Brake cooling

Virtually all modern cars are equipped with adequate brakes for road use. Are brakes that are fine for road use good enough for the Nurburgring?

This depends on the performance of the car you drive. Yes and no. Most road cars never need to bear the abuse that is given driving a circuit. You would think an economy hatchback with a top speed of say 115mph would be left wanting and a high performance sedan’s brakes would be up to the Job. In fact quite the opposite is the case. A car with no performance pretensions whatsoever, takes time to reach 115mph and because its top speed is modest, its braking system has less to cope with. A high performance sports car however may be found wanting in repeated hard use. It is obviously more difficult to slow a car to 50mph from 150mph, especially as the faster car will almost invariably also be heavier. The problem is likely to be dispersing the heat build-up caused by this repeated heavy breaking. At the Nurburgring you are constantly on the brakes.

 Brakes work by converting kinetic energy (in the form of motion) into thermal energy (heat). Suffice to say, that it is a phenomenal amount of heat. In order to work efficiently brakes need to operate within a specific temperature range. With my BMW 330i at the Ring, I experienced incredible brake fade after just one lap. The Elise however, being considerably lighter had no such problems. With the addition of performance pads such as EBC Green Stuff  . Braking performance actually increased once they were up to working temperature.

 From the driver’s seat you will know when you have “brake fade” when the pedal feels spongy . The hydraulic brake fluid boils, the bubbles formed during the boiling of the fluid are compressible, so when you press the pads against the disc, you are merely compressing air in the fluid rather than pads against the disc. This is when you need to back off and give the brakes chance to cool!

I would recommend if your car is fitted with the Standard manufactures pads (especially in cars over 3000lbs) to limit yourself to no more than 2 consecutive laps. Sure, after the long  straight run from the metal gantry into the car park and back to the ticket machine, they do get a chance to cool off. This is not enough IMO, park up, grab a coffee at the Grune-holle and give yourself 15 minutes or more before you hit the track again!

BMW M3  E46

In 2003, my chance to fire off a quick lap with some more powerful machinery arrived, thanks in part to my job at BMW. I had driven the M3 plenty of times before, mostly on the Autobahn but never in anger on a track!  I managed to wangle the use of a BMW M3 for the weekend. With hindsight this was a little risky, as this would have cost me my Job had they have known its destination!!

 The Euro version pumped out 338BHP@ 7900RPM and 219BHP per ton. I managed to procure a car with the paddle shift. While I am no fan of this system for normal roads, I wanted to try it on the track and soon started to appreciate its advantages, especially having the ability to drive the Ring with both hands on the wheel at all times. The tap, tap, tap with the finger to change gear while the computer blipped the throttle on the down change was immensely satisfying. This is a brute of a car when pushed. In the high RPM range it gives a banshee like high-tech wail, that gets the hair standing on the back of your neck!

Switching the sport mode on and selecting the shifter to maximum attack, I scan my ticket at the machine and the barrier lifts…….were off!

I nail the loud pedal and the M3’s 3.2 liter straight six wakes up from its slumber, a bubbly rumble, into a flutey quickened warble followed by a howling scream. As I accelerate hard down the hill to the first corner, it feels like a giant kick up the backside, as I am squeezed back into M sports seats.

After driving the Lotus around the Ring, the M3 could not have felt more different. There are two ways to crack a nut as the saying goes. The Lotus is a surgeon’s scapel. The M3 is a sledge-hammer!!  They both get the Job done so to speak. While I would say the Lap times were very similar to the Elise, the M3 was a more violent ride. It’s huge weight meant that the forces at work were more pronounced. Coming hard into a corner and stomping on the huge and very effective BMW “M” brakes was a stomach flipping affair. Powering out of the apex, had the tires squealing in protest. You can get a quick lap out of the M3 using  just brute force alone! Its power and computer “nanny” systems were making up for any driver inadequacies. In the right hands this car can crack 8min 30.

 I completed 8 laps that Sunday with the M3. An experience I would not forget. The reason I did not do more?  Tires, 8 laps and the tires were visibly looking the worse for wear, with small chunks peeling away from the tread!

My only gripe with the M3 after hundreds of laps in the Lotus was weight. The M3 weighs a lardyu 1655kg, almost 2 ½ times the weight of my Lotus. This confirmed my choice of the Lotus for my Ring car. As tempted as I initially was by the M3, changing tires every few weeks would be financially unsustainable.

