Speccing a 250 Cup

[Neal H]

The options list quickly adds up if you start ticking boxes!

I'm seriously considering one now as a second car for mostly fun road and a couple of track days a year. I want to keep it basic but livable for a drive to the Nurburgring or Spa.

The only options I want to tick are Floor mats -£100, Metallic Paint -£850 (Metallic Grey or Black) and Red painted calipers -£350 (will contrast nicely with the colour choice).

Other items I can't make up mind about whether I 'need' or not are: Full carpet -£350, Sound insulation -£350 and the stereo -£400. Would there even be any point specifying the stereo without the sound insulation?

The two piece brake kit is £1500, but surely the standard brakes will be fine? (I'm no racer!!).

The carbon looks lovely, but £5300 for the aero pack, front access panel and roll hoop cover is just too expense. Similarly £4000 for for a titanium back box seems excessive.

If I tick all my 'would like' boxes the price rises from £48,675 to £60,575!! (plus OTR costs and first registration fee)

[philcool]

My Exige S240 was specified by the original owner with no sound insulation and round town the stereo is ok but at motorway speeds with the road wind and exhaust noise its passable at best 

As for the exhaust its more what it sounds like than what its made of I had a Lotus stage 2 exhaust and on full acceleration it was 96db in the cabin so have changed it for a 2ublar one as the standard exhaust sounds dredfull so didn't want to fit that but then again who doesant like a Titanium exhaust 

Expect listening to the sterio is affected more by my choice of exhaust than the NVH deletion suspect with a standard exhaust it would be quite a differant Experiance 

I'd rather listen to the 2bular anyway that's why I fitted it horses for courses on that one 

[Arun_D]

I would order up the options you listed as must haves + add the stereo in, though that last one is based on my experience in my S2 Exige (no issues with hearing the stereo with no NVH insulation, but my headunit was a bit less budget than standard). However I don't know if the Elise has followed suit with the current Exige models with the deletion of the rear speakers.

I couldn't justify any of the others unless you particularly like the look of carbon are and can exploit the mass saving of carbon and/or titanium. Two-piece discs can always be added via the aftermarket for much less money when you've worn the originals out.

 

[SFO]

2 piece discs worthwhile for lower unsprung weight

I would get at least one of the sound insulation and carpet

won't bother with radio, you will be too busy enjoying the conversation with the car

definitely wouldn't pay for carbon except the roof .. appreciable weight difference, high up.

[Neal H]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

I think I'll probably include sound insulation to be on the safe side. I actually like the exposed aluminium look so will forego the full carpets. I'm still in two minds about the stereo - on the one hand it's something to listen to when stuck in traffic, on the other hand Lotus stereo's are so shockingly bad that I'm loathe to hand over £400! Better to put it towards the cost of some harnesses.

Carbon roof is £3k. I'm not really interested in a hardtop of any description so I'd definitely give that a miss!

[The Pits]

I'd never put a stereo in a Cup car personally. Haven't missed the stereo in 4 years with the Exige, just used my iphone for radio and sat nav.

I would however go for the carbon pack. Not many will tick that box and I believe it will be considered a rare and desirable feature further down the line. I couldn't promise you'll get all your £5300 back when you come to sell but you will get some back and I'm sure the car will sell more quickly. It also looks gorgeous and saves weight from the most beneficial part of the car, lowering the centre of gravity into the bargain.

Expensive but the new 250 Cup sounds better than ever with the standard pipe so save the money on the titanium exhaust and spend it on carbon higher up instead. I'd only go for the two piece brakes if I was planning heavy trackday use, the standard brakes are immense, more than up to the job. If fitting sound deadening I wouldn't bother with the carpets. Floor mats will protect the aluminium floor, that's all you need in a Cup car. Nicer to see the aluminium inside anyway too. I've saved you £2250 already, the full carbon pack is only another £3000 more now - bargain! I'm sure you'll be glad you ordered it when you see it, Lotus carbon panels are works of art currently. It will be a total miniature exotic!

[Trevsked]

I'm a little different from Jonny. Having just bought a Cup that was in stock in a spec I was happy with I can say that my choices would have been, no radio (it's awful reception and cheap looking/feeling) and save £400, you can always put one in later for less and better unit. Just have the sound insulation and have floor matts not carpet, keeps the Cup feel. No carbon for me, it's a track car and having seen that these do tend to pick up stones and fire them at the side skirts, I'd be upset with chipped carbon. Carbon roof not a bad shout taking the weight out high but if you're really bothered about that then leave the soft top off for the track day, you won't get lighter than that. Latest exhaust is an improvement in sound and I wouldn't mess with that. You've not mentioned A/C, I think that's needed for resale, likewise metallic paint. Two piece brakes aren't needed but I'd have them co it's more cuppy.

Trevor.

[Neal H]

Thanks both. I really couldn't justify the cost of the carbon, no matter how lovely it looks. I would start sweating every time I approached a speed hump! I agree that aircon will help on resale, but I really don't think it's necessary in an Elise - if the sun shines the roof comes off. Thanks for the feedback on the stereo Trevor, it sounds every bit as poor as I would expect

[The Pits]

Precisely why the carbon panels will remain a very rare sight and sought after in years to come.

