311 purchase

[Turbo911]

Not been on here for a while but looking for advice as i feel i have a itch to scratch, and looking to get a 311, the 311 thread looks a bit dismal as i guess there’s not many around i would use it as a occasional Sunday run out car and half a dozen or so track days a year does anyone drive there cars to track or is trailering the preferred way of commuting, any mechanical issues i need to be aware of, i have read lots of reports but looking for owner feedback on how they behave on the road,

thanks... 

[The Pits]

I did a lot of trackdays in an aero screen Caterham (which I still own). I started driving to tracks, including european tracks, then bought a trailer which quickly became boring then ended up with an Exige for trackdays.

If I had a 311 I'd drive it trackdays and back but you'll want to wear a helmet and earplugs. Anything over 40mph soon became painful on the ears, a woolly hat and shades is fine for quick blasts around the block but not enough wind protection for longer journeys.

[Turbo911]

That’s spooky, i also have a 620R with aero screen which i also drive to track days, i wear a ski helmet to drive on the road 

with one of them flick down front visors looks pretty trick and fits the bill....

[The Pits]

Not a bad idea, there is also some debate about the legality of crash helmets in cars which I would hope a ski helmet would get around.

620R vs 311 is quite an interesting comparison, are you intending to keep the 620R? Either way you will be well prepared for life with a 311 if you're used to an aeroscreen 7. You might even find the 311 slightly more civilised!

I have a supercharged CSR also but I think it would be a bit too wild for road use now, happy for that to be track only. 

[BatMobile]

I have always wondered, what happens when it rains? Is the inside waterproof? Is there a cover that goes over most of the cockpit to reduce water intake or are you stuck at a petrol station under the canopy waiting for it to clear......

[Bibs]

You just drive real fast

[The Pits]

Unless it's really heavy rain you won't get wet below the neck unless you have to stop or go very slow. The Ariel Atom with exposed sides might be a different matter I suspect.

[pete]

@Vipershas one I have seen him drive it on the road

[Vipers]

I recently bought the below for mine which actually is really good if you are parked up and get caught out as happened at our recent Boys Toys Day -

https://www.komo-tec.com/en/lotus-eleven/3-eleven/miscellaneous/43/shower-cape-3-eleven

[Bibs]

I could have sold you a 4 layer entire car cover for half of that!

[Vipers]

Ah mate sorry, I needed it quick and didn't think, actually got it from our friends at B&C so didn't cost quite that much.

[Seriouslylotus]

I trailer my 3Eleven 430 to its track visits, But would happily drive it there and back if needed. Its just much easier to use the trailer and i can then carry some fuel cans as even with the larger 48ltr tank, it very very quickly needs fuel, Its easy to get through 150-180 litres in a day, They are a thirsty beast!!!!!

If driving on the road i always go super steady as they look like they are speeding when stationary! Certainly attract attention that's for sure, But surprisingly in a nice way, Up to now i haven't had one adverse comment or gesture.

I find the wind noise is worse with a helmet than without..... Up to legal speeds, I have found it better with a woolly hat and shatter proof glasses than with a helmet.

After its first running in service i drove it 250 mile home from Hofmanns with out a helmet, Must admit it was a very hot sunny day, but the hat was perfect for that trip and i'm glad i didn't wear a helmet.

Very extreme car, make sure thats what you want before you make the jump!!!!!

Happy to chat if you need any help etc etc etc

[geartox]

The 3 eleven is a fantastic car but not so easy to drive fast.  More technical to drive than the Exige V6, feedback from owners of both cars.

Personally I would go for the race version 😜

[NicktheQuick]

I agree, 311 is hard to drive..Need to warm up the tires properly before giving it a full go. Wind noise is immense....I recommend you to try a skydiver helmet (like the bonehead aero)...much less noisy and you can turn your head around without pain. 