The Elise, due to its low weight, was much easier on tires. A set of four would typically last me 4- 6 months! In the real world the M3 is quicker than the Lotus, with over twice the ponies.

 Lap times were almost identical (except in the wet the M3 was quicker) but on a sunny day, not only was my Lotus much faster through the corners, I got more satisfaction out of driving the Lotus. The steering feedback on the Elise is arguably the best in the world, it feels like you are connected to the actual steering rack. The M3s weight dulls this sensation. The Elise has ZERO driver aides,  the M3, even with the DSC off, still has CBC and ABS. However, the violent ride of the M3 can make any driver feel like a hero!  My lap times with traffic , ie with a quick glance at the watch and NO STOP WATCH RUNNING in the car was approx 8: 40s- BTG.

 My lotus Elise, with around 135BHP from its K serries engine and more familiar to me, around 8:35 to 8:50. These are BTG times (Bridge to Gantry) normally with traffic. 

Bear in mind it is not advisable to time a lap. Clean up crews nearly always find a running stop watch in crashed cars at the Ring. A good lap at the Ring is more about smoothness and good lines. I rarely timed myself, and when I did, it was just a quick glance at my watch before the lap started and again when I reached the metal gantry on the back straight. I instinctively new if I had driven a good lap. Some days it just felt right, you were in the zone so to speak!

  As far as my Lotus vs the M3, Colin Chapman knew what he was talking about when he said “less is more”.  I had to return this car back to BMW after all. I did not want to cough up for four new Bridgestone’s.

Lynx Cars præsenterede super-el-sportsvognen Lynx GT i slutningen af august. En bil baseret på en Opel Speedster, men med dansk elbils teknologi under karossen.

Op til 900 hestekræfter og en accelerationsevne så heftig, at den får en Ferrari California til at ligne en tumling i paradedisciplinen 0-100 km/t. Det er klaret på under tre sekunder i hidsigste race-setup.

I en mere human udgave med færre hestekræfter og pakket i en Lotus Elise-karosse kan Lynx GT blive din for 650.000 kroner. Så velkommen til en ny æra. Elbilen er landet, og Lynxcars har store ambitioner.

Lynx GT pakket i en Opel Speedsterkarosse. Den endelige bil ligner en Lotus Elise, men kører i cirkler om sit britiske ophav!

Bag bilen står duoen Brian Hoehl, 43 år, og Lars Munksø, 51 år. Den ene er reklamemand, den anden ud af Winther-slægten. Dem med cyklerne. Sammen har de på fem år opbygget en virksomhed, der først er tromlet over elcykel-markedet, siden elscooter-markedet, og nu er turen kommet til bilerne.

Man kan ikke høre på ham, at han lige er stået op. Klokken er 6.07 i LA og 15.07 i København. Brian Hoehl er 100 procent på, når emnet er Lynxcars. Og han er det med en entusiasme, der skinner rent igennem den halvdårlige telefonforbindelse.

»Lars og jeg startede for fem år siden med at udvikle en elcykel. Vi vidste allerede dengang, at vi ville lave en bil. Men det var simplere med cykler, hvor udfordringerne var de samme.«

Udfordringerne med batteridrevne el-køretøjer er: Et let batteri, stor radius, kraftig ydeevne og hurtige opladninger. Hverken Lars eller Brian er ingeniører, så for dem handlede det om at samle de løse ender i et setup, der virkede. Opgaven for duoen var altså at finde ingeniørerne, teknologien, fabrikkerne til produktionen og så at lancere produkterne succesfuldt på markedet.

»Vi tog til Asien og fik udviklet batteriet derude. Vi udviklede vores egen lithium-polymer-celle, et såkaldt softpack-batteri, der ligner og føles som blødt tyggegummi og er en fantastisk celle, som vi kan kontrollere. Og netop det er vores kernekompetence: Kontrol – eller batterimanagement, som det hedder. At koble flere celler sammen og kontrollere dem.«

Det kan synes som noget af en omvej at starte med en cykel, hvis man vil lave en bil. Men grunden var simpel. De ville viske tavlen ren og ikke falde i samme faldgrube som den uheldsramte og mildt komiske Ellert, der huserede i 1980erne. Ved at starte med elcyklen, kunne de finjustere og udvikle på batteriteknologien samtidig med, at de fik testet løsningerne af i praksis.

Cyklen blev en succes, og dermed kunne Lars og Brian fokusere på det endelige mål. En dansk elbil.

