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Lotus Super7 for Sale |
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beken 
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Joined: 12 February 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1462 |
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 Posted: 07 February 2011 at 12:37pm |
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We're getting off topic here now. Frankly, I think the Super7 is a great car no matter what motor you put in it. Too bad it's not very practical, but practical is not what it's built for. It's as purely a sports car or street legal track car you are going to get in any car.
Maybe we should start a thread somewhere on alternative energy Fieros if there is a big enough demand for such. |
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 Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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Romeo
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Joined: 16 November 2008 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 3033 |
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Posted: 07 February 2011 at 12:58pm |
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Aw, I suppose you're right. But I like you're thinking, and I thoroughly enjoy discussing emerging technologies. I'll go start a new electric Fiero thread. I just have to think of a shocking title for it... As to the Super 7, I'm completely in agreement with you, even with the four-banger, that car is phenominal. I think it's single-minded obsession with low-weight is refreshing these days as well, especially in a world where even Lotus can't seem to keep it's cars on a diet. |
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Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan.
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Romeo
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Posted: 07 February 2011 at 4:06pm |
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Speaking of Caterham's, did anyone else see what else they've been up to lately?
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Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan.
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beken
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Posted: 09 February 2011 at 11:20am |
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Caterham's site in the UK is here.
Caterham's UK site Note that their cars are not directly street legal in N. America. There are some mods done by the Canadian distributor to make them street legal here. |
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Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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Romeo
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Posted: 09 February 2011 at 12:01pm |
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Their newest Halo car isn't street legal in any way, shape, or form, but I think it's pretty sweet. Have you been looking into it Ken? Apparently, it's supposed to be even lighter than the 7, with the same engine/power, and with a Can Am inspired body.
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Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan.
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beken
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Posted: 10 February 2011 at 2:57pm |
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Yah...it looks pretty sweet but even less practical than the Super7.
Personally, I would be more interested in a Lotus Elise. Given the number of times I get cut off because people don't see even the Fiero, I would feel a lot safer if at least the radio antenna was higher up than the fender well of the car beside me. Also the Elise is less expensive than the Super7 though the performance envelope is not quite as razor sharp as the Super7. I would be too paranoid to own an SP300R in the same way I would be afraid to have a Lamborghini or Ferrari parked in the carport of my house. But if you have one, I would be more than happy to drive it. 
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Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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beken
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Posted: 10 February 2011 at 3:00pm |
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I should check the price of that Elise again. I think the price has gone up since the last time I looked.
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Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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Dawg
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Joined: 15 August 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 988 |
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Posted: 10 February 2011 at 6:09pm |
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The Fiero is the perfect donor car for an electric conversion. I'd love to build one some day.
The Dawg
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You dream it up....I'll make it
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Romeo
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Posted: 10 February 2011 at 9:10pm |
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The newest Elise got fat (Someone left the Lotus designer in a locked room with too much ice cream, methinks), but the older generation was pretty gnarley. That 340.R is frigging awesome though, so alien looking. Also liking the Pagani Zonda R - too unsafe for the street, too fast for the race course... Utterly useless, but given that it weighs around as much as the second gen Elise with 750HP. It's how you wrap yourself around a tree in style. |
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Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan.
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beken
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Posted: 11 February 2011 at 12:51pm |
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The current Elise is still a (barely, and in base form w/o options) sub-2000 lb car so it still is pretty light. However, that bloated look is caused by N. American crash requirements. Gotta try and stay visible to all those SUV drivers.
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Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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Romeo
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Posted: 11 February 2011 at 2:18pm |
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Not the newest Elise. It recieved a healthy bump in power, up to 320HP now, but this comes at the inexcusable (And thus far, inexplicable) cost of a 2409ibs curb weight, which is 398ibs more than the current Elises' curb weight. This is despite having the same engine as her older sister. Lotus got chubby, Ken. It sucks to say it, but it happened. |
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Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan.
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beken
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Posted: 11 February 2011 at 4:22pm |
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Hmmmm...I think 2400 lbs was the weight of the 4-cyl 4spd manual base (roll up windows) Fiero in 1984.
I think if somebody had lots of time and money on their hands can probably take a Fiero Chassis and use lighter weight plastics (ie carbon fiber) for interior bits, and a lighter current (modern) motor, we could have a screamer on our hands. Oh, I guess you also have to redesign the suspension. Unfortunately, one might find it would come out to about the same price of a Lotus or Caterham when all is said and done. Oops...I better be careful. This is a non-Fiero discussion. |
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Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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Romeo
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Posted: 11 February 2011 at 5:24pm |
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No one's going to fault you for it. I think much of the weight in Fieros comes from detail parts: Seats rails, door bars, sub frame, and of course, the heavy iron engine. I bet you we could knock ourselves down a few hundred pounds by putting in lighter weight fasteners, removing some of the unnecessary safety equipment, using a thinner chromoly sub-frame and dropping in an aluminum block/heads motor. As you also mentioned, swapping in carbon fibre, especially in place of the front hood, rear clip and the doors, could really knock some weight off too. As for the Elise topic for half a second, on it's own, 2400ibs is light. Compared to it's previous model though, 2400ibs is unacceptable. Lotus' whole namesake is associated with light weight, and joining today's heavy cars (A modern Mustang weighs 1000ibs more than my steel-bodied, iron block '66, for example) is going to cause frustration and apprehension, and no power bump is going to ease concerns that Lotus has lost sight of Colin Chapman's original vision of the company. |
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Never shift into reverse without a back-up plan.
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beken
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Posted: 14 February 2011 at 11:17am |
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I suspect that 400 lbs of the Elise's weight is for additional safety gear necessary for N. American requirements. 6 airbags, bumper requirements, impact sensors, emissions controls, etc Also, North Americans want their big wheels. Bigger wheels = more weight. Wider tires also = more weight. Sound deadening for the interior is also added weight that Americans want.
Also of note, the previous gen Opel Speedster was on a Lotus Elise Chassis with GM's High-output Ecotec drivetrain. I couldn't help but have hoped they might have considered bring that in as a Fiero update. 
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Beken (aka Ken) - bekentech@westcoastfieros.com Original and still the owner of an 85SE 2M6 4spd |
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beken wrote: