impact by Lotus seeking business partnerships with General Motors. This led Lotus agree to build special Opel and Vauxhall cars performance.

Launched as a concept car at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999, and designated the Type 116, the VX200, also known as the Speedster was powered by Vauxhall new 2198 cc, ECOTEC, four-cylinder engine.

This developed 147 hp at 5800 rpm and 203 ft / lbs of torque at 4000 rpm, with a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 132 mph.

In 2003, VX220 Turbo sports car introduced, equipped with a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, which is used in the Vauxhall Astra Sri, and developing 200 hp with 190 ft / lbs of torque.

It had a top speed of 150 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 5.3 sec.

It was built on the same production lines as Elise. Lotus stopped production in 2005 VX220.

The Lotus Elise Sport 190

Introduced in January 2001 for use on the track, the Lotus Elise Sport 190 sports car features a highly modified 1.8 liter Very High Performance derivative (VHPD) Rover K-Series engine, developing 189 hp.

It produced a top speed of 131 mph, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds and 0-100 mph time of 10.7 seconds.

It is used to drill disc brakes all round, with competition suspension and transmission.

This marked the end of the latest Lotus Elise Series 1.

Maybe this stroll down memory lane may have missed, or at least highlight, possibly question:

What Lotus Sports Car is Your Favourite?

However, should this question still remains unanswered, I will be reviewing in some detail in future articles in this website, a whole range of Lotus sports cars that were featured in the memorable era spanning 1952-1996.

I hope you join me in a nostalgic wander "sports car down memory lane."

If you would care to see my original article, containing photographs, videos, technical information and pictures not shown in this article, please see: http://www.sportscar2.com/sports-car-latest-lotus-elise-series1.html

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Tips With How to Get Cheap Cars For Sports Car

When buying a sports car you need to assess what you want first, but even more important that you need to decide how it will fit into your budget. Basically, you can afford to not only buy a sports car, but you can run one? However, there are some options available to you to enable you to purchase cheaper but valuable sports car.

If you take a look at the local newspaper to see where they auction house and when the next auction is. However, real life auctions rather difficult and not for someone who is shy, it is most definitely not for the faint of heart! Just like any other auction, whether it is online or in the real world, it's fast speed adrenalin fueled a place that is very stressful if you can I would advise visiting the auction several times before you even try to attempt to offer something just To get an idea of ​​how it works and how it fits into place. The only downside with offline auctions is that you can not test drive the car before you buy it, so you need to have your wits about you and hope that it is a good car.

In the UK you can get a lot of car warehouse, which basically means that they buy a lot of cars and replace them at a low price, and not only that they tend to be much cheaper than the main dealers, and because you're buying a used sports car it is a buyers market, so you have the upper hand, and you can usually negotiate a very good price. I try and look on the internet and see what they have to offer at first, but it is usually a quick turnaround stocks so if you're not fast, you might miss out.

The private seller is always a great place to buy cheap sports car that people can find themselves in a financial emergency, so they need some quick cash. Precious their sports car needs to go, and it can only mean good news for the buyer. Be aware and watch out for some crazy good deals.

The only down side to buying from a private seller is that it does not come back and the buyer buys a sports car "sold as seen" basis. You can not run back to the seller and complain.

There are some really great sports cars out there that every seemingly ignore or even take for granted, this is usually due to the development of the sports car industry. This is good for the buyer because they can pick up a cheap sports car and great value for money.

Sports cars are luxury cars and because they are a luxury that does not mean they have to be expensive or have set you back an arm and a leg. There is a lot of good deals out there you just need to find them. At the end of the buy cheap sports car that you still need to remember that quality must play a major role in your decision.

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Jaguar Sports Car

A Review of the Jaguar sports car, which covers development, important features and technical data for each model in the range from SS100 to E-Type.

In this article, I offer a nostalgic look at the Jaguar sports car, one of the elite group of classic cars, which was produced between 1936-1974.

In 1922 the Swallow sidecar Company created. The initial goal was to produce a motorcycle side cars, and then move the cars, such as Austin 7 Swallow.

In 1935 the name was changed to Jaguar cars and improved range of cars named SS Jaguars.

The Jaguar SS100

The first real Jaguar sports car was Jaguar SS100, built between 1936-1940. The "100" refers to the fact that it was capable of more than 100 mph, something almost unheard of at the time.

After WW2, twin overhead cam, straight 6-cylinder Jaguar XK engine was created.

The Jaguar XK120

In 1948 it was decided to add a new machine to a sports car. The Jaguar XK120 sports car with the XK engine was talked about in 1948 London Motor Show.

The XK120 was a two-seater convertible, first with aluminum panels. The "120" referred to this model a top speed of 120 mph.

In 1950, an all-steel version became the norm. A fixed-head coupe variant appeared in 1951, as well as drop head coupe in 1953. It used a 3.4 liter XK engine with aluminum cylinder heads, compression ratio of 8: 1, and two SU carburettors.