[alicrozier]

I've driven mine a fair bit on the road and it's much more civilised and rides better than my old 2-11.  Think more Exige like...  It's pretty friendly to drive on the PSS in all conditions and generally more than fast enough for any road use.  Loads of torque so quite nice to short shift and cruise if required.  The PSS are obviously a bit slower on a dry track than Cup 2 but mine have performed and lasted well.  A worthwhile compromise if driving to/from the track.

On road it's woolly hat and glasses unless it rains.  Gloves a must in the cold, waterproof for rain.  Heated 12V jacket really helps the comfort.  Decent molded ear phones (ACS) with and without helmet paired with a Bluetooth dongle.

I have the hard passenger tonneau cover which seems to reduce swirl into the cabin and keeps any luggage drier.  Shower cape a must when parked.

Note I've done a few trips to Knockhill, back and forth over Glenshee plus 3 Euro trips this year.  Double header at Spa, trip to Zandvoort & Zolder with LoT then DN22 two days at Nurburgring.

 

[ganzdachhaus]

It's interesting hearing the different experiences.

I added a 3-Eleven to the garage earlier this year, as I wanted something a bit "more" than the Elise Cup. I've been absolutely thrilled with the car.

On the track, it's definitely a handful in comparison. I find the Elise very flattering on the track. A few laps & I'm normally pretty comfortable. If I make a small mistake, no big deal as the Elise deals with that pretty well. Not quite the same in the 3-Eleven. Of course, everything is coming at you a whole lot faster, but it also requires you to really stay in tune with it & have a better awareness of what's going on. I feel like I always have to  be feeling the car & adjusting appropriately. If I go just a hair past my breaking point, it makes a bigger difference than the same mistake in the Elise. On the other hand, when I start to absolutely nail a turn well, I find that I'm now needing to adjust more and more for the next turn as my speed, at what was my breaking point last lap, is now much higher. Of course, some of this likely comes down to me being a rather middling driver, and probably perfectly normal for a better driver, but, brutal speed & acceleration aside, it's definitely been the biggest difference between the two cars. I actually really like this aspect of the car though. I've had occasional points with the Elise where I just feel like I'm going through the motions while turning a lap. The level of involvement when driving the 3-Eleven means I've never had that, expect for perhaps during a cool-down lap. 

On the road for a nice Sunday drive through the local hills I find I enjoy the 3-Eleven more than the Elise at non-license losing speeds. Much more visceral, even at low speeds. The wind, the occasional dips & rises in temperature, the smells, the sounds... the everything. It's all there & amplified. The Elise would still win out for a weekend getaway with the wife, but just a nice morning of alone time... 3-Eleven any day.
Regarding comfort... definitely decent eye protection when driving around town or at reasonable speeds through the local hills. Autobahn excursions (I drive to/from the track as well), mean I'll be wearing my helmet. Some debris getting kicked up when you're in a normal car may mean a cracked windshield. I don't want to find out what that might mean when your face is the windshield. Unlike others, I have not found the outside temperature to really be much of a bother. I'm on the shorter side though, so I'm pretty well tucked into the cockpit. I can't say I've ever felt any real wind on my hands & once the car is warmed up, the heat coming up from the radiator just outside the cockpit is actually quite noticeable (big negative when sitting in traffic in mid summer). Above ~200 or 220kph on the Autobahn & wind buffeting on my helmet gets to be pretty bad. No helmet lift problems for me (again, I'm sitting pretty low in the cockpit), but my helmet can shake around quite a bit. Adding the spoiler & chin aero bits to my Arai helmet has helped somewhat, but I'm still want to find something better. 

I try to avoid any sign of wet, but the tonneau cover + some basic rain gear have getting caught in the rain not all that bad. If it wasn't for a bit of traffic, the rain gear probably wouldn't have even made a difference. Once you stop moving though, the rain is going to fall on you, so a nice set of waterproofs comes along anytime I'm headed to the track & there's a chance of rain in one direction or the other. I still have the Elise, so if it's more than just a chance of rain while on the way to/from, or if there's a real chance of rain during track time, I'll drive that instead. Largely though, neither car gets driven in the rain.

