Dead VX220
- Thread starter Trick
- Start date
The write-off decision will be made this week by TMS. Thorney's first thoughts though were that it didn't look good 
The clams are the major consideration for the insurance co but if you look closely you can see the car ended up on a log. There were in fact two of them and may have made a great deal of damage to the underside of the car when it hit them and when it was dragged off
The clams are the major consideration for the insurance co but if you look closely you can see the car ended up on a log. There were in fact two of them and may have made a great deal of damage to the underside of the car when it hit them and when it was dragged off
Do you know why were the MMC disks replaced under a recall? Should all S1's have been recalled for this?
Because the manufacturer in the USA went bust and Lotus had no replacement. So they were forced to offer free swap-outs to iron discs. I don't think there was anything wrong with MMC per se, they were actually damn good.
I heard Lotus were offering replacement iron disks and pads at a discount price to owners when the MMC pads became unavailable (now available again). However I'd not heard of any recall, and I'd be surprised if they would ever recall cars for a non-safety related issue (i.e. unless the MMC disks were faulty in some way).
Worst aspect the MMC disks is wet weather braking, they have a delay before working like the old stainless disks on bikes.
It's really easy to forget that it's wet and give some beans. Even the MX5 will try to catch you out if you take the **** in the wet and that's even on good tyres. With bad tyres well it's a nightmare. Glad he's ok. It is good for all RWD drivers to see these pics!!
Hail to Lord Cupra god of cars. He knows, hears and feels your every move. Be careful oh foolish one he may turn you VX220 in to a Fiesta!!
I find my RE040's to be great in all conditions. I had an Elise with Yoko Advans on it for a month and didn't find any noticable difference in performance. They got warmer after hard driving but that didn't seem to equate to any more grip.
My tyres are all good at the moment but I'm tempted to get Yokos next just cos they look better
My tyres are all good at the moment but I'm tempted to get Yokos next just cos they look better
I have had similar thoughtsMy tyres are all good at the moment but I'm tempted to get Yokos next just cos they look better
We are so shallow 
Well, thanks for all the interest! It is now confirmed as a write off, no chassis damage (except the suspension) but beyond economical repair. A few points:
1. The NA VX has an alloy engine. The Turbo is cast iron. It's still heavier than either Elise, but not as much as Lotus would have you believe, their dry weights are notoriously optimistic.
2. I shan't be getting a fiesta, but a few years of lower budget motoring are on the cards. I've just bought a house and was thinking of selling the VX anyway. I think I'll get a Clio 172.
3. 2 1/2 years as a daily driver, with 25000 miles in it. Just goes to show what a moment's inattention can do, they (all Elise derivatives) can be tricky!
4. The tracking wasn't out, it had a geo with a bit of negative camber to reduce understeer.
Oh well....
1. The NA VX has an alloy engine. The Turbo is cast iron. It's still heavier than either Elise, but not as much as Lotus would have you believe, their dry weights are notoriously optimistic.
2. I shan't be getting a fiesta, but a few years of lower budget motoring are on the cards. I've just bought a house and was thinking of selling the VX anyway. I think I'll get a Clio 172.
3. 2 1/2 years as a daily driver, with 25000 miles in it. Just goes to show what a moment's inattention can do, they (all Elise derivatives) can be tricky!
4. The tracking wasn't out, it had a geo with a bit of negative camber to reduce understeer.
Oh well....
Yeah the 2.2 engines are brilliant, got one myself in a coupe so a fair bit more weight fun enough for me atm though.
Thats unlucky dude, please don't get a french car though!
Sorry to see those pics I had a few scary moments in my Elise too, they are damn tricky cars in the wet, tail can snap in an instant.
Bikerz, I don't know of 4 ex-LupoGTi owners who've trashed VX220's. In fact, I can only think of Crusoe, and that was due the mechanical failure (apparently)
The guy who had the throttle-bodied LupoGTi is buying an Elise, and he hasn't even picked it up yet! The other owners (Rob_GTi, Snoops, Tim) still have VX's that they've not even crashed Max still has his VX220 in one piece aswell.
I had a few scary moments in my Elise too, they are damn tricky cars in the wet, tail can snap in an instant.Bikerz, I don't know of 4 ex-LupoGTi owners who've trashed VX220's. In fact, I can only think of Crusoe, and that was due the mechanical failure (apparently)
The guy who had the throttle-bodied LupoGTi is buying an Elise, and he hasn't even picked it up yet! The other owners (Rob_GTi, Snoops, Tim) still have VX's that they've not even crashed
Max still has his VX220 in one piece aswell.Sorry to see those pics
I've found the exact opposite. The Elise is really well balanced and not tail happy at all, you have to do something really, really silly to upset it and get the back end out (like the time when I took a 90 degree bend a bit too quickly whilst on my mobile, still managed to correct it and continue my conversation though
)My old MR2 and the MGF are far easier to unsettle, I've had many more scary moments in those that in the Elise.
I stacked my S1 Elise in pretty much the same way.
You need to have Walter Rohl like reactions to catch them when they go, hence I fell out with it and sold it. Im not a good enough driver to deal with it anything other than the dry so Im sticking to 4wd for the foreseeable.
Next car will be RS4 or CSL or 911. Im thinking RS4 tbh
You need to have Walter Rohl like reactions to catch them when they go, hence I fell out with it and sold it. Im not a good enough driver to deal with it anything other than the dry so Im sticking to 4wd for the foreseeable.
Next car will be RS4 or CSL or 911. Im thinking RS4 tbh