Crazy Question, can I modify the Emira have a removable roof?

[zzthechampion]

I know the Exige and Elise had this function where you could remove the roof. It would be awesome to have something like the Corvette where the roof is easily removed. I know it sounds crazy but that is the one thing I wish the Emira had that it doesnt- otherwise its the perfect car for me. Would it be possible with how the car is designed or would that be a huge pain? I especially don’t want to damage any electronics.

 

[Tomwa]

I brought this car back from the dead.

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Combined with your rear louvered glass... I feel like you should have just bought a T-topped Z car.
But good on you for getting something out of a shed, well painted and back on the road.

 

[Tomwa]

I guess you don’t care if your non-DD has doors that can open and close, inconsistent panel gaps, and uneven tire wear, just to name a few problems you will run into.

I used to work at a place that did targa and convertible conversions. You really need someone to engineer and implement proper frame reinforcing before you start cutting roofs off cars. It can be done, but it will cost a lot more than 10k to do it right.

Yeah I was going to say. Earlier estimates of 10k seems very low.

You'd have an easier time doing something more like a Nissan figaro.

It has a cloth drop-top but the frame of the car remains in place. For the emira it would be smaller, and likely fully removed instead, but this idea.

The Emira has frameless doors, so without the roof section the windows will lose vital parts they need to seal against, not to mention the rear 3/4 glass would have to go somewhere if you pick the roof off.

Overall, there are a lot of cars offered in a sports trim that have factory convertibles. While a number of Lotus vehicles have come convertible, I feel like they always design the car ground-up for that purpose. For the same money why not find a slightly older Aston? A DB9 Volante would cost 1/2 what the Emira does.

Otherwise if you are after the handling and so forth, you could look at Boxster GTS or Boxster Speedster

 

[RyanGphoto]

Yeah I was going to say. Earlier estimates of 10k seems very low.

You'd have an easier time doing something more like a Nissan figaro.

It has a cloth drop-top but the frame of the car remains in place. For the emira it would be smaller, and likely fully removed instead, but this idea.

The Emira has frameless doors, so without the roof section the windows will lose vital parts they need to seal against, not to mention the rear 3/4 glass would have to go somewhere if you pick the roof off.

Overall, there are a lot of cars offered in a sports trim that have factory convertibles. While a number of Lotus vehicles have come convertible, I feel like they always design the car ground-up for that purpose. For the same money why not find a slightly older Aston? A DB9 Volante would cost 1/2 what the Emira does.

Otherwise if you are after the handling and so forth, you could look at Boxster GTS or Boxster Speedster

It's not that I need a convertible.. I have an Audi S5 cab right now. I have wanted a Lotus since I am 6 years old.. I had a down payment on an Elise in 2005 then the world imploded and I lost nearly everything and couldn't justify buying a $60,000 car with no job.

Fast forward and I had the cash to buy THIS Lotus, and I am still grinning ear to ear. It's not that they don't make amazing convertibles, I really LOVE my S5 as well, but the LOTUS is car I want and will keep for a long time. I just wish it was Targa or Cab.

Ryan G

 

[MickOpalak]

the roof is a structural component of the chassis.

False. The roof is simply a layer of GRP (fiberglass) that goes over the roll bar and connects to the windshield header. You can remove the front and rear clams, the doors, and the rest of the body and the chassis will be as stiff as with the body. I attached a couple of photos to illustrate.

 

[MickOpalak]

And to further illustrate this, here's a picture of an Elise (same chassis technology) with it's body removed. Also just as stiff as with its body panels and clams.

 

[ADC]

And to further illustrate this, here's a picture of an Elise (same chassis technology) with it's body removed. Also just as stiff as with its body panels and clams.

If my panels blister up outside the warranty period, I reckon this is the way to go...

 

[Tomwa]

And to further illustrate this, here's a picture of an Elise (same chassis technology) with it's body removed. Also just as stiff as with its body panels and clams.

I don't think you can say that the Emira uses the same chassis design as the Elise.

First, the Elise was released before they did an Exige, they weren't a simultaneous release. Meaning the Elise was always designed as a soft top car.

Second. This is the most stripped down essence of the Emira.

Everything else attaches off of this. There are obviously aluminum frame rails on the bottom, but it looks to me like there is no feasible way to cut the door frame without significantly weakening the whole structure and in particular, compromise the front windshield and any rollover strength.

 

[MickOpalak]

I don't think you can say that the Emira uses the same chassis design as the Elise.

First, the Elise was released before they did an Exige, they weren't a simultaneous release. Meaning the Elise was always designed as a soft top car.

Second. This is the most stripped down essence of the Emira.

Everything else attaches off of this. There are obviously aluminum frame rails on the bottom, but it looks to me like there is no feasible way to cut the door frame without significantly weakening the whole structure and in particular, compromise the front windshield and any rollover strength.

First, the order of release doesn't matter. The Elise/Exige/Evora/Emira all use a bonded, extruded aluminum tub-style chassis. The 111 chassis (Elise/Exige) is obviously smaller than the 131 chassis (Evora) but very similiar nonetheless. The Evora chassis is almost identical to the Emira chassis.

Second, the red portion you see in this photo is part of the fiberglass body being bonded to the chassis, not part of the chassis itself. The bare chassis does not have a roof (see the Evora chassis example).

 

[Tomwa]

First, the order of release doesn't matter. The Elise/Exige/Evora/Emira all use a bonded, extruded aluminum tub-style chassis. The 111 chassis (Elise/Exige) is obviously smaller than the 131 chassis (Evora) but very similiar nonetheless. The Evora chassis is almost identical to the Emira chassis.

Second, the red portion you see in this photo is part of the fiberglass body being bonded to the chassis, not part of the chassis itself. The bare chassis does not have a roof (see the Evora chassis example).

I think that just further reinforces, if there is no metal in the windshield frame, and the door frame as you claim. There's no way chopping it can not lead to failures in the windshield.

I personally find that very hard to believe. Lotus may be low volume, but it's not low enough volume that they don't have to do crash safety testing, and that includes rollover. Which at least in the US means the car has to be able to support it's weight on the roof without collapsing.

If the load of the car is not carried through the roof in any meaningful way, why do these beams exist? (in black)

 

[MickOpalak]

I think that just further reinforces, if there is no metal in the windshield frame, and the door frame as you claim. There's no way chopping it can not lead to failures in the windshield.

I personally find that very hard to believe. Lotus may be low volume, but it's not low enough volume that they don't have to do crash safety testing, and that includes rollover. Which at least in the US means the car has to be able to support it's weight on the roof without collapsing.

If the load of the car is not carried through the roof in any meaningful way, why do these beams exist? (in black)

Again, please reference the Evora chassis picture I posted above, the picture with the orange body next to the bare chassis. There on the left is the bare chassis with the windshield header and roll bar attached. The Elise/Exige/Evora/Emira all have a multi-point roll bar attached to the chassis, below the fiberglass body. Those black beams you see are the rearward roll bar supports.

 

[Tomwa]

Fair enough.

I think. Generously. Especially considering how much higher up the glass starts in the Emira, without completely redesigning the rear hatch and trunk lid. This is what you (in theory) could get away with. Seems incredibly far from worth it, and I would never imply to anyone that it's something 'totally reasonable' But, hey, if you want to encourage other people go for it.

 

[DerTheDer]

The wildshied mounts on the Elise will break if you apply to much pressure on them.