Hello from New York!

Harbir · 23rd November 2007, 20:29

Hello All,

I just discovered this site and thought I would join up. I became aware of the Indian car/bike enthusiasts scene way back in 1986 when I discovered the then great and now defunct Indian Auto Journal. But I mostly spent my days in India in isolation from other enthusiasts, and it wasn't until I had moved to the US and gotten a car a few years later that I was able to reach out to Car clubs, autocrossing groups, Formula SAE teams, etc. Then I discovered this site just yesterday and thought what a great opportunity to connect with Indian enthusiasts.

I work in the financial services sector. I had hoped to work in the automotive industry but it has not happened so far. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, an MS in Industrial Engineering, and an MBA as well.

What I am driving right now: I have a Mazda MX-5 and a Lotus Sport Elise. The Lotus is a special version of Elise, only 50 made, its number 47. Picture below.

Anyway, thats all from me. I hope to have good interactions with the team!

GTO · 24th November 2007, 12:04

Welcome to the team, Harbir. Sweet rides you got there....a handling addict, eh? How is the sport Elise different from the regular?

Quote:

Then I discovered this site just yesterday and thought what a great opportunity to connect with Indian enthusiasts.

Believe you me. When I was away from India for 2 years, I was dying to interact with Indian car enthusiasts (frantic google searches et all). Finally, I did find the autocarindia forum back then.

Torqueguru · 24th November 2007, 14:19

welcome to TBHP, awesome rides!

cheap_deal · 24th November 2007, 14:29

great choice of cars, both got great handling. you dont own a honda or toyota by any chance do you

?

rocksterraghu · 24th November 2007, 14:56

Hi Harbir. Welcome to Team-BHP! Some sweet machines you own, eh?

Have a great time! Cheers!

Jaggu · 24th November 2007, 16:13

welcome nice car you got there

Harbir · 24th November 2007, 19:29

Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone!

Yes, I am a handling addict. Speed in a straight line is always fun, but not if the car and/or driver are incompetent in the turns. As my guru Bob Hall, (the MX-5 was his brainchild) says, "If you can't go fast with 90hp, 900hp won't help you"

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

How is the sport Elise different from the regular?

Its an Elise thats been gotten at by Lotus Sport. Lotus Sport is the motorsports arm of Lotus. So in essence, this is an Elise by Lotus Sport, rather than a Sport Elise by Lotus, if you follow me.

Whats different compared to a regular regular Elise:

Firstly, its based on the 190hp Type R rather than the 134hp Type S. From there it picks up with

Ohlins fully adjustable remote reservoir coilovers (independently adjustable in compression and rebound with nearly 100 settings total, as well as ride height adjustable).
5 position adjustable front anti roll bar
Rear Track Control Arm Brace
Traction Control
Forged lightweight aluminium wheels
Race compound Yokohama Advan 048 tyres (they are so soft, your finger nail can dig into them)
Racing clutch
twin oil coolers
Racing bucket seats with provision for a 4 point harness (you can see them in the picture above)
T45 reinforced steel roll over hoop and harness mounting bar
Steel brake lines
removable bolt on hardtop
Painted on stripes (they are under the clear coat)
Lightened by removing all sound insulation and carpeting. the interior is just a pair of racing seats bolted into a bare aluminium tub.
Stage II exhaust

Some of these features are available on the regular Elise as options.

This car sticks to corners in a way that shames 911 Turbos and 911 GT3s (though it has no ability to match their accelaration.) A friend of mine has an M3. A curve near my house, I can do it at about 75km/h in a C230 Sport, about 90km/h in my MX-5, and about 120km/h in the Lotus.

But the car is not capable of anything except going fast around corners. It is quite useless and annoying and incompetent otherwise. After I drive it, my Mazda feels like a rolls royce, the Lotus is that extreme. Compared to it, even a Maruti Zen is a full blown luxury car.

Harbir · 24th November 2007, 19:32

Also, I won't post them here, but if you want to see more pictures of the lotus, including one of me and my wife picking her up at the dealer, you can go here:

Index of /LSE

its just a collection of files, not a webpage or anything. The files are 140k to 385k which is why i am not adding them to this thread.

heelntoe · 24th November 2007, 19:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheap_deal

great choice of cars, both got great handling. you dont own a honda or toyota by any chance do you

?

he has a toyota engine in the elise, if that helps.

welcome abord, harbir, hope you enjoy your stay here.