Truly my biggest complaint about the entire care would be the windscreen on the tonneau cover. The top edge of it cuts directly across my line of sight & so I've just simply taken it off for now (again, I'm relatively short. I'd bet if your 5'10" or above, it wouldn't be an issue). Getting a spare & cutting it down just a hair is definitely on my to-do list for this next year. Windscreen on the 2-seater cover doesn't quite have the same effect as it's not transparent & so just cuts a small bit off the bottom of my vision, which would only be seeing the nose of the car anyway.

It's a great car & tons of fun. Sad that there's not very many of them out there, but there were many more 3-Elevens at track days this year than I saw last year. (I'm guessing way less than 311 cars were built. I think the count was 103 Road cars before the start of production on the 430 model, and there were only supposed to be like 20 of those... so 188 Race cars were made?)

[Seriouslylotus]

Think the total for 3Eleven is something like 150-160

Last time i checked they hadn't made 20 of the 430 models.....Please about it really as it makes mine even more of a rare beastie!!

[NicktheQuick]

On 01/11/2019 at 18:09, ganzdachhaus said:

It's interesting hearing the different experiences.

I added a 3-Eleven to the garage earlier this year, as I wanted something a bit "more" than the Elise Cup. I've been absolutely thrilled with the car.

On the track, it's definitely a handful in comparison. I find the Elise very flattering on the track. A few laps & I'm normally pretty comfortable. If I make a small mistake, no big deal as the Elise deals with that pretty well. Not quite the same in the 3-Eleven. Of course, everything is coming at you a whole lot faster, but it also requires you to really stay in tune with it & have a better awareness of what's going on. I feel like I always have to  be feeling the car & adjusting appropriately. If I go just a hair past my breaking point, it makes a bigger difference than the same mistake in the Elise. On the other hand, when I start to absolutely nail a turn well, I find that I'm now needing to adjust more and more for the next turn as my speed, at what was my breaking point last lap, is now much higher. Of course, some of this likely comes down to me being a rather middling driver, and probably perfectly normal for a better driver, but, brutal speed & acceleration aside, it's definitely been the biggest difference between the two cars. I actually really like this aspect of the car though. I've had occasional points with the Elise where I just feel like I'm going through the motions while turning a lap. The level of involvement when driving the 3-Eleven means I've never had that, expect for perhaps during a cool-down lap. 

On the road for a nice Sunday drive through the local hills I find I enjoy the 3-Eleven more than the Elise at non-license losing speeds. Much more visceral, even at low speeds. The wind, the occasional dips & rises in temperature, the smells, the sounds... the everything. It's all there & amplified. The Elise would still win out for a weekend getaway with the wife, but just a nice morning of alone time... 3-Eleven any day.
Regarding comfort... definitely decent eye protection when driving around town or at reasonable speeds through the local hills. Autobahn excursions (I drive to/from the track as well), mean I'll be wearing my helmet. Some debris getting kicked up when you're in a normal car may mean a cracked windshield. I don't want to find out what that might mean when your face is the windshield. Unlike others, I have not found the outside temperature to really be much of a bother. I'm on the shorter side though, so I'm pretty well tucked into the cockpit. I can't say I've ever felt any real wind on my hands & once the car is warmed up, the heat coming up from the radiator just outside the cockpit is actually quite noticeable (big negative when sitting in traffic in mid summer). Above ~200 or 220kph on the Autobahn & wind buffeting on my helmet gets to be pretty bad. No helmet lift problems for me (again, I'm sitting pretty low in the cockpit), but my helmet can shake around quite a bit. Adding the spoiler & chin aero bits to my Arai helmet has helped somewhat, but I'm still want to find something better. 