In 1949, a prototype XK120 achieved an average speed of 133 mph on the Belgian motorway.

By 1954, when the production of these Jaguar cars finished, convert bles 7631, 2678 fixed head coupes, and 1769 drop head coupes were built.

The Jaguar C-Type

1951 was C-Type Jaguar sports car introduced. It was also designated XK120-C, where "C", competition. It was essentially a racing car.

It incorporated with aerodynamically designed aluminum body built of lightweight tubular space frame chassis. The running gear was the XK120.

That layer 3.4 liter XK engine had compression ratio increased to 9: 1, but it held two SU Carburettors.

The engine in the second C-models were equipped with high lift camshafts and two SU were replaced by three two Choke Webber carburettors.

A total of 53 C-Types built. It was built for racing and in 1951 and 1953, won the Le Mans 24-hour race.

The Jaguar D-Type

In 1954, Jaguar Cars introduced the D-Type Jaguar sports car.

As subsequent versions of the C-type, it is used in a 3.4 liter XK engine with three two Choke Webber carburettors.

The structure, however, was well ahead of its time. It is used shell shaped structure with aluminum body panels and aluminum hose under the frame. This produced little resistance, aerodynamic profile.

The D-Type Jaguar cars were designed for competition:

In 1954, a D-Type won the Sebring 12 hour race
It won the 1955 and 1956 Le Mans 24-hour race
In 1957 Le Mans, D-Types took five of the top six places - this was the peak of racing history

The Jaguar XK140

In 1954 the XK120 Jaguar XK140 replaced by sports car.

There were minor style changes in the new car. It was available as a two-seater convertible, fixed head coupe and drop head coupe.

The standard engine was a 3.4 liter XK, with special equipment modifications used XK120. The power increased to 190 hp.

The XK 3.4-liter engine, with C-Type head (SE model), as used in the XK120 and developing 210 hp, was available as an accessory.

The Jaguar XK150

In 1957, the XK140 Jaguar XK150 sports car replaced. Like its predecessors, it was available as a two-seater convertible, fixed head coupe and drop head coupe.

A fast was to distinguish between the two Jaguar cars, XK140 and XK150, was that the latter used a one-piece windscreen, while the former used a split screen.

Both suspension and chassis was as the XK140 and was steering Rack and pinion steering.

The base engine was XK140 unit, a C-type head, producing 190 hp. However, commonly 3.4 SE unit with C-Type head and larger exhaust valves, producing 210 hp.

In 1958, 3.4 "S" engine appears, producing 250 hp.

In 1960, 3.4 liter engine bored out to 3.8 liters, producing 220 hp. The 3.8 "S" form, it developed 265 hp.

When the output of the XK150 ended 1960, 2265 convert notables, 4445 fixed head coupes, and 2672 drop head coupes these fabulous Jaguar cars had been built.

The Jaguar E-Type

In 1961 enigmatic E-Type Jaguar sports car launched.

The Series 1 E-Type was powered by 3.8-liter, triple SU carburetted engine used in XK150S.

In 1964, the 3.8 liter engine increased to 4.2 liters. The power and top speed of both Jaguar cars was the same, although the torque was increased.

All of the 1967 Series 1 was easily recognized by the glass-covered headlights her. It was available as a two-seater convertible or fixed head coupe. A 2 + 2 version of the fixed head coupe was available in 1966.

It was a transition series Jaguar cars built from 1967-1968, between Series 1 and Series 2 E-Types. This was referred to as Series 1.5.

By 1968, 15 498 Series 1 3.8, 1 4.2 16 195 Series, and 6726 Series 1.5 Jaguar cars were built.

In 1969, the Series 2 E-Type Jaguar sports car introduced. It was easy to distinguish from the Series 1 with open headlights, and wrap-around rear bumper.

Once again, it was available as a two-seater convertible, fixed head coupe, and 2 + 2 variants. It was powered by the 4.2 liter XK engine equipped with three SU carburettors.

By 1971, the 4855 fixed head coupes, convertibles bles 8628 and 5326 2 + 2 variant of the Jaguar cars were built.

In 1971, the Series 3 E-Type Jaguar launched. It was available as a two-seater convertible and 2 + 2 version, the fixed head coupe variants were discontinued.

The Series 3 was powered by a new 5.3-liter, V-12 cylinder, double overhead cam, XK engine. It is easy to identify with a separate grill and fishtail exhaust.

I like the 3 Series was the most desirable of all E-types produced by Jaguar Cars.

By 1974, 7990 and 7297 convertible 2 + 2 were built.

This marked the end of the E-Type Jaguar sports car.

Maybe this stroll down memory lane may have missed, or at least highlight, possibly question:

"What Jaguar Sports Car Is Your Favourite?"

However, should this question still remains unanswered, I will be reviewing in some detail in future articles in this website, a whole range of Jaguar sports cars that were featured in the memorable era spanning 1936-1974.

Read more »