Driving Impression ROTUS SEVEN

[solder_guy]

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/20070308_124649_84rotus7.jpg

 

Driving Impression ROTUS SEVEN

 

A TOYOTA IN REPLICA LOTUS SEVEN CLOTHING

 

by Bob McClurg

 

What's in a name? When the name is Rotus, and the car looks awfully familiar, it sounds like a mixup or r's and l's. Not so. The Rotus Seven is a new-generation specialty car of Toyota high-tech powertrain components blended with the old world flavor of Colin Chapman's beloved Lotus Seven roadster.

 

Frederick Maryland's Christopher R. Custer is responsible for the Rotus Seven concept. Custer has been a specialty car fanatic for more years than he cares to admit, and has piloted Lotus Sevens in SCCA racing. Custer is to taken with these feisty little roadsters that he owns two of them: A matched pair of right- and left-handed drive Lotus Sevens.

 

Mr. Custer's affiinity for fine road vehicles fits right in with his professional identity as one of Maryland's largest Toyota dealers: Chris is as sold on Toyota power as he is on the Lotus Seven mystique.

 

Creating a better Seven began about eight years ago when Chris tired of the day in/day out maintenance to keep a Seven on the road. His first inclination was to drop a 1600cc Corolla T-series four-banger between the frame rails of his Lotus, and offer it as a kit. As the project progressed, it became clear that shoehorning the wider Corolla powerplant in the Lotus frame rails would only create an ill-handling, overpowered vehicle. So Chris established parameters to construct an all-new car.

 

To say that the group did its hoemwork would be putting it mildly. Nearly 100 Lotus Seven owners were surveyed on their likes, dislikes and changes they would like to see in their vehicles. Lotus owners universally recognized most of the car's shortcomings: The car needed a more reliable drivetrain, more pasenger room and a better suspension.

 

Armed with these statistics, the pair redesigned the Lotus. The Rotus Seven uses much stronger tubing (.125 on the rollbar and .065 on the chassis) than the standard tubing in the Lotus chassis, eliminating the stress and cracking inherent to the original. Engineer Asher Lee Kaiser then applied his computer designs to the suspension. The Rotus chassis has 10 inches added to the wheelbase to aid stability, and four inches added to the frame width for more engine room and increased legroom in the passenger compartment.

 

The computer-designed foundation features dual Koni shocks mounted inboard on a double A-frame front suspension. All parts are Toyota including a modified Tercel rack and pinion steering box. The reworked front suspension differs sharply from the original single cross-mounted shock suspension. The new system effectively reduced oscillation that is normally transmitted through the upper control arms and steering system.

 

Out back, the Rotus uses a 4:11-geared Corolla/ Celica live axle and four trailing links. This is a time-proven system, and seems to work best in conjunction wiht the longer chassis and front suspension.

 

The T-series Corolla powerplant is a wise choice. These four-cylinder workhorses are available in various configurations from a vintage stock 1600 to a two-liter DOHC-four cabable of delivering an honest 115 hp.

 

For real performance nuts, the aftermarket world of high-performance parts offers turbocharging, fuel injection, etc. You can practice overkill to the tune of a 200+hp, 1237-pound Ferrari-eater that will take your breath away! Driving the Rotus Seven is indeed a treat. The impact of climbing down into a car that has no doors is undeniable.

 

The test Rotus was equipped with the 1800cc DOHC hemi head engine and Toyota five speed. This combination proved more than adequate and well-suited to the car. Our foray into the crisp, fall Maryland countryside showed us the true appeal of an open-air car. Because the car was unusually low, high truck and vans were generally not aware of our presence. Corolla disc and drum brakes (actuated by a Tilton assembly) saved the red and black roadster more than o

[slngsht]

As the project progressed, it became clear that shoehorning the wider Corolla powerplant in the Lutus frame rails would only create an ill-handling, overpowered vehicle. So Chris established parameters to construct an all-new car.

 

 

 

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/blush5.gif Based on that, I'm not sure Chris approves of a 440 hp Rotus http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/rofl.gif

[solder_guy]

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/blush5.gif Based on that, I'm not sure Chris approves of a 440 hp Rotus http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/rofl.gif

 

 

 

Yeah .. You've turned his performance Lotus clone into a monster! http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif

 

 

 

In contrast my little 4 banger engine has only 115 hp .. I hope it's more when I install the EFI!

 

 

 

Rob