In reply to Fuelrush:
Funny, I came in to post this exact same thing. After owning an Elise, it becomes too precious. You're one hard off from totaling it. I love, love, love driving it around the streets and backroads, but ended up modding my miata for track work, even though the Elise is the far superior track weapon.
In reply to Tyler H:
Yes.
But I take the metro so that may get even stranger looks than the car
Huckleberry wrote:Keith Tanner wrote: If you're on the track and paying attention to the looks of the car, then the car isn't very interesting to drive. In the Exocet, all you see is the track as the car disappears around you. Who cares what everyone else sees?Seriously? You don't care what a car looks like at all? Uh huh. OK. I have had a good two decades of track time and racing and I still want to race something that isn't an eyesore. Especially if I am buying it retail instead of cobbling it together in my garage. The Exocet looks like it might have been designed by a committee of blind engineers. In a hurry. Do not want.
I don't care what it looks like. I'm kind of an f you guy.
If it is fast, I'd love to take the ugliest thing created to a track day if I could then pass the guy in the 911.
Tyler H wrote: Do you want to wear a helmet on your commute?
If you rode a motorcycle, you wouldn't be asking this question.
Stefan wrote: That's how Fiat/Bertone did it on the Fiat/Bertone X-1/9. They took the 128 drivetrain and front suspension and mounted it in the rear with locked down tie-rods. Its considered one of the better handling cars of the time period:
You know the advantage of that? Plenty of toe in/out adjustment...
icaneat50eggs wrote: I don't care what it looks like. I'm kind of an f you guy. If it is fast, I'd love to take the ugliest thing created to a track day if I could then pass the guy in the 911.
I agree. Also I feel like the Exocet grabs attention in a fun loving DIY hobbyist contraption sort of way... while the exotic euro styling of the Elise oozes mid life crisis.
You can't argue with the Elise appreciation though... but then would you really beat on your investment?
Appleseed wrote:Tyler H wrote: Do you want to wear a helmet on your commute?If you rode a motorcycle, you wouldn't be asking this question.
You also wouldn't need to spend anywhere near $25k to eclipse the performance of any of these choices.
It's a legitimate argument for people buying open cars for play and occasional track use. Save a ton of money up front, use only half the rubber, go moar faster.
In reply to Huckleberry:
I meant more in the question of the inconvenience of wearing a a helmet all the time, but good point.
Huckleberry wrote:Appleseed wrote:You also wouldn't need to spend anywhere near $25k to eclipse the performance of any of these choices. It's a legitimate argument for people buying open cars for play and occasional track use. Save a ton of money up front, use only half the rubber, go moar faster.Tyler H wrote: Do you want to wear a helmet on your commute?If you rode a motorcycle, you wouldn't be asking this question.
There's something about a roll cage all around you... and the ability to slide around on not-so-perfect surfaces.
The Exocet can be built for less than $25K. Used Exocets (even turbo) seem to sell in the teens.
Motorcycles can slide. Controlablely.
I don't like the Exocet cage design. Sketches me out. Particularly the way the cage doesn't extend to the bottom of the car.
Appleseed wrote: Motorcycles can slide. Controlablely.
Only if you are good enough.
Cars there is a little more margin for error.
We are more this 
than this 
I'm just sayin'.
jv8 wrote: The Exocet can be built for less then $25K. Used Exocets (even turbo) seem to sell in the teens.
Very high teens. I've been watching the turbo Exocet sales, and most are going for $20k+.
DaveEstey wrote: I don't like the Exocet cage design. Sketches me out. Particularly the way the cage doesn't extend to the bottom of the car.
How much lower do you want it to go?
The main hoop turns into square stock before it reaches the floor. Also square stock rocker/sill bar.
Our hillclimb regs won't let these run because of it.
Schrödinger's Flight Service wrote:Appleseed wrote: Motorcycles can slide. Controlablely._video_hilarity_
Here is a how-to video for beginners interested in sliding their motorcycle on less than perfect surfaces. It's probably pretty easy. Or not.
It's almost a philosophical question about where the cage ends and the chassis begins :) The only reason those 1" square tubes look small is the sheer size of the side tubes. IIRC that cage is built to FIA spec. It wouldn't be hard to change both those out if you really wanted different material there. Do they let Lotus/Caterhams and Atoms run?
No cage will prevent every possible outcome, but I'm pretty damn impressed by the Exocet cage. Short of a full NASCAR you aren't going to do much better. And remember this is supposed to be an Elise comparison (chortle).
In reply to Kreb:
I think it goes to a loss of focus of the market on the part of Lotus. It went from maintainable track day and week-end weapon with the occasional DD duties to a too-expensive-to-fix-to-track dream car.
It also goes to show the need for a Miata rusty shell replacement. The Exocet is the epitome of Colin Chapman Model 1 ideology. Take something that works and add lightness. I find the off road package amusing as well as the Lotus 7 started off as an evolution of a Trials buggy.
It seems life for Chapman's ideology has come full circle.
In reply to Keith Tanner: Nobody has shown up with a Caterham or Atom and tried to pass tech inspection.
We can wax philosophical, but tech guys get to say yes or no. The Exocet gets a no for us with its current design. Shame, because one of my favorite competitors bought one and can't race it with us.
Dave: I missed what event/sanctioning body you represent? Just curious, not trying to make a point.
In reply to Kreb: I don't represent anybody, but I race with NEHA - New England Hillclimbing Association.
In reply to DaveEstey:
Serious Q. Has an Exocet been turned away for this yet?
If so I think some letter writing to the Sanctimonious Car Club of the Anonymous would be in order. That main hoop terminates at what I would call the chassis and the load is then distributed from there over a wider area by other tubes. If that fails then I hope any unibody car where the main hoop terminates on the rocker panel is also excluded because it obviously should continue to the (weaker) floor at the bottom of the structure following the same 'logic'
BTW, there is nothing wrong with square tube. For any given diameter (width for square) the square tube is actually stronger than round. The reason round is used is that a given strength the round will be lighter, or for any given diameter the round will be lighter, but not stronger. Nothing inherently wrong with square tube.
If people want to bitch about the Exocet chassis it should be the same bitching about the Atom and other styling exercises that happen to perform quite well. They all have the curved main side tubes. A curved tube is a bent tube is a pre failed tube. Make all the load paths (tubes) straight lines to best transmit a compression or tension load which is what an ideal space frame should be. In a theoretically perfect structure you could pin rather than weld all the nodes and not lose any rigidity. A pre bent tube is going to fail sooner in compression (often called a crash) than a straight one starting and terminating at the same point.
AIUI, square tube also has varying strength depending upon the angle at which it is loaded, whereas round tube is the same all the way around.
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