Tesla Evaluation @ Sector111

Tasty Bits for the Tesla are back on track. We originally began working with Tesla's accessories group 2+ yrs ago. Product development was put on hold at Sector111 last year when Tesla shut down this group. The success of the Roadster, has now renewed interest in offering some tasty bits for this sweet little machine. Many Tesla owners have already bought our microMIRROR - in fact Martin Eberhard (Tesla Founder) was the first.

We recently began working with James at EV Components who convinced Eric, a Tesla Roadster owner, to come down to our shop and let us go over his car. It turns out Eric and I 'knew' each other as he had sent me the picture of the Tesla with our stellaCORSE wheels last year. We had developed these wheels in the exact fitment for the Tesla. I hope we can get enough interest in these wheels as the OE forged wheels as supposedly very $$$$$$. Now that the stock wheel appears to be a cast wheel our forged solution will be dramatically lighter which should help the Roadster in many good ways. 8^)


Though we have 220 at the shop, we learned that the 2 different types of outlets we had were not the same as the various connectors Eric brought. This required a trip over to the local hardware and electrical supply store to build a new connector. Eric built the new connector while we proceeded to disassemble portions of his Roadster. Recharging was critical as he needed to get back home which is 100+miles north of here!

We test fit various parts onto the car as well as took measurements. Our Carbon Fiber Hardtop actually fits. The weave on the top is quite different from the roll bar cover that is on the car. This is an aesthetic consideration that can be addressed with new CF fabric. We built our top to be a lighter version of the stock Elise top with a focus on use with track oriented cars. It appears that some Tesla owners are taking their cars to the track so we looked at our various parts to see what might also work on track. We inspected the brakes and suspension and found some opportunities.


We also looked into various lifestyle products that could make the Roadster even easier to live with. The trunk is quite large by our standards but the interior - like the Elise -lacks much in the way of storage. There are several opportunities that we found.

We capped the day off with a quick drive. I was given a ride, 2 years ago, on a visit to Tesla's R&D center in SF but this was the first time I had the pleasure of driving one. At that time I remember saying that the Tesla felt like a sailboat while the Elise was more like a motorboat. The lack of sound - except for the wind whistling - is a serene experience that still reminds me of sailing. The Roadster accelerates almost as fast as my Atom. It really throws you back in the seat - as Eric demonstrated! This car came equipped with the AD07 tires in the same sizes as the stock Elise. During my drive, I could feel the added weight of the batteries as well as the under steer that was dialed into this package. The ride is very comfortable and overall feel is great! This car is a blast and I'm sure the owners are having plenty of fun cruising and commuting in these capable machines.


Thanks to Eric for graciously taking time to share his fantastic machine with us. This is definitely a glimpse of the future.

Ralph from V2 is Flyin'

Many of you know we have been offering several new innovations from V2 Motorpsorts. The owner, Ralph Provitz is an accomplished driver and engineer. He has decades of experience in both arenas and has earned a Spec Miata Championship as well as running Sportbikes at Daytona. He has been riding or driving some sort of fast machine since a tender young age. yes, he is certified.

He has finally begun shaking down his '06 Exige after months of preparation. Ralph bought this car last year and has been meticulous in his set-up. Several new items were developed from this process including: V2arms, V2linx, V2mounts and the V2 Fuel Tank. The paint job was even designed by him - it is truly unique and bitchin'. Ralph is running the Nitron Track suspension. These are the double adjustable solution we offer. Additionally he is running our Larini 8" exhaust as this track is very strict with the noise limits.

Ralph spent the weekend at Waterford Hills Raceway in MI. This local track is a fairly short track that is favorable to good handling cars. Since his Exige does NOT have a supercharger, good handling and braking is key. He ran 1:15.2 with some heat cycled Hoosier 'A' compound. This is a very fast time for a car that is not yet complete in its development.

Here are some fast times from other cars on this track.

BMW E46M3	1:16.325 (Yoko slicks, coil-over)
Spec Miata	1:18.827 (Lap record set by Alan Faitel 9/2003)
Dodge Viper	1:22.000 (approximate for stock Viper V-10)
ITS 1972 Datsun 240Z	1:18.288 (Nationally Competitive ITS 240Z)

Ralph is coaching and prepping a few cars/teams in the DTW area. His talent has delivered some very competitive drivers and cars. I admire his approach to product development and testing. His ability to drive cars at their limits and then understand what is happening is a key strength. He will be testing out our new baffled oil pan for performance as well as other new innovations we are sorting.