Fast forward til 2009. Lynx har fået så meget tjek på teknologien, at parret er klar med deres første elbil: Lynx GT. Et showcase, hvis primære opgave er at skabe opmærksomhed om projektet og vise, at de rent faktisk er lykkedes med en elbil, der på præstationsfronten kører i cirkler om elbil-branchens wunderkind – elsportsvognen Tesla fra Californien.

»Lynx GT er en fantastisk demonstration af vores batteriteknologi, men vores grundlæggende mål er at lave en danskproduceret mellemklasse elbil.«

Et ikke ydmygt mål. En af de største udfordringer ved elbiler er ladetiden. I dag tager det fire-seks timer at lade de bedste elbiler, og hvem gider stå på den lokale OK-tank og drikke kaffe så længe?

»Vi har forbedret batteriet meget undervejs, og det er faktisk teoretisk muligt at lade batteriet på ti minutter. Batteriet er klar til at modtage sådan en quickcharge, problemet er i den forbindelse infrastrukturen. Vi mangler simpelthen en lader og en kontakt med nok juice i til at løfte opgaven.«

LÆS RESTEN AF ARTIKLEN PÅ FRI.DK HER: http://www.fri.dk/bil/el-tempo-gigante?page=0,1

OG SE WEB-TV INDSLAGET FRA TESTKØRSEL: http://www.bt.dk/biler/elbilen-der-sparker-roev

They say it takes at least 50 laps to learn which way the track goes and another 50 laps to build up some confidence. I think thats about right. By the time I had completed 100 laps, I could close my eyes and envision every turn and camber in my mind, much like the way a luge or bobsleigh person might do before they take a run down the ice.

 I covered  the first 50 laps in my MG that year and another 50-60 in the BMW during the second half of the season, making a total of a little over 100 laps in my first year.

As the laps added up I experimented with switching BMWs’ awesome traction control system OFF. This meant I was braking much later using my new found skill and a little opposite lock to power me through some of the less intimidating  corners.

 The ATS+C, is set up for the weakest link and was braking the car very early. While it made me feel safe and was indispensable in the wet. I wanted to have the sense of satisfaction that I could drive the ring the old-fashioned way.

With over 200 laps under my belt, it was coming together. It felt natural. I knew the track intimately. My average laps were hovering around 8min 45 sec with traffic (BTG) I could close my eyes at home and mentally drive the circuit. I knew the braking points, turn in points, and what tree or stationary object on the horizon to look for to enable an ideal exit point.

Or did I……….? The thing is, even the drivers who have driven thousands of laps are constantly learning. As the years go by, regular maintenance is carried out on the tracks surface .Levels of grip are constantly changing. Re-surfacing can affect the camber angles slightly. So, a driver must constantly fine tune his knowledge of the track.

Every expert driver has his or her opinion on how a corner is to be driven, on how its best to carry as much speed as possible out of a turn. This is the beauty of the place, it NEVER grows old. You are always learning, then just when you think you have the track beaten, it throws you a new bone to chew.

I completed over 200 laps in my own cars, which included a MGF, Mini Cooper S, BMW 330i. I also did many laps in A Nissan Skyline R34, BMW M3 E46 to name a few. I concluded that while BHP is all good, what really counts at the Nurburgring is Knowledge of the track and good handling car.

Which brings me to my Lotus Elise S2. I was averaging 20+ laps a week, and heavy cars like my 330i, where eating tires and brakes. I needed something light, not too much power and with stacks of grip. The Elise fitted the bill perfectly.  Brakes lasted a season and the standard Bridgestone Potenzas on the car gave me at least 100 laps. The next 400-500 laps were completed in my Lotus Elise S2, and it didn’t skip a beat.

The Lotus Exige or Elise makes an ideal “Ring Toy”, easy on consumables and it changes direction like a rabbit.

A successor to one of my favourite cars of all time, the Lotus Esprit, has been given the green light by Lotus.

It is known internally as the Esprit, but it may receive a different name when released to public. They are targeting a power-to-weight ratio of 275bhp-325bhp per tonne. I really love the old Esprit, and hopefully this will be a worthy successor.

The car is part of the seven-year business plan which CEO Danny Bahr is due to release in a few weeks. This plan also include selling the Evora platform technology to other manufacturers (Not completely getting rid of it, simply producing the platform and selling it to others, the Evora will still be produced using this platform). The platform is very versatile, hence its name, Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA). The platform can be adapted to create almost any type of car. To show this, Lotus released an illustration of an electric drivetrain fitted to the platform, but Lotus will not actually produce this. Another part of the plan is a three-tier line up. The Elise, Exige and Europa would all be part of one group, the Evora in another, and the Esprit successor would be the third group. Since these are supposed to be groups, maybe this means that cars similar to the Evora and Esprit are planned, though it may be like that simply because the first group has 3 cars in it. We’ll make sure to check for this in the business plan when it is released. Lastly, Lotus is also going to be working on eight hybrid and electric car projects for other manufacturers.

