New Lotus Exige S not for sale in USA

I was looking at a new Lotus Exige S recently and found that all Lotus models are being denied registration as road going fare in the USA. I was told that Lotus had an airbag exemption that somehow expired this past spring. All Lotus cars coming into the USA can only be used on a track...for the near future...including the Avora.

If this is so, from a business proposition, I think Lotus might have hurt an already weak status...? did Lotus begin to move into a more 2+2 market and attract the attention of regulators kind to their previous aspirations?

The airbag exemption is not blanket nor perpetual. You have to act like you are pretending to make progress toward attaining the standard or an exemption might not be granted.

Airbags are overrated. a mandatory option should have been fourpoint belts and proper seats.

Airbags are overrated. a mandatory option should have been fourpoint belts and proper seats.

Airbags came to exist because people will not wear a properly adjusted four-point harness. They want to be able to reach the radio knobs, take a cup of coffee through the window, beat their children, etc.

Airbags came to exist because people will not wear a properly adjusted four-point harness. They want to be able to reach the radio knobs, take a cup of coffee through the window, beat their children, etc.

...and eat triple heart attack burgers, read the paper...a text book. Surely someone at Lotus saw this coming?

Airbags came to exist because people will not wear a properly adjusted four-point harness. They want to be able to reach the radio knobs, take a cup of coffee through the window, beat their children, etc.

In a Lotus?

On a more serious note. Does the rules even allow for any choices such as the mentioned example with four-point harness or airbag.

I mean.. Is your car is allowed on the road with total fail in the crash tests as long as it has a silly airbag mounted somewhere?

Airbags are overrated. a mandatory option should have been fourpoint belts and proper seats.

Wearing harnesses without additional roll protection (at minimum a rollbar, if not a cage) means that your spine becomes a structural member of the vehicle while the car is upside down. Normal seat-belts and airbags do not constrain the body as much.

In a Lotus?

On a more serious note. Does the rules even allow for any choices such as the mentioned example with four-point harness or airbag.

I mean.. Is your car is allowed on the road with total fail in the crash tests as long as it has a silly airbag mounted somewhere?

I never noticed that Lotus owners were markedly less stupid than anybody else. Or maybe i've just been unlucky.

No, the rules in the USA are explicit, thou shalt have an airbag unless an exemption has been granted which is not likely if you are selling significant volumes. You have to pass federal crash regs even if the car is fitted with airbags, although again there may be temporary exemptions. I found the USA federal crash standards people to be a lot more sensible (ie amenable to logic) than their equivalents in Australia or Europe.

It's too bad. Although there are other cars, M3 for example, there is a purity about the Lotus that I find refreshing.

Regarding airbags...how many are really required by law? In addition, among this varied group, are airbags a viable safety consideration in race cars? - in spite of weight? I think of the recent LeMans race...and I've no idea about the nature of the crash that killed Allan Simonson...I missed it.

Regarding airbags