I try to avoid any sign of wet, but the tonneau cover + some basic rain gear have getting caught in the rain not all that bad. If it wasn't for a bit of traffic, the rain gear probably wouldn't have even made a difference. Once you stop moving though, the rain is going to fall on you, so a nice set of waterproofs comes along anytime I'm headed to the track & there's a chance of rain in one direction or the other. I still have the Elise, so if it's more than just a chance of rain while on the way to/from, or if there's a real chance of rain during track time, I'll drive that instead. Largely though, neither car gets driven in the rain.

Truly my biggest complaint about the entire care would be the windscreen on the tonneau cover. The top edge of it cuts directly across my line of sight & so I've just simply taken it off for now (again, I'm relatively short. I'd bet if your 5'10" or above, it wouldn't be an issue). Getting a spare & cutting it down just a hair is definitely on my to-do list for this next year. Windscreen on the 2-seater cover doesn't quite have the same effect as it's not transparent & so just cuts a small bit off the bottom of my vision, which would only be seeing the nose of the car anyway.

It's a great car & tons of fun. Sad that there's not very many of them out there, but there were many more 3-Elevens at track days this year than I saw last year. (I'm guessing way less than 311 cars were built. I think the count was 103 Road cars before the start of production on the 430 model, and there were only supposed to be like 20 of those... so 188 Race cars were made?)

Best comment so far on the 311 itself! How many kilometers did you drive? I have done 9000km so far with my 311 430. i would recommend you another helmet. Go for a motorcycle helmet or a skydiver helmet. For me (as my head sits really high in the wind) I am really content with my icaro skyrunner helmet. Really light and aerodynamic. When you wear earplugs you can drive 200+kmh all the day without getting ill. I drove many Autobahn kilometers and Trier to explorer topspeed as the car is perfectl stable untill 270kmh...then the ground effect causes some turbulences. I will stay up to 260kmh..which is the maximum comfort zone for the car unless you are on a perfect condition track surface. I am interested in hearing more from other owners..it is a fantastic car. Go for it all the time if you can.

Edited December 3, 2019 by NicktheQuick

[TS]

I totally agree that  The air turbulence Is quite annoying  at higher speeds and I tried different helmets but not the skydiver helmet. I bought a carbon fibre Bell RS7 because I am  concerned about debris and need a smaller visor.  I have only tracked my 430 once at Losail circuit and did just 600km so far in total.  Today I ordered trofeos 265/35/19 rear  and same front size. Way stickier that the Michelin Cup 2. I live in Doha and it rains just few days a year but it’s  very warm 6 months of the year too! The front radiator fans can be unbearable during summer. The helmet will help a lot in that case.  Still the car is growing on me day after day. I am a biker and this is the closest thing to my Monster 1100s especially when I drive it without a helmet. I just miss the B-roads and the hills. 

One last thing I removed the splitter rubber as it was coming off too Often and replaced the brake pads with racing ones from KT. 

[TS]

Last I checked only 12 were made of the 430s. 

[2GOOD]

At least 3 in the UK

[Seriouslylotus]

2 minutes ago, 2GOOD said:

At least 3 in the UK

Unless things have changes you are correct

Mine and the two that are at/where at. Bell and colvill

[2GOOD]

13 minutes ago, Seriouslylotus said:

Unless things have changes you are correct

Mine and the two that are at/where at. Bell and colvill

A lovely guy called Mo who lives in Somerset bought the Vivid Green car from B&C, met him early summer in the Forest of Dean, when he was running the car in, and the other B&C car is owned by the Hi-Fi guy on here

[Vipers]

12 hours ago, 2GOOD said:

The other B&C car is owned by the Hi-Fi guy on here

Yep that is me, not really had much time to drive it this year unfortunately but plan on taking it for some good trips next year, LeMan etc 👍

[2GOOD]

37 minutes ago, Vipers said:

Yep that is me, not really had much time to drive it this year unfortunately but plan on taking it for some good trips next year, LeMan etc 👍

Sorry Paul, couldn’t think of your name last night, Mo is a member of LDC but not sure if he does forums, also owns a pale blue Evora 400