Carbon fiber is commonly used for automotive related parts/products, even though we don’t cover a lot of it. When the truly extraordinary comes by our desk, we have no choice but to share with all of you CF enthusiasts. This time around, we’ve got a 2002 Lotus Elise straight from Hong Kong.
Jimmy Wong’s 02 Type 72 JPS special features a fully custom carbon fiber body, both on the inside and out. Not only is the outside carbon fiber, but the inside features regular carbon fiber in black and silver.
The car was custom made by TW Auto Limited, a Lotus special in Hong Kong. The complete build took about six months to finish.
The Lotus Elise is already an extremely lightweight car, so how did all this carbon affect it? Jimmy tells us that it now weighs about 30-40 kg (66-88 lbs) less than the OEM weight. Among all the carbon fiber work, there were some additional aftermarket parts added:
- KW Suspension
- JP Racing Wheels
- Lotus Racing Exhaust
- Air filter/larger intake
The amount of horsepower added to the car was not much to the stock 135, but the Elise is normally rated in weight differential, not hp. For example, the stage 2 exhaust from Lotus is spec’d for how many lbs less it weighs versus how much horsepower is gained.
For more pictures, check out the Flickr set for the car.