Lotus Elise Hardtop And Air Conditioning

The Lotus Elise, created to give the ultimate driver experience, has always had its roots on the racetrack, but many Lotus customers are demanding even more of their cars when using them on the road all year round. The Elise is now sold in 30 countries and in many different climates, from the coldest to the hottest. To make the Elise more useable in these climates, Lotus has introduced a unique air conditioning and heating system. A newly designed dashboard features 4 additional face level vents for improved air circulation and driver comfort. This, combined with the new composite hardtop, Lotus has made the Elise suitable for all climates.

Air conditioning and Heater system

This unique fully electronic controlled system designed and developed by Lotus stays true to the Elise “performance through lightweight” philosophy adding just 15kg to the total mass of the car. The air temperature and distribution is controlled from the new centre control panel. Airflow is delivered via the normal windscreen demist and feet vents or via the 4 additional face level vents. The system also has a recirculated air feature, which, when actuated, draws 90% of the air from the vehicle interior, maximising cooling efficiency when needed. Significant improvements in the heater performance have been achieved by a newly designed heater element. This ultra efficient and powerful component gives improvements in demist and cockpit temperature.

The Improved Soft Top and the New Hardtop

The 2002 Elise will features an all new soft top design and an optional composite hard top. The benefits of the new soft top design become instantly apparent the first time the soft top is fitted or removed, with a fitment time of less than 30 seconds. These benefits are carried across to the new composite hard top with a fitment time of around 6 minutes. Again the Lotus philosophy of “performance through lightweight” is adhered to, with the hard top tipping the scales at a class leading 9.5kg. The new hard top and improved soft top can be retro fitted to 2001 model year Elises, when used with a 2002 Elise roll hoop cover. Parts available from Lotus After Sales.

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