Lotus begins offering supercharger kits for all NA Elises and Exiges

Anyone who's picked up a Lotus Elise or Exige before the kids from Hethel began offering a factory supercharged engine, help is at hand. Drivers of normally aspirated Lotuses can now get a factory style blower kit from Lotus Cars USA. The system is completely emissions certified, warrantied and legal in all 50 states, and includes higher flow injectors, a supercharger with integrated intake manifold and new ECU calibrations. Any authorized Lotus dealer can sell and install the kit that bumps the output of the 1.8-liter Toyota engine from 189 hp/133 lb-ft to 218 hp/155 lb-ft. Although the torque gain is minimal, twist now peaks at a more usable 5,000 rpm rather than 6,800 rpm. You can get all the details in the press release below the fold, but don't look for a price -- Lotus hasn't announced the cost for the kit yet.

PRESS RELEASE

Owners of Naturally Aspirated Lotus Elise and Exige Vehicles Can Now Supercharge Their Thrill Rides

Duluth, GA, August 3, 2009 – Lotus Cars USA, Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of a new Lotus factory engineered, warranted and 50-state legal complete Supercharger Kit for naturally aspirated Elise and Exige models.

These Lotus Supercharger Kits use the same supercharger and integrated intake manifold unit as fitted to a production Elise SC and can be installed on any naturally aspirated Elise or Exige powered by a Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine. The compact supercharger and integrated intake manifold, working in concert with new high-flow fuel injectors and a re-programmed engine management control unit, increases horsepower from 189 HP up to approximately 218 HP and torque jumps from 133 ft.-lbs. up to approximately 155 ft.-lbs.

Perhaps even more important, the increased maximum torque is available at a lower 5,000 rpm instead of the naturally aspirated 6,800 rpm providing the Lotus driver with a much broader and more flexible power band to work with when carving their favorite twisty roads.

"Lotus Elise and Exige owners are genuine driving enthusiasts and that's what has attracted them to Lotus cars in the first place," said Lotus Cars USA, Inc. Director of Operations Arnie Johnson. "They will fully appreciate the dramatically enhanced driving character these Lotus Supercharger Kits will bring their vehicles and the peace of mind from a fully warranted, factory engineered kit."

The Lotus Supercharger Kit is available for purchase and installation at all authorized Lotus dealers in the U.S. and Canada.