P.S. are you on elisetalk?

Harbir · 24th November 2007, 20:23

Thank you

Yes I am on Elise Talk. and yes I also had a Toyota, a 2007 Camry that I sold after 11 months to buy the Elise.

By the way, I know your signature, from the cover of a 1989 issue of Car and Driver, featuring a black Taurus SHO! My first car was a 1989 SHO. It was an awesome car!

heelntoe · 25th November 2007, 11:03

haha, awesome. those yamaha engines were awesome to look at, eh?

see you around the forums, then.

Harbir · 25th November 2007, 11:28

The look was the least of it. A brilliant, charismatic, richly flavored engine, probably my favorite of all those I have owned and driven, and that includes BMW's brilliant straight six engines. The engine in my Lotus is also Yamaha designed off a Toyota base...

Rehaan · 28th November 2007, 03:28

Welcome aboard Harbir,

I see you have hit the ground running as i have already seen several of your posts all over the forums!

The first shot of the elise looks great.

cya around,
R

Harbir · 28th November 2007, 11:10

Thanks, Rehaan!

I signed up to talk to people, so why keep quiet!

23rd November 2007, 20:29	#1
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	Hello from New York! Hello All, I just discovered this site and thought I would join up. I became aware of the Indian car/bike enthusiasts scene way back in 1986 when I discovered the then great and now defunct Indian Auto Journal. But I mostly spent my days in India in isolation from other enthusiasts, and it wasn't until I had moved to the US and gotten a car a few years later that I was able to reach out to Car clubs, autocrossing groups, Formula SAE teams, etc. Then I discovered this site just yesterday and thought what a great opportunity to connect with Indian enthusiasts. I work in the financial services sector. I had hoped to work in the automotive industry but it has not happened so far. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, an MS in Industrial Engineering, and an MBA as well. What I am driving right now: I have a Mazda MX-5 and a Lotus Sport Elise. The Lotus is a special version of Elise, only 50 made, its number 47. Picture below. Anyway, thats all from me. I hope to have good interactions with the team!
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 14:19	#3
Torqueguru BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Seattle Posts: 277 Thanked: 165 Times View My Garage	welcome to TBHP, awesome rides!
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 14:29	#4
cheap_deal BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: unknown Posts: 465 Thanked: 8 Times	great choice of cars, both got great handling. you dont own a honda or toyota by any chance do you ?
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 14:56	#5
rocksterraghu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,240 Thanked: 236 Times View My Garage	Hi Harbir. Welcome to Team-BHP! Some sweet machines you own, eh? Have a great time! Cheers! Last edited by rocksterraghu : 24th November 2007 at 14:58.
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 16:13	#6
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,907 Times	welcome nice car you got there
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 19:32	#8
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	Also, I won't post them here, but if you want to see more pictures of the lotus, including one of me and my wife picking her up at the dealer, you can go here: Index of /LSE its just a collection of files, not a webpage or anything. The files are 140k to 385k which is why i am not adding them to this thread.
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 20:23	#10
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	Thank you Yes I am on Elise Talk. and yes I also had a Toyota, a 2007 Camry that I sold after 11 months to buy the Elise. By the way, I know your signature, from the cover of a 1989 issue of Car and Driver, featuring a black Taurus SHO! My first car was a 1989 SHO. It was an awesome car!
	() Thanks

25th November 2007, 11:03	#11
heelntoe BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: navi mumbai Posts: 240 Thanked: Once	haha, awesome. those yamaha engines were awesome to look at, eh? see you around the forums, then.
	() Thanks

25th November 2007, 11:28	#12
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	The look was the least of it. A brilliant, charismatic, richly flavored engine, probably my favorite of all those I have owned and driven, and that includes BMW's brilliant straight six engines. The engine in my Lotus is also Yamaha designed off a Toyota base...
	() Thanks

28th November 2007, 03:28	#13
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,046 Thanked: 34,078 Times	Welcome aboard Harbir, I see you have hit the ground running as i have already seen several of your posts all over the forums! The first shot of the elise looks great. cya around, R
	() Thanks

28th November 2007, 11:10	#14
Harbir BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 920 Thanked: 1,025 Times View My Garage	Thanks, Rehaan! I signed up to talk to people, so why keep quiet!
	() Thanks