Lotus Exige 265E

[MR22ZZ]

how about a 2ZZ-GZE with 265hp running on E85 biofuel...

http://digiads.com.au/car-news/latest-LOTU...65E_200608.html

[MR22ZZ]

this hasn't got nearly enough replies especially how awesome it is and it uses our engine!!!

[CORZZA]

thats very cool!!!!!

especially on bio fuel!

[MR22ZZ]

see it's just a popularity contest Pete... because you didn't post it, people think it's crap :P

[MT]

dyl i reckon thats awesome but hasnt someone already posted it???

i would love a lotus i reckon they look awesome and the fact they use our engine is even better,

where do they get the fuel from thats the only problem i see

[MR22ZZ]

dyl i reckon thats awesome but hasnt someone already posted it???

i would love a lotus i reckon they look awesome and the fact they use our engine is even better,

where do they get the fuel from thats the only problem i see

E85 is pump fuel in Brazil due to the huge amount of cane.

and no, it hadn't been posted that was the 240R... the supercharged Lotus running on normal petrol

[CORZZA]

British, Racing and Very Green

The Lotus Exige 265E – the most powerful road version of the Lotus Exige ever – and it runs on environmentally friendly Bio Fuel!

Lotus Engineering, the engineering consultancy division of Group Lotus Plc has developed a bio-ethanol E85 version of the Lotus Exige.

The research vehicle is a true Lotus (it weighs just 930 kg unladen) and is called the Lotus Exige 265E. 265 indicates the approximate horsepower and is consistent with the naming strategy of other one-off and limited run Lotus variants such as the Lotus Sport Exige 240R; the E indicates the environmentally favourable bio-ethanol E85 fuel (85% ethanol alcohol and 15% petrol / gasoline) that powers this extremely high performing sportscar.

Key to this performance is a slightly modified version of the 2ZZ VVTL-i supercharged and intercooled high revving 4-cylinder engine from the standard Lotus Exige S. This now gives an estimated set of performance figures that would thrash the majority of “Super-Unleaded” performance cars: 0-60 mph in 3.88 seconds, 0-100 mph in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph! In fact, the Lotus Exige 265E is probably the world’s quickest road-legal E85 bio-ethanol car.

Key changes have been made to the fuel system, the engine calibration and the four fuel injectors mounted on the inlet manifold have been enlarged. Two additional fuel injectors have been fitted at the supercharger inlet to increase the amount of fuel being injected in to the engine under higher engine loads and to further cool the charge air prior to combustion.

What is Bio Ethanol E85?

Bio-ethanol E85 is a fuel which is a mixture of 85% ethanol (an alcohol) and 15% petrol / gasoline. The bio-ethanol can be made from bio-mass plant crops such as cereals, sugar beet, sugar cane and wood. As these plant crops grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which then partly offsets the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced during the burning of the bio-ethanol fuel in the car’s engine.

Why Bio-Ethanol?

Different bio-fuels were considered for this research project, bio-methanol, bio-ethanol and bio­butanol. E85 bio-ethanol was the finally chosen as the fuel as its characteristics allowed the engineering project team to enhance the engine performance. The fact that this vehicle uses a pressure charged engine provided even more opportunity to exploit the performance characteristics of a high-octane fuel. Ethanol has a high octane rating, which allows an optimum timing for engine ignition and has a fast flame speed in the cylinder, so the fuel burns faster, increasing the efficiency of the engine.

The Benefits of Bio-Ethanol

The beauty of ethanol is its ability to produce more power in the engine than with conventional petrol / gasoline fuel. The Lotus Exige 265E now produces 264 hp (197 kW, 268 PS) at 8000 rpm, and 184 lbft (249 Nm) of torque (at 5500 rpm), up by 46 hp (34 kW, 47 PS) or 21 % and 25 lbft (34 Nm) or 16% over the standard petrol / gasoline Exige S. With the total weight of approximately 930 kg (unladen), the power to weight is approximately 283 hp / tonne (211 kW / tonne, 287 PS / tonne).

Ethanol has less stored energy per unit volume than gasoline so the fuel economy is less, however as E85 ethanol is 85% sourced from renewable bio matter, there is a net reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2)

Geraint Castleton-White, Head of Powertrain for Lotus Engineering explains the rationale behind the Lotus Exige 265E technical demonstrator: “We wanted to prove the point that green sportscars can also be very high performing sportscars. The fact that we have produced a research version of the Exige that is more powerful than the standard road car is a testament to the benefits of going green. We are also pleased that this vehicle demonstrates our engineering capabilities, our understanding of flex fuel vehicles and our knowledge of emerging fuel technologies. It also promotes bio-ethanol as a fuel of choice for the enthusiastic driver as well as the environmentally conscious driver.

Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive of Group Lotus explains the Lotus ‘Green Strategy’: ”Lotus Engineering is actively pursuing technologies that will improve the efficiency and environmentally friendliness of engines in the future. Carbon dioxide reduction is a priority, as is anything that can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We are one of the world leaders in powertrain engineering especially in the internal combustion sector and we are researching into all areas of alternative and conventional fuels to get greater efficiencies, power, performance and reduce net emissions and Bio Ethanol research is one area where we are expert. The problems that are facing the automotive industry at the moment are challenging, and these solutions fit with the Lotus culture and expertise.”

Mike Kimberley continues: “We have decided to develop a thorough understanding of the techniques and technologies of what alternative fuels can achieve, to produce vehicles that are both fun to drive and environmentally friendly. We are also working, globally, on hybrid and electric vehicles together with governments and universities and as an engineering organisation we have a duty and a desire to promote these ideas to a worldwide customer base.”

Rapid Project Delivery for a Rapid Car!

The final sign-off test drive was completed just 5 weeks after the project was instigated and has resulted in a demonstration vehicle that not only excites the driver but also is at the forefront of environmentally friendly vehicles.

Looking to the Future:

The next phase for the vehicle is to upgrade the calibration to a flex fuel spec to allow use with initially gasoline, followed by the possibility of a multi fuel flex calibration to use fuels such as bio-methanol and bio-butanol in addition to the conventional gasoline / petrol and bio-ethanol.

The Lotus Exige 265E is purely a research vehicle for Lotus Engineering and Lotus does not intend to put the car into production or sel aftermarket kits for Lotus Cars.

[MR22ZZ]

Dude... I showed you this liek 2 weeks ago

http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/inde...?showtopic=7919

[CORZZA]

Oops just realized that! My bad!

[Azza]

E85 is pump fuel in Brazil due to the huge amount of cane.

I have heard about the Brazilians using this before, apparently it helps keep their petrol pricing down considerably. If making a small cost effective modification allows me to use a E85 leaving my wallet happier and the environment that little bit greener, as well as the extra performance, then bring it on...

I am using Shell V-Racing Power (Optimax Extreme) which is a E5 blend and I have already noticed increased economy. The way I drive, I usually used to get around 500k from a belly full of juice, now I do around 650....