Source: Autocar

Not sure on this one.  It’s either Oh Road, or Oh Rear Wheel Drive.  I think the second one is more fitting, but it’s definitely missing the W.

PS: I know, my car is dirty, but  I’m working on it!  :)

Lotus, a fantastic British company, is now owned by Proton- a Malaysian car company. And what a charm Lotus Elise is!

While discussing possible cars to replace my Honda, my 24 year old brother mentions there’s a 2005 Lotus Elise for sale for $25,000.

I said that that was way out of my budget.

“I wasn’t thinking for you.  A Lotus Elise is the car I want for my midlife crisis.”

Pentru impatimitii simulatoarelor de curse de masini , si-a facut aparitia pe internet , mult asteptatul Need for Speed – Shift . Conform Electronic Arts, jocul va oferi cea mai extinsă paletă de maşini din orice titlu Need For Speed, inclusiv Porche 911 GT2, Lotus Elise şi Pagani Zonda.

» DOWNLOAD «

Cerintele jocului sunt:

Required for online play – Internet Connection
OS – Windows XP (Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) / Windows 7
Processor – Intel Core™2 Duo 1.6 GHz or faster
Memory - XP: 1 GB RAM; Vista/Windows 7: 1.5 GB RAM
Hard Drive – 6 GB
DVD Drive - 8 SPEED
Video Card – 256 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 3.0*
Sound Card – DirectX 9.0c compatible
DirectX – DirectX 9.0c compatible
Online Multiplayer – 512 Kbps or faster; 2-12 Players
Input – Keyboard, Mouse
Optional – USB Steering Wheel / Dual Analogue Gamepad

*Supported Video Cards: ATI Radeon X1800 XT 512MB or greater; NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT 256MB or greater. Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.

» DOWNLOAD «

Thanks to SteeL

Me he pasado las últimas tres semanas en Inglaterra. He estado en un lugar archiconocido gracias a su universidad. Hablo de Oxford. Se trata de una pequeña ciudad con mucho encanto y llena de vida, tanto de día como de noche. Por el día, la abarrotada Cornmarket St. o el Christ Church hacen las delicias de los turistas. Por las noches, multitud de pubs, como el Red Lion –sería mejor llamarlo ‘León Rojo’, porque está lleno de españoles-, y discotecas, como The Bridge, Anuba o Escape, se encargan de entretener a los más fiesteros –y a los amantes del reggaeton-. También he tenido la oportunidad de conocer otros lugares, como Londres, Cambridge, Stonehenge, Bath o Silverstone. Creo que este párrafo nos sirve perfectamente a modo de introducción, pero en la sección de motor tenemos que hablar de coches.

¿Cómo definir Inglaterra para los amantes del motor? Yo utilizaría la palabra paraíso. Jamás había visitado un lugar en el que Bentley, Ferrari, Aston Martin o Lotus sean un coche más de las carreteras. Si viajas a Londres, esta experiencia se eleva a la enésima potencia. Gran Bretaña es una tierra con gran afición por el mundo del motor. Esto se puede comprobar en la televisión. Hay un par de programas, llamados Top Gear y Fifth Gear, que dan fe de la tremenda cultura del motor que se respira por allí. Son programas de gran calidad, en los que prueban gran variedad de vehículos, y en los que acercan el complejo mundo del motor a todos los públicos. Gracias al canal Discovery Channel, disponible en plataformas de pago, ahora podemos disfrutar de de estos programas con los que un aficionado a este mundillo se forma y se entretiene.

He estado viviendo en Old Marston, un pueblecito que está pegado a Oxford. Según me comentaron, es un barrio bien, y por nuestras calles podíamos disfrutar de la presencia de grandes vehículos. Por allí es normal ver a una señora que vuelve de hacer la compra en su Ferrari F360 Spyder, una mujer que pasea a su hijo en un Bentley Continental GTC o un cincuentón que se va a tomar algo en su Masseratti Granturismo. Y esto a diario. Creo que en 3 semanas he visto más vehículos de lujo que en toda mi vida. Lástima que no haya podido capturar en fotografía nada más que a una pequeña parte.

