Recent content by smac

Sort of. There was an exemption clause in the EPA testing methodology which means EV manufacturers didn't have to test all 5 cycles, instead performing the older 3 cycle test and then just applying a fixed multiplier to the score. (IIRC this was 0.71) Personally I'm not a fan of this because...

I would think this is more down to European electrical safety standards. Typical incoming supply to a property could have the neutral and earth bonded together before the breaker box (and hence GFCI / rcd) but still inside the customer premises. If the incoming supply is damaged the live can...

@MLAUTO are they the same rear calipers as on the Elise then? If so maybe this could be of interest: Brembo Caliper - TechWiki

Agree, and this is down to the increased wheel size. The big plus to the V6 Exige (my current car) is tire selection. Yes the brakes are significantly better in terms of fade resistance on track, but the Pirrelli Corsa's that came standard fit on mine are decades ahead of the Yokohama's on my...

I think that's a listing error on that site. I was more intrigued by the grooving pattern of the M-Tech's. VX220 and Europa are both 5 lugs. (Hence why a lot of times you get to choose on Eliseparts between cars it often says Elise S2 or VX220/Europa)

Also look for any parts related to the EU only Lotus Europa S. MTEC Do some "C-Hook" rotors. In theory these should be even better in the Roadster application than slotted rotors (being even more aggressive on the pad surface, which helps with wet performance). Brake Discs and Pads for Europa...

@WannabeOwner The more time I spend with the BMW, the more I appreciate the engineering that went into it. The complete re-thinking of the carbon fibre manufacturing techniques that were developed for it's construction are the main headline grabber, but the fitting of the 1.5l 3 cylinder...

I'll bite (as an i8 owner). The fake engine noise is determined by the position of the gear lever, so when not in sport mode it doesn't activate. In comfort mode (the default) a lot of the time you'll be on electric at slow speeds, a bit like in a Prius, be it a Prius with a really big...

VW are claiming the ID will be comparable to a similarly equipped Golf Diesel in price. So I guess around £30-35k in the UK. For the first round of cars I think it's likely to be pack quantity limited. LG + Samsung's plants in Poland / Hungary are targeting enough cells for c. 300k x 200...

@Peteski My experience of dealing with Tesla UK, particularly on the service side, was they were hugely disorganised. Didn't seem to even have a proper job booking system, random (long) waits for service visits, massively overstretched technicians, no spare parts inventory, etc. etc. I admit...

I'd love to hear how this wrap job works out, it sounds like a neat idea.

Nope sedan sales, for what they were worth, being a tiny fraction of the big sellers in Europe.These continue tanking. Look at ANY EU country's top selling car over the last decade... ALWAYS hatchbacks. Today, inspired by this very discussion I took it upon myself to count the cars that went...

They are. Hence the shift to CUV's. Putting it into perspective 29% of sales in BMW are now X variants, and the X2 is likely to continue that trend. This is on top of the Touring (wagon) and GT (fastback) versions. It's got to the point BMW are outsourcing 5 series to Magna. Merc are doing...

@Coolbreezesd I think Europe will be next after China, and the incumbent manufacturers can see this. Yes car companies are investing in a lot of new models, but there has been a shift. If you told me 5 years ago things like the I-Pace, Kona or VW I.D. would be launched in Europe before the US...

Erm... because I owned a Model S for nearly 4 years, was a one of the first UK owners, and I did like the car! (Though not so keen on some of the quality issues and disorganised service centre staff). Come replacement time the car hadn't moved on enough on the interior, and the nearest...