What type of car do you have?

[Dave]

I like the Elise, it's got a nice look to it. Apparently the handling is superb on them, and they give a hell of a lot of grunt considering they've only got the 1.8l engine in them.

[admiral_ju00]

I like something with a bit more Torque and HP.

[Sayonara]

Because they're cool

Get a renewable-fuelled one.

 

Otherwise if you ever have children I'm going to tell them how you knowingly participated in destroying their world so that you could look cool. Then you'll be sorry you didn't get that chip shop conversion

[Dave]

Power it from cow poo like they did on Top Gear. Then I'll be impressed.

[Sayonara]

Or just ride the cow.

 

RIDE THE COW GIR.

[admiral_ju00]

Or just ride the cow.

 

RIDE THE COW GIR.

 

Well, as long as I get GIR with the cow, I might consider.

Otherwise, hell no, and please pass me that V8 buddy

[drz]

hp and torque is nice, but the defining feature of a car is its power to weight ratio.

 

the lotus, wieghing about 1975lbs, and producing 190 bhp has somewhere around a 10.4 lbs/1hp.

 

Your car, the 92 Formula, using specs from the largest engine put in these cars the 5.7L 350, makes 240 hp. The coupe weighs 3200 lbs, the convertable weighs 3300 lbs. We'll go with the coupe

 

3200/240 = 13.3 lbs/1hp

 

Comparing these two figures;

Elise 10.4 lbs/1hp.

Formula 13.3 lbs/1hp

 

It is a safe bet that the Elise would win in a drag race. We don't even want to talk about a curvy road, or say, a Lancer Evolution. Sure, there isn't much of an advantage, a few pounds.

 

Just an interesting note, myself and my bike weigh in about 500 lbs. The bike makes 38.4hp @ 9800 rpm (at the wheel too!!).

 

500/38.4 = 13.02lbs/1hp, and all I have to do to reduce weight is go on a diet

[bloodhound]

cars are not about just torque and bhp. its also about handling. like someone from top gear said. american cars can only go left or right.

[drz]

well, I don't know of any car that does more then left or right.

 

However, I agree you will be hard pressed to find an american produced car that handles on par with foriegn competitors.

 

For instance, every year a 240, 260, or 280 z or zx was produced, it out performed (in virtually ever aspect) that corresponding years corvette, and for a fraction of the cost.

 

The elise may be a poor mans lambo, but I expect it will also out perform several high dollar sports car. The Lancer EVO for instance, is like #5 of car and drivers best cars, right below the lamborgini Mercilago (no clue on the spelling)

[admiral_ju00]

 

Your car' date=' the 92 Formula........

 

It is a safe bet that the Elise would win in a drag race. [/quote']

 

Well, besides the math part which I already know, you are comparing apples and oranges.

 

These cars are in a separate cattegory/class, etc.

The current engine in my car IS very underpowered, and I know that. Not only that, it's 12 years old. If you want to get a much better comparison and a drag race(did I mention I don't race? not even in my now juncked '99 Z28 which would have probably killed the Lotus of the same year), get cars that are of at least same year.

 

The Lotus being such a light car(there is one other type of which I don't recall the name that is even lighter than the Lotus), it can be a bitch to control during cornering. The suspencion that it has is nice, but there's also the 'human' factor that you need to consider. But then again, that's why you said it'll beat my car in a drag.

[Dave]

The Lotus being such a light car(there is one other type of which I don't recall the name that is even lighter than the Lotus), it can be a bitch to control during cornering.

 

Not according to how I saw them handle it in the Top Gear review. Corners like a dream.

[drz]

get cars that are of at least same year.

 

what does that have to do with anything?

 

The Lotus being such a light car

 

Hmm. I used to race go-karts. The kind with a 5hp B&S engine, converted to run on alcohol. The entire cart probably weighed about 150lbs. I could through 25mph turns at well over 60mph with proper gearing and a long enough stretch.

 

Also, if lighter cars=worse handling, why do all the best handling cars in the world weigh very little?

 

The suspencion that it has is nice, but there's also the 'human' factor that you need to consider.

 

And of course, for the sake of comparison, one would assume equally skilled drivers.

 

But then again, that's why you said it'll beat my car in a drag.

It is a safe bet that the Elise would win in a drag race.

 

I didn't say it would certainly win. I said it was a safe bet, due to the power to weight ratio. There are many undetermined factors that go into racing, as you pointed out, most of which are human. Even the best pro racers in the world make mistakes.

 

Hey, the elise would also outrun my bike. It would outrun my old Z. It would probably outrun my brothers EVO. Its a tough car.

 

sorry I went there. We keep this up we might hijack the thread.