Y ahora viene el turno de las fotografías. Se suele decir que una imagen vale más que mil palabras, así que me aplicaré el cuento y os mostraré unas instantáneas. Muchas no son de calidad, pero tenéis que comprender que algunas han sido tomadas desde un autobús en marcha y abarrotado de gente, con lo que la labor del fotógrafo se hace casi imposible.

Nissan Skyline R34. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Bentley Continental GT Cabrio. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Bentley Continental GT Cabrio. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Concesionario Lotus en Londres. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Aparcamiento de un hotel en Londres. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

London Taxi Myfair y Double-Decker Bus. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Limo Lincoln Rosa. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Morgan y London Taxi. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Morgan. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Rolls-Royce Phantom. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Chrysler 300 Limo. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Hummer Limo. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Taxi Tabla Periódica en Oxford. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Bus Tabla Periódica en Oxford. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Space Invaders. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Datsun Figaro. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Lotus en Bath. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Renault Clio Sport en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Aston Martin en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Ferrari 360 en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Yo con dos 360 en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Aston Martin clásico en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Aston Martin Clásico en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Yo con el Lotus Evora. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Volante Lotus Evora. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Yo en el Lotus Evora. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Yo en el Lotus Exige. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Lotus Elise en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Lamborghini Murciélago en Silverstone. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Aston Martin y R8 en Gatwick. Fuente: Carlos Ruiz Martínez

Amerykański dystrybutor Lotusa ogłosił rozpoczęcie sprzedaży zestawów tuningowych do modeli Elise i Exige.  W ofercie Lotus Preformance wzbogaca auto o kompresor, nowe wtryskiwacze paliwa oraz przeprogramowany sterownik silnika. Dzięki takiemu pakietowi moc silnika wzrosła do 218 koni, a maksymalny monet obrotowy wynosi 210 Nm przy m5000 obrotów na minutę.

Augment Is another Company out of Japan making Tuning and Race Products for the Lotus Automotive Line. They make Dry Carbon and FRP Aerodynamic kits for the Lotus Exige, Exige S, and Elise. Along with suspension upgrades, Carbon interior pieces, Diffusers, Canards, Side steps and Coilovers. which they do track pretty regularly – Have a Look.

We are able to obtain this product if you are interested give us a call.

Christopher Williams
Karwerkz
christopher@kautospa.com
714.702.4276

AUGMENTERACING EQUIPMENTS

From Luxist

There are plenty of great ways to see Italy, but few are as exciting as driving an exotic sportscar through the picturesque Mediterranean country. Fortunately the Italians have plenty of lust-worthy machinery on offer, but if you’re looking for something a little different, a little lighter, a little more…British, then car rental company Hertz may be able to help you out. The agency’s Italian locations just received a fleet of Lotus Elise SC sportscars as part of their Fun Collection, and they’re ready for you to rent. The Elise SC packs a compact Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter four cylinder engine with a supercharger producing a modest 218 horsepower, but with a curb weight of less than 2000 lbs it can rocket to sixty in just 4.3 seconds and whisk you around the Italian countryside in pure octane-induced bliss.

There are plenty of great ways to see Italy, but few are as exciting as driving an exotic sportscar through the picturesque Mediterranean country. Fortunately the Italians have plenty of lust-worthy machinery on offer, but if you’re looking for something a little different, a little lighter, a little more…British, then car rental company Hertz may be able to help you out. The agency’s Italian locations just received a fleet of Lotus Elise SC sportscars as part of their Fun Collection, and they’re ready for you to rent. The Elise SC packs a compact Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter four cylinder engine with a supercharger producing a modest 218 horsepower, but with a curb weight of less than 2000 lbs it can rocket to sixty in just 4.3 seconds and whisk you around the Italian countryside in pure octane-induced bliss.  by Noah Joseph - Luxist

Source

Related Links:  Italy 411, Car Rentals, Vacation Packages in Italy

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I popped down to the sea front on Monday as I’d heard there would be a few very inovative vehicles, driven by celebs, heading off to London. The 3rd Annual “Eco Rally”.

There were some very impressive cars there including the gorgeous Tesla, a Lotus Elise made of hemp and a car that ran on methane. All very impressive. Even some vans too. There was a smattering of celebs including Robert Llewellyn, Quentin Wilson and local boy Paul Zenon.

Unfortunately i couldn’t hitch a ride with one of them up to London to catch the entire event but here’s a quick video of what was happening. Also available in HD!