Eureka

Haven’t been over there for years but will check it out again, thanks for the reminder…

I can't remember which micron thickness I ordered unfortunately. I PPF'd the front clam, rocker panels, side mirrors and small patches on the rear bumper behind the rear wheels. If I was doing it again I would just put PPD on the rocker panels as all other PPF is unmarked. In fact, I only found out after doing the PPF that some people put 2 layers of PPF on the rocker panels, I would probably do that. I like to hear the sound of stones hitting the underside of the car as it reminds me I'm driving something special...I just try to block out any thoughts of them hitting those side rocker panels lol You will love the car, there's nothing much else quite like them. So pure. Looks incredible in Daytona too. Unfortunately I'm not on FB. I realise I'm missing out but I'm just not keen on social media.

Yes, I ended up putting those black vinyl stickers over the buttress/extensions. In the end I bought sticker sets from both Divine Handcraft and Aliath - sorry, I can't remember which ones I fitted though (whichever ones turned up first I expect!). They've worked reasonably well though. I'm approaching 8,000 kms, all road driving and no track work. You can't really tell that they're on there and have had no issues with them peeling off etc. The stickers themselves have held up very well from stone-chips but there's a few mm's either side where the sticker doesn't completely cover the buttress and the plastic has taken a battering, much like the PPF in the surrounding general area. But they are still definitely worth fitting to your car, every little helps. The amount of stone-chips the car attracts in this area is the only negative about this car - everything else is great. As I likely mentioned above, I like looking after my cars and it's strange that my previous Sport 220 (and earlier Elises) had zero stone-chips. Zero! So I'm resigned to the fact that it's a thing and that I've done everything I can to help the situation and that it shouldn't detract from the fun the car brings. I just don't look at that area too closely whenever I wash the car... PS I thought I was the only Cup 250 FE in Daytona blue in Oz, it appears that I now have a twin!

Agree 100%, reactions are always positive. Can’t say this about some other marques I’ve owned…

Thanks, I'll check them out...

Whenever I go for a drive it's for most of the day in the mountains, around 6 hours and 300km. Love it, it's like therapy. If I was still living in the UK I would definitely go for a tour around Europe...

I did come across this: https://www.aliath.co.uk/collections/lotus/products/lotus-elise-s3-cup-racer-2011-present-sill-skirt-extension-rear-arches-black-paint-protection It seems to be the "buttress" I'm talking about but unsure if it fits my car, so I've emailed them to ask. Anyone used this product?

Just picked up my Cup 250 FE in Daytona blue, couldn't be happier - car looks fantastic! Have only driven it on one short 30min local drive so far...but surprised by the amount of stone chips it's already picked up just in front of the rear wheel arch - both on the paint and the side-skirt rear "buttress". To be fair, the chips are tiny and if you take a step back you can't see them - but you certainly would after 6 months of driving. To compare, I previously owned a Sport 220 for 12 months (in red) and it didn't pick up a single stone chip. I expect the reason the Cups have this issue is because of the wider and stickier front rubber. It looks like the front tyre sticks out further than on the Sport 220 and there is a direct path from the tyres to the area in question. Therefore I'm booked in next week to get these side areas PPF'd with XPEL (lower section - rocker panel). I may get the whole of the front done too, still deciding on that. However, my installer says he can't cover the side skirt "buttresses" in PPF because when they've tried in the past it hasn't stuck. This isn't ideal because I can see this area is going to take a hammering - and I'm pretty sure I've read in the past that some members on here have had this area covered. So, my two questions: If you've had your side-skirt buttresses covered in PPF, how did you manage to get it to stick?! Was it a special PPF product or technique? Basically, is there any info I can take back to the installer that might help him get it to work. Basically, any info would be appreciated. Bit of a long-shot...does anyone sell slighter wider front mud guards? I reckon they probably only need to be 1/2 inch wider and it would stop this direct line of sight from the front tyres. I wonder if the Sport 220 has wider mud guards which could be fitted? BTW I'm in Brisbane and the PPF installer was referred to me by the Lotus dealer. I've never had PPF fitted before but the installer has clearly worked on many Lotus's in the past and seems to know what he's doing, so I would rather stick with him than go elsewhere. Pun intended 😉 Anyway, I don't want this to distract from my enjoyment of the car...but until I get it resolved the car is sitting in my garage. On the plus side, it does look nice 🙂 Please help! (First-world problems 🙄)

Sorry, don’t know because I just gave them the spec I wanted and they gave me the total price for everything...

I'm interested in knowing the answer to this too. I believe the two-piece are a bit lighter but not sure if they improve braking performance and/or fade etc. I have a Cup 250 on order (with standard brakes) and guess the brakes will be the same as what I had on my 220: they were adequate for the road (just), I never experienced fade but occasionally felt I may be at their limits on hairpin mountain roads (or maybe I was just driving too fast ☺️). If the two-piece brakes have noticeably improved stopping power then I may spec them too (I still have time to change spec)...

Even with the added aero bits I would have still thought the Cup would weigh less due to lighter battery, rear window & seats etc? I'm no expert but would be surprised if the aero parts add up to the 8kg difference (actually it would be more than 8kg because of the Cup's lighter components). Interesting, that's a good find and could well be the reason. This would make it 5kg lighter than the 220/240FE, which sounds about right to me. I understand car companies doing this...but it would seem strange for them to weigh the two Elise models differently? Does the Cup come with any additional/heavier underbody items e.g. extra bracing, suspension or anti-roll bars etc? I thought it was just stiffer springs and different dampers? If the front tyres are a touch wider then I guess there's a bit of weight gain there...

Wowser, stunning - thanks for posting! Daytona looks amazing, can't wait to get mine...

Unsure if your list is for UK cars only...but I've ordered (Australia): Elise Cup 250 FE Daytona blue standard alcantara interior with dark blue seat padding hard top no black pack blacked out rear transom black wheels red brake calipers floor mats cruise control air con (standard in Aus) Have been told August build with approx. October delivery. This will be my 4th Elise...owned one of the first delivered in the UK and am looking forward to owning one of the last, will be a keeper. Such special cars!

Thanks for the offer but I'm in Brisbane. Would be good to see photos of your car though...many congrats!

Apologies if this has come up before...but why does the final edition Elise Cup 250 weigh more than the regular model? 930 v 922kg? I would have expected the Cup to be less due to lighter battery, rear window & seats etc.