Let me correct you on the engine the Elise has. It's not a Corolla engine. It's a Celica 2ZZ-GE GT-S engine that Lotus bought. Toyota only decided to put the same Celica engine in the 9th Gen Corolla XRS but detuned slightly. So saying it's a Corolla engine only hurts the original car it was built for. The Celica.

As for the Elise. It's really based on preference. I mean, I don't think you'd drive it as a daily driver because for one, it has no trunk space for a laptop and second, pointless unless you're taking it on the track often.

The G35 wasn't really engineered to be a great track car. The Elise was that's why it has such barebone interior. Plus it's only quicker because it's much smaller than the G35 in comparison, but then again, you have a heavier car with a bigger engine in the front....well, placed behind the front axle primarily and rwd, so you can have a good drift car instead of track. Just saying.

 

Your car will never keep up with a lotus elise or look as good, dont even bother trying.

 

If money isnt an issue, then i say you pick up a used Ariel Atom.....the SC 300hp one that is im pretty sure it might school any elise and other supercars with the right driver.

 

The 2ZZ-GE is better in the Elise than it ever was in the Celica. It's got like 1200 less lbs of car to move. The Elise also uses the same transmission as the Celica, so due to the lightness, it's a lot less stressed and much more bulletproof.

I beg to differ. I practically daily-drive my Elise, I just enjoy the ride so much. It does have a small trunk, but it's only about a foot deep, foot and a half long, and the width of the car. You could fit a dozen laptops in there, but it gets a lot harder to fit bigger things. 4-5 bags of groceries are no problem. It really can't be your only car, though, unless you're ok with renting something bigger whenever you need some stuff from home depot or Costco or something. I can see enjoying the hell out of this car even without tracking it (though I do track it about every 3 weeks).

 

First car the Yamaha engine went into was the Celica, a K20a/z would be a better choice as some Lotus owners have swapped. Difference of weight between a Celica and Elise of the same model year is ~440 pounds. Lotus sourced Yamaha/Toyota's 2zz engine. I'm actually looking into a 2zz swap project, just looking for a shell first.

 

don't put a yamaha motorcycle engine in there like the one they use in other go cart racecars, stick with toyota for quality assurance - otherwise the clam on top of the engine repair would equal porsche headache

 

^ I think he was referring to the Yamaha-built 2zz-ge engine. Yamaha are partnered with Toyota for most of Toyota's performance engines and race engines. Yamaha has built engines such as the BEAMS 3SGTE, 5SFTE, and the new Lexus 1LR-GUE V10 that is in the new LF-A. Man, Yamaha has truly engineered a great engine sound for that car.

And yes, I know that the 2zz-ge engine in the Lotus is way better compared to it in the Celica. Plus they also modified the transmission to their liking as well even though it's similar to the Celica's. So Lotus really improved the engine.
As for the daily driver. Like I said, it's all on preference. Kudos to you if you loved it as a daily driver as I would probably enjoy it too since I do see some of my rich-*** neighbors driving their Ferraris to work everyday, so it's all on preference really. =) If I had a chance, I too would get a Elise Exige, but all in taste, I would opt for the Ariel Atom 2 with the supercharged K20.

 

Comon, we all know that you can make ANY car keep up with the lotus if you want to spend enough. The looks thing is all preference. I think my G coupe looks way better than the lotus.

 

omg if u going to strip a G just sell it to another G lover and get a 350z and strip that instead...what's the point of taking a luxury car and strip it...

 

Turning a G into a race car is not the epitome of love?

Face it, most will drive their G for a few years, trade it in and never think twice about where it is, or what becomes of it, a race car on the other hand almost always is retired with some ceremony and kept around for what it is.

 

If it's your daily driver, and you drive more than a few miles a day, I don't recommend gutting it. My interior is stripped (I must keep the dash, center console, and door panels to stay in street class), and all sound deadening/insulation has been removed. I never weighed everything we pulled out, but it's a good amount. The problem is that it becomes very uncomfortable to drive, you can hear all road noises, and any heat/cold insulation that was there before is gone.

As far as performance, it's hard to tell since I upgraded my suspension and stitch welded everything at the same time as gutting. The cage and racing seats are coming next... I've gone too far to turn back now I do daily my car, but only 6 miles to work and back, so I can tolerate it.

Unless you plan on tracking the car heavily and are looking for every little bit of an edge you can get, gutting the interior should be last on your list. IMO, upgraded suspension, brakes (at least pads, fluid, and lines), and tires will make a much more noticeable improvement on your cars performance.

 

hey thanks for the heads up - any pics???

 

I don't think I've taken pics of the interior since it's been gutted... it's not too nice looking. I'll see about taking some this weekend and post them up.

 

Go buy a used Miata, and either pay a reputable shop to install a good turbo or supercharger kit (Flyin' Miata, Jackson Racing, etc.); or pay a reputable shop to swap it to a LS1/LS6 or (if you're really ghetto) small block Ford. Whichever way you go, it will be cheaper and faster than an Elise, and have an infinitely nicer interior. Plus, it'll be more reliable, have a bigger and better aftermarket, and replacement parts will be infinitely cheaper and easier to locate.

 

yeah, but Miatas are ghey....