I am glad to have him on our team. Expect more superb products from this partnership!

Atom Power Upgrade

We have slowly been upgrading components on the Atom to get it to match the Secant Type I powertrain. 280hp/241 ft-lb power output is the target. I secured a new intake and additional radiator for the intercooler system from Tom@Unique to help us get there.

We installed these bits along with a new Laminova endplate that reroutes the coolant through the intercooler in a manner that achieves improved cooling efficiency. Removing the Laminova tubes takes patience and a gentle touch - neither of which I have much of. This picture shows the stock end plate with 2 hose connections. The new endplate has 3 connections to help flow coolant quicker.

We have a larger water pump that we looked at switching but choose to stick with the stock pump for now. The additional plumbing and wiring required for the new pump dissuaded me from tackling that task at this time. Tom & Ryan from Secant assured me that the stock pump should work well.

The new ic radiator from Tom is plumbed in-line with the stock radiator. The coolant now runs in this manner: pump ->1st rad -> 2nd rad -> IC -> pump. I will need to modify the plastic cowl a bit to clear the front frame that supports the rad. The polished frame reveals Tom's hotrodder roots. The welds on this unit are excellent. Nice work Tom!

I'm anticipating much improved cooling and reduced heat soak issues. The new radiator gets high pressure air as it is positioned in the stock location for the intake. We got creative with the hose plumbing and connections and have sorted a neat configuration. The downside is losing the original intake snorkel - but form must follow function!

The stock intake was discarded in favor of Tom's intake. It delivers air in a nice straight shot - unlike the convoluted stock intake. The MAF should also be much happier. We installed this without difficulty. The filter resides just below the remote oil cooler and appears to block some airflow to this rad. Since oil temps have never been an issue for me, this seems like a fair trade off. Nothing comes free.

We swapped out the in-line fuel filter which of course required a special tool. The # of trips I've made to the store is maddening with this upgrade. 8^) I bought a smaller belt as well since the new pulley is smaller. Though the tensioner appeared to take up much of the slack, it was not enough for the stock belt. NAPA is close so I simply bought a smaller one as replacement.

Steve from Secant arrives on Friday to begin the tuning...

V2mounts - Secure & Safe

I have never been very happy with the mounting options for remote reservoirs on our Lotus. Most suspension companies provide zip ties or band clamps and leave you to find creative places to mount your canisters. The typical place to mount the canisters is the lower a-arms. Though this works, getting the reservoirs tight enough so they don't move during adjustment is tough. Plus they are located in an area that feels vulnerable to road debris. Ralph@V2 came up with a creative solution and sent me a couple to test out.

We installed them on Nirvana last month and ran it at Laguna Seca. Since I only had 2 brackets, I mounted them on the front under the chassis by riveting them. This resulted in a super stiff solution. Reaching in to adjust them was a

snap. We left the rear canisters mounted on the a-arms without the brackets. These remained much less secure as they would move slightly during compression adjustment. On some reservoirs the adjustment is very subtle and any movement can cause you to miss a 'click'. My other concern is adding additional weight to the suspension arms - it is clearly the wrong place.

We decided to order a small batch and assemble a kit we are calling V2mounts. The rear mounts can be installed in a few different locations:

1. Rear triangulation tube
2. Rear toe links
3. Lower a-arms

We like the Rear Triangulation Tube that extends down from the Roll Bar. On the Exige, this is an easily accessible part of the car. Ralph has mounted them here with sweet success. On the Elise it is a bit of a challenge. We've mounted them here BUT upside down on Nirvana. I will run it this way for some time to see how it works. Since most of us don't mess with compression adjustments on

every track outing, this should be less of an issue. Of course the engine will be hot so you have to watch your hands and arms...

I will be using them on my Atom as well to secure my Nitrons. I suspect they may work well on other performance cars.

New Wheel Studs & SS Brake Lines

We installed a set of our new BULLETstuds onto Project Nirvana. I've used these on my previous Elise and on our last Exige. I love this kit as it makes wheel changes a snap. The quality of the kit is excellent and we have finally sourced some black nuts to keep it discrete. Another key advantage is that it eliminates the need for the Lotus wheel bolt key AND locking key. The lock key was prone to failure and worth eliminating ASAP.

