Rotary Elite

[Denis247]

The Elite/Eclat was originally designed to have the Rover V8 (albeit a quad cam version), so there shouldn't really be a question of whether the chassis/drivetrain can handle it.

[bradltl]

This is my Three year pain in the you know what !

Life... busy... just now catching up to this...

We are working on a similar project, and I have some questions from your build:

1. What rear end did you use? Lotus / Mazda / something else? We've looked at using a Ford 9", but the space just doesn't allow for it. Our current theory is to use the entire rear axle / diff from a first gen Rx7. The plan is to cut down the axles and diff housing to work with the original Lotus mounts and IRS. We would swap the inboard drums for the discs off the Mazda. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

2. Did you use the front mounting plate, or the mid mount on the engine?

3. How are you managing the heat?

4. How are you routing the exhaust?

I'd love to give you a call and chat if you had the time. Email me at brad@alsoranracing.com

Thanks!

[USAndretti42]

The Elite/Eclat was originally designed to have the Rover V8 (albeit a quad cam version), so there shouldn't really be a question of whether the chassis/drivetrain can handle it.

While it was designed to take a V8, it wasn't the Rover V8 but Lotus' own design of V8.

[Ozlotus1976]

Hi Brad

The rear end is stock at this time , but once on the road I am looking at a jag rear end

As I think the drums are going to not cut it

The gear box is rx7 , heat is taken care by a corvette radiator and the oil is cooled by twin v6 ford ranger transmission coolers

[Denis247]

While it was designed to take a V8, it wasn't the Rover V8 but Lotus' own design of V8.

I always understood Lotus was to have used the Rover engine until the tie in with Vauxhall, when they changed to the Vauxhall derived slant 4. The Lotus's Rover derived engine was fitted with 2 907 heads and copies exist (Type 909), I believe a person in Holland has one. I have a low res picture of it. I'm sure I have seen reference and discussion on this somewhere on this forum.

ps I'm not referring to the v8 as fitted in the Esprit, that IS Lotus's own.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Denis247

[Denis247]

I always understood Lotus was to have used the Rover engine until the tie in with Vauxhall, when they changed to the Vauxhall derived slant 4. The Lotus's Rover derived engine was fitted with 2 907 heads and copies exist (Type 909), I believe a person in Holland has one. I have a low res picture of it. I'm sure I have seen reference and discussion on this somewhere on this forum.

ps I'm not referring to the v8 as fitted in the Esprit, that IS Lotus's own.

Ignore this post, it's not the one I was thinking of, it's a later one.

I'm sure there was a Rover derived one though, discussed it with Spydersport when they were designing the Donington chassis.

[Dunc]

I've heard a similar rumour, but I believe it to be wrong.

The 909 is a 4L V8 of two Lotus 907 slant 4 engines joined together. The engine was kicking about the lotus factory for years, but was then sold and ended up being fitted into the Etna Lotus concept car which was in Holland, and was recently offered for sale at Goodwood, as the dutch Lotus collection is being sold off.

I suspect that somebody saw the 909 during a factory tour and assumed it was lotus heads on a rover V8.

[Denis247]

I've heard a similar rumour, but I believe it to be wrong.

The 909 is a 4L V8 of two Lotus 907 slant 4 engines joined together. The engine was kicking about the lotus factory for years, but was then sold and ended up being fitted into the Etna Lotus concept car which was in Holland, and was recently offered for sale at Goodwood, as the dutch Lotus collection is being sold off.

I suspect that somebody saw the 909 during a factory tour and assumed it was lotus heads on a rover V8.

I've been trying in vain to find something concrete about this, but it's probably as you say, just a rumour. Oh well, another 'fact' to throw in the bin.

[bradltl]

heat is taken care by a corvette radiator and the oil is cooled by twin v6 ford ranger transmission coolers

Actually I was referring more to the underhood temps of the rotary engine. The exhaust exits on the opposite side which does not have any heat shielding. Just wondering if you used something to protect the fiberglass, and how you routed the exhaust tubing under the car.

[Dunc]

for anyone interested in seeing the 909 V8, there are some pics on the attached library link:

http://www.projectm71.com/Rudd.htm

http://www.projectm71.com/909v8a.jpg

lovely looking thing!

The induction system (plenum) on the Etna 909 is completely different to the boxer crossover one in the pics. I suspect this was done to get it to fit into the Etna. I have some pics from the festival of speed and the Etna induction looks a bit home made. I suspect it was done by the team that prepared the Etna for road use a few years ago rather than Lotus engineers, and that it will work, without being particularly fancy.