Quote:
Originally Posted by SUB-FT86
I agree with you but what about the LOTUS ELISE/EXIGE???????? Why didn't Lotus go to Subaru and borrow one of their engines instead for optimal handling? This is a company whose focus is handling over power.
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Because the Series 1 Elise used a Rover K series engine (because it was lightweight, British and already designed). The Series 2 Elise was an small evolution of the Series 1 - a chassis tweaked to meet updated EU crash test regs, a new ECU and some restyling. The problem was that a few years after the update Lotus decided that they wanted to export the Elise to the US. The Rover K series engine wasn't even remotely emissions legal in the US, so it had to be ditched before Lotus could try selling the Elise for street use. Lotus picked the 2ZZ because it had an excellent power to weight ratio, weighed about the same as the Rover engine and fit in the existing chassis (and I'm sure Toyota gave them a sweetheart deal). They could have used any engine they wanted (see the Hennessey Venom GT as an example) the Elise chassis is modular like that, but a flat four would have required a complete redesign of the rear subframe/suspension (a big investment, for very little reward).