We also installed some new stainless steel brakelines from Girodisc. These are a good addition to any track oriented car. New stock lines are usually adequate for most but over time they begin to deteriorate and soften causing additional softness to an already soft brake pedal.

The red lines add some additional flash to our wheel well area. They also come in a more subdued silver color. You can find them: HERE

Now we need to bleed the brakes....

V2 Fuel Tank Installed on Nirvana!

We installed the V2 tank on our Elise. The install went smooth. The pump was lodged in quite tight but we managed to extract it intact. The tank is in the car and ready. We are installing a new baffled oil pan so the car is not yet ready to fire up. We will do that later this week and check for leaks.

Atom Intake

I am eliminating the stock intake on my Atom as it is far too convoluted. The the MAF is located in an area that can not deliver laminar airflow. To meet the aesthetic requirements of the central intake, Brammo developed the twisty intake for the Ecotec cars. I will replace it with a simple 'filter on a stick'.

Tom@UniqueFabrication has already sorted an intake so I have asked him to build one for me. He is also building an inline intercooler that I will install to help with the heat soak issues that plague our Atoms.

Steve@Secant has my ECU and is working his calibration magic. We have already installed the smaller pulley and larger injectors. The tune they have developed for the Lotus Type I will be the base for the Atom. We are confident that this engine can

be safely tuned to 280hp/241ft-lbs.

I had inspected my fuel gaskets and found that they were deteriorating. I am replacing them as part of this overall power upgrade. In the picture, the left gasket came out of the fuel filler neck and the other came from the pump side. Almost everyone is suffering from this issue so please inspect your fuel tank gaskets. Contact TMI for the correct gaskets.

Atom Rear Wing Progress - Strut Fitment Ver2

Steve from Aerosim stopped in yesterday to fit the latest version of the rear strut. He came out a month earlier and we learned a few tweaks were in order. This version fits well so he will machine the second piece along with the horizontal brace.

These pix show the aero features like the knife edge along the trailing edge of the strut. Notice how the struts are hollowed out but not completely cut through for weight savings while maintaining better aero. Can you tell that Steve worked on the aero on the last Lotus F1 car?

The rear wing is the dual element carbon fiber wing from ReVerie. It is super stiff, strong and a ridiculously light piece. This 5.5lb wonder is properly made from prepreg carbon fiber and autoclaved.

I am opting for the TMI front wing for my Atom. They've sorted a cost effective solution so I will have their front solution with our rear wing. We'll spend some time dialing in the balance as soon as I have them on the car.

ULTRAdiscs Love You Long Time & Now For Less!

It appears we have made our 2-piece ULTRAdisc rotors almost too good!

We are getting awesome mileage out of our ULTRAdiscs. The Spyder had over 30k miles on ULTRAdiscs - lots of road and track use. Phil@BOE recently informed me that he has gone through 3 sets of ST43s pads (which are brutally aggressive on rotors) on his front ULTRAdiscs and they remain in great shape with plenty more life. His stock OE rear rotors don't appear to be wearing near as well. He also mentioned that a competitive rotor was destroyed by one set of ST43s.

These brakes have been very successfull in LCS. Several of the fastest competitors are running ULTRAdiscs or its big bro the CUPdisc. In fact Brent, the winner at the LCS Laguna Seca event runs ULTRAdiscs. Of course Nirvana is sporting them as well.

We worked carefully with Girodisc 4 years ago to sort out a high end 2-piece rotor. Martin@Girodisc clearly did a great job as we've had nothing but positive feedback from these rotors. The 10lb weight savings, true floating design, corner specific solution and now proven life has made this rotor the best solution on the market. Learn more about these rotors here: Info Sheet

Some of our features have been copied by competition but none have delivered a solution that is as feature laden or has years of track proven history. No reason to gamble with your brakes, our ULTRAdiscs have kicked asphalt for longer than any other solution.

To make things even better, we've ordered 50 car sets to get our cost down. We are reducing our price on a set of 2 to $600. A full car set can now be ordered for $1200. This is a remarkable savings over the original price. Fear not, we're keeping the same spec. We firmly believe you will not find a better, longer lasting rotor on the market.