Sure, but even still it's not like the X is slow 0-60. I just think people are getting carried away with the importance of 0-60 times. 5 seconds or under is still pretty damn quick by most standards.

I know I'm the unpopular one for not "needing" the car to do 0-60 in 4.2 but, to be honest even with my V390 car I never got close to that 0-60 time because I didn't feel like burning the damn clutch out of it or breaking something just to say I made 0-60 in 4.2. I'd much rather see in gear acceleration times.

It just feels wrong to abuse the car the way you have to to get those kinds of 0-60 times. I guess if it's not your car or you've got tons of money it doesn't matter...

 

Sure, it isn't slow - but I dunno, I'm looking for a car that does 0-60 in the 4-5 sec range. I've seen numbers as high as 5.8 sec for the X, and that worries me a little. Still, I'm fair minded enough to wait till the release before I come to a firm conclusion.

To the lay enthusiast, 0-60 is rather important. I remember showing my colleague my old bugeye WRX years ago (at that time, these Japanese rockets weren't as prevalent on the roads here as they are now). The *first* question he asked me is what's the 0 to 60 (he's spent a lot of time in Britain, most Singaporeans would go by the metric system and ask for the 0 to 100 in km/hr). He was impressed when I told him 5.7 to 5.9s Those times are possible with a dumped clutch launch on a stock car, I knew I'd never see anything south of 6.5 sec with even a "spirited" street launch. While I wouldn't really want to drive that way with my own car, it's nice to know that someone out there has abused another similar car and shown it's possible - then it becomes a bragging right. Bragging rights are important to many sports car owners and 0 to 60 is definitely up there on the wishlist.

 

0-60 is not what they designed it for. It does beat the IX on the track apparantly...

 

I suspect that there is more to the story about the performance numbers than what is being told to us. I have seen a program that can estimate 0-60 times by putting variables such as CD frontal area, weight and HP. The real question everyone should be asking is....

HOW CAN THE XI BE LIGHTER LESS POWERFUL AND SO MUCH FASTER?

I think that the answer is two-fold. First the 4G63 was incredibly underrated from the factory. Secondly, the new motor appears to be overrated. It takes quite a hp difference to account for the car being a little heavier and so much slower.

I would love to see the number run on this car in the program I referenced above. Something simply doesn't make sense, and I fear that the answer may be that the HP is not accurate.

As for Lotus owners, I used to be one. Let me tell you the joy of running around in a 1900 pound car.....fun for a day, a nightmare everyday.

More people get killed going around corners than they do in a straight line. I saw quite a few cars go off a cliff in our driving club, and it was amazing that no one was hurt.

With emissions improving as well as fuel economy, there is no excuse to produce a slower car than the model it replaces. Does that mean that every EVO needs a 3.0 0-60 time? NO! But to not offer a special model for a few thousand more that actually procudes the numbers that the previous car was able to seems like a mistake.

When I graduate from graduate school, I think a BMW 135 will bee the fast ticket for less money and potentially more modability. Time will tell....

 

Umm do you even have to ask? It's called weight to hp ratio. If it's lighter even if it has less HP it can still be faster. Does that seem to confuse you? So tell me how incredibly underrated the 4G63 is and how overrated the 4B11T is especially since you never even dynoed one. I'm also hoping you mean IX not XI because XI=11. So what are you learning in graduate school again? It sure doesn't look like its Roman numerals or English grammar

Not that mine is perfect but then again you don’t hear me saying that when I graduate from college blah, blah, blah. When you graduate from grad school be sure to pay off your student loans first and then worry about a new car.

Sorry if it seems like I'm trying to give you a hard time I'm just really sick of all these paper racing discussions.

 

Or maybe the twin clutch trans is smart enough not to let you burn out the clutch to get those bad *** 0-60 times.

There is a thing called a race track. Last time I checked not too many of them had cliffs to fall off of. Nor does anyone have to go ***** out on public roads. If you don;t understand your cars limits you can run off of a cliff in a Prius.

Sounds like perfect reasons for a car to be slower to me.

It's called the RS.

Great so, put a procede V2 in it, max out the injection system and be done. Not really much more in the way of modability.

 

I don't post very often here for a reason.

There is a computer program that takes into consideration the CD and frontal area to approximate 0-60 times and 1/4 mile times. These little things are amazingly accurate.

That being said, I agree with your comment about paper racing, and in all honesty I am much more of an EVO X driver than the new Corolla hatch (err is it Lexus RX 330 er, maybe STI?!) It does seem as though an important piece of information is missing however. This will be easy to determine once the first EVO Xs roll onto the dynos and there are stock IX around to dyno as well.

As for hp/weight ratio, as I mentioned I already know about that and have experienced it first hand with the lightest sports car offered for sale in the US. To get the 0-60 numbers the reported (4.4-4.6) you had to destroy the clutch by burning it at 8000 RPM.

It is a fair assessment to say that the EVO X is something of a disappointment (to a differing degree among different people) compared to the last generation. Additionally my reference to handling was to make the point that people trying to find the limits of their cars by taking corners is much more dangerous than in a straight line. I did many track days, as well as being an active member in the Lotus community. Did some people do stupid things? Defiantly. Was I one of them? No.

As for the pricing point and competition, I find it interesting that the new improvements to the X were already on the IX in Japan. Does that make the X less special, of course not. However, you can bet that a marketing campaign based on how fast a car can corner will lead to more wrecks and higher insurance for everyone than one based on 0-60 times. I love pure sports cars which is why I feel slightly disappointed with the direction that the X has taken.

In the end I wish that Mitsu will produce a less expensive and significantly faster EVO X. We don't need a 56908 MG hard drive, heated seats and 650 watt sound system, but a 350 hp version of the car for 33,000 dollars is the kind of evolution that I would love to see.

I think you might agree with me there....?

 

True, but a 3 liter with a stock boost of 8.5 PSI and 300hp (really 330 hp) does offer a higher ceiling.

 

Please dont take this the wrong way but I really think should look into a Mazda Miata. Seriously thats the exact argument I get from them. Just something to consider. Oh and get used to 0-60 and 1/4 mile times they ve been automotive benchmarks since the model T and aren't going anywhere. Cars are only getting faster and more powerful in response to what consumers want the Evo will adapt or go the way of the dinosaurs.

 

For the most part I do.

 

No ****.

I actually already own a miata and don't care for it. I bought as a beater while waiting for my 335.

Anyway you guys must have a comprehension issue. I didn't say to forget about 0-60 times. I'm just saying people worry about them too much. Even if it is a 5 second 0-60 car it is still pretty quick. It just gets to a point when it's like "WTF? How fast does it really need to be?" People are talking about the time like the car will get it's *** handed to it by a sentra or something.

 

^My VR4 gets to 60 in under 6, the times I have ever needed to be that fast on the streets for a good reason is 0.
I'm happy knowing that the X can get to 60 even less. It's like the honeymoon period with a new car, you see what it can do the first month you buy it, launching and driving it hard, then you stop dick1ng around. You know what it can do, and you're content with that.