Just picked this up from Auto Express website, the article is about the poor sales of the VX220, WTF?

[I]Meanwhile, Lotus has been left to soak up the excess capacity at its state-of-the-art production facility, which opened last year in Hethel to cater for the roadster. Its favoured solution is to export its own Elise to America later this year. Following a successful premier at the Los Angeles Motor Show in January, Lotus predicts the US market is worth 2,000 sales in the first year and 1,000 annually after that. The only hurdle to the plan is the car's Rover K-Series powerplant, which isn't approved for use in America

 

My god! 240bhp Elise??!! If they could get an ITR engine into the mk1 might the F20C fit in the mk2? That realy would be a scary beast

 

I probably would have gone for the S2 if it had the 2.0 VTEC in it.... that would shift.

 

I think they mean the CTR engine - it's a different unit designed for transverse mounting. I think it's also "handed" like a Euro one and not a Japanese one, so should be a relatively easy transplant.

Still, 200BHP ain't bad

 

The reports I'd heard were that the engine choice would be between the Toyota or the GM unit as fitted to the VX2200. IIRC the Toyota unit may be too high, but both engines would require bodywork modifications. Current bets are on the GM unit.

The VX2200 sales are slow at the moment; most people are hanging on for the 2.0 Turbo version due in a couple of months. However, at 0% over 3 years with 25% deposit the current model is strangely attractive

 

Why not mid mount it?

and yes what a rocket! As long as they kept the weight balence!!

 

Ever since I'd heard about the ITR engined Elise's in the US (you can get the kit for RHD Elise's as well.) I've salivated at the prospect of a Lotus with a decent engine. (Sorry, I'm not a K-Series fan. The Lotus V8 is a bit souless as well.)

Either the F20C or the K20A-2 would be great... but like the Baron says you'd want the weight distribution etc right.

Here's something to dream about. Give Lotus a big pile of cash, leave them some S2000's and ask them to improve the handling. There are limits what they could do due to the suspension design, but I think they could really improve the car. I loved the S2000 on Don Palmer's day, but given the basic stiffness of the chassis, and double wishbones all round I think it could be tuned to be much better. Just a though if there are any really rich S2000 owners around here!

-Brian.