I managed 5 years in an Elise without aircon. I can only recall missing it once on a motorway drive in Italy, it was baking hot and I'd had enough sun so put the roof back on. Otherwise the roof was off at every opportunity and aircon would have just been extra weight and something else that needed maintaining. I think its essential in an Exige but really not in an Elise. An Elise Cup will not be hard to re-home without aircon. I'd actually consider it preferable.

[Trevsked]

I agree with you both re the A/C and it will be a very decent saving on cost and weight. I just like it for demistingbin the winter if you keep the car outside. We all managed years ago without A/C, just got so used to it now that it seems the go to box to check. Whilst the carbon is nice and will be rare as Jonny says, it probably won't be very attractive to the next buyer with chunks out of it and difficult to repair. 

 

Trevor.

[The Pits]

I would apply PPF, granted at additional cost but short of very heavy track use would expect it to remain in good order, it's famous for being both light and strong after all! Each to their own on carbon, especially at that price. It's another thing we managed for years without quite happily!

[SFO]

How did you spec your 250 Cup ?

[Neal H]

I'm still thinking....

Aimee at Silverstone is trying to convince me to add in the aircon.

Spec will be:

Mats

Sound insulation

Radio (waste of £400 I know...)

Aircon (possibly)

Colour choices:

Metallic Grey with black wheels, red calipers, red stitching and gear lever surround painted red.

Military Grey all the rest as above

Motorsport Green with black or silver wheels (not decided which), yellow calipers (Aimee is checking whether Lotus would do this), yellow stitching and gear lever surround painted yellow.

Military Grey and Motorsport Green are not 'normal' colours so I'm waiting to hear what the extra cost would be.

[The Pits]

No prizes for guessing which colour I'd recommend out of those!

If you're planning lots of roof-off driving you could happily ditch the aircon. You'll never have it on when the roof's off.

If you're planning lots of hard top driving aircon would be good. Sound deadening is more use if you were going for the stereo, again, makes more sense for roof-on journeys. No amount of sound deadening will make it any quieter with the roof off!

[Neal H]

You'll be pleased to know that I am now edging towards Motorsport Green

I may well ditch the aircon (and the radio), and put the money towards harnesses - it is a Cup after all and it won't be a daily driver.

If I did get harnesses and took the non-airbag steering wheel option, does anyone know what the legality of this is come MOT time?

[Bibs]

1 hour ago, Neal H said:

Motorsport Green with black or silver wheels (not decided which), yellow calipers (Aimee is checking whether Lotus would do this), yellow stitching and gear lever surround painted yellow.

[The Pits]

I've had no issues with MOT without the airbag and I only have harness straps, no inertia reel belts in my car. The rules haven't changed since I bought the V6 Cup as far as I know, so you should be fine.

[Trevsked]

250 Cup, MSG, no A/c, no sound deadening, harnesses, no radio, now that sounds like the car we all wanted but were too chicken to order. Would be a exactly what its meant to be.

 

Trevor.

[The Pits]

Although having seen Trevor's car yesterday, I can recommend Kawasaki Green!

[silverfrost]

As above, not seen one in person but from the pics i have seen that colour green looks fantastic with black wheels etc !

[SFO]

let us know what the charge is for the non standard colours when you have it please.

what are the standard colours?

[Neal H]

3 hours ago, Trevsked said:

250 Cup, MSG, no A/c, no sound deadening, harnesses, no radio, now that sounds like the car we all wanted but were too chicken to order. Would be a exactly what its meant to be.

 

Trevor.

I'll also be too chicken to go that hard-core

I'll probably end up with sound deadening and a radio!

[Trevsked]

I've got an excuse about the over spec on my car as it was in stock so not my choice. Kawasaki Green is a £1700 option like other special paints. If it's one of the Lotus exclusive paints the they are £700.

 

Trevor.

[LF1]

I was not allowed to have our callipers painted (really wanted red), guessing that's changed. Air con for sure - we went full motorsport spec but still had air con - grateful for that. 

We went full hardcore other than and don't regret it for a second. Extinguishers and isolator too. If you go for the A-Frame I would consider leaving the inertia reels in for road driving (our recent purchase has both and we're glad of it). We don't drive the Elise as much as we would because of it I think. 

The FIA CF seats look fantastic and are great on track but personally I find them a little uncomfortable when road driving - I'd suggest trying before committing. 

I'd not go for the CF aero kit. It takes a bit of a hammering and seems a lot of money. Standard brakes are fine - we upgraded the pads though as soon as possible - went with Silverstone's recommendation and have stuck with them. 

I think the R wheels are standard now - I think they look a lot nicer than the standard forged. 

[Neal H]

Calipers are black, red is a cost option but Lotus won't paint them yellow! Silverstone can get them painted for me though so that's okay.

I sat in the CF seats in both an Exige 380 Sport and Evora 410 and found them perfectly fine. I think it depends on whether you fit them or not, and fortunately I seem to.

@Herr LF1 GmbH Tom, do you have sound insulation in yours? You seem to do a few European track days, so you must have clocked up the road miles.