SEMA 2007: Carbon Fiber Exige adds lightness
Click image for high-res gallery from SEMA
The Lotus Elise and Exige are great little cars that personify Colin Chapman's original edict to maintain a light weight in order to allow maximum performance. Weighing in at under 2,000 pounds, they feature Toyota (or Honda) motors putting out around 200 HP, but still offer supercar acceleration and handling. Well, as we were whiling away the hours at SEMA, we came across a special CSF1 Exige built by Prototype Composites that takes that formula and cranks it up a notch. Out went the original Series 1 Exige fiberglass body and in its place Composite Master Craig Brewer laid out an exquisite carbon fiber replacement that sheds 82 pounds from the car's overall weight. While less is more on the weight side, the builder decided that more is more on the power side. Phong Thao replaced the original 4-banger with an Acura TSX mill that puts a generous 311 HP at the drivers beck and call. And that is wheel horsepower, so you can imagine how this little 1,700-lb. sportster will scoot. Made just a one-off for a client, we have to say we like the idea and execution a lot.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kyle 2:05PM (2/08/2008)
The lotus elise is a grat car for the money. It looks great and isnt going to break the bank. But with the carbon fiber hoods and the rest of the body in carbon fiber it might raise the price a little :d.
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innoc3nt 1:50AM (1/17/2009)
Hot damn, 1700 lbs and 311 WHP!? The speed must be amazing, of course, but the handling even more so!
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Mr. Oak 11:07AM (10/31/2007)
"ADDS Lightness" ?? How the hell does one go about "adding" less weight?
I see a lot of thought went into that Title.
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Shipey 11:17AM (10/31/2007)
A lot of thought did go into that title.
"Simplicate, then add lightness. " --Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman (Lotus Founder if you didn't know)
And yeah, 82lbs is a LOT of weight loss in a car that's already at only 2000.
swifty 11:08AM (10/31/2007)
sheds only 82 LBS...are you sure AUTOBLOG?
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RGS 11:27AM (10/31/2007)
That's Prototype Composites' number (see the last picture in the gallery).
hokiebird 11:11AM (10/31/2007)
Just got back from changing my pants... sexy car!
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nardi 11:17AM (10/31/2007)
The title comes from a Colin Chapman quote "To add speed, add lightness" the foundation of Lotus sports cars phlosophy. After all weight is Everything when it comes to sports cars.
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raz 11:22AM (10/31/2007)
I wonder, how much more will say an average family sedan cost if it's exterior would be made entirely from carbon fiber.
What i do not get is this, why can't carbon fiber companies bring the price of their product low enough to fight with steel and aluminum.....the rewards are HUGE. How can an industry just sit there when they have a chance of a lifetime, no automaker want to create costly alternative powertrains......carbon fiber would increase MPG with almost zero cost to automakers. Which would make them a huge costumer of Carbon industry, a costumer that makes 16= million cars a year. Now is the time to act and at the very least insert your self into the game.....by that i mean become cheap enough to be used in high end cars such as the priciest Lexus, BMW, Benz, Audi.
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MKIV 11:47AM (10/31/2007)
I doubt CF can ever be as cheap as steel. Think about the manual labor involved in creating the body panel. Carbon can't be stamped like steel. The whole process takes lot more time and man power.
seoultrain 11:58AM (10/31/2007)
Considering there's a worldwide shortage of Carbon fiber, your argument doesn't make much sense. It's not like the people who sell this stuff have an endless supply of them and choose to price them however they want. (like DeBeers)
Mr. Oak 12:03PM (10/31/2007)
Boeing and Airbus are hogging the world's carbon fiber supply. I read recently that the cost per pound is going UP.
BTW: even though CF is a woven fabric, it is sold by weight, not by length.
Menice 11:23AM (10/31/2007)
i'd ride that like an 18 yr old.
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DelayedZ 2:26PM (10/31/2007)
You'd last for 15 seconds and roll over?
Menice 8:31AM (11/01/2007)
ah, yea...your probably right...i'd never even make it to 3rd gear :(
speedball3 11:31AM (10/31/2007)
Wow, a lot of money went into this car. The 100% carbon fiber body probably cost a lot. But this also has a RealTime TSX engine...this isn't just any standard TSX engine, but a straight up racing engine. Plus all the motor mounts, shift linkages, etc had to be fabricated to stick that engine in.
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Jason 11:44AM (10/31/2007)
There is no linkage - it's a cable actuated shifting mechanism, so at least they didn't have to spend money messing with that.
Pork Rind 11:42AM (10/31/2007)
@Swifty
I imagine that the 82 lbs figure is reasonable accurate. The original thin fiberglass bodywork that was replaced only weighs between 200 and 300 pounds total.
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GDUB 11:51AM (10/31/2007)
Thats just amazing. i wonder if the TSX motor is a bit heavier.
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Robert (Toyota Salesman) 11:58AM (10/31/2007)
This craft might be light enough to ascend through the time vortex and take Marshall, Will and Holly back to their homeland. I shall contact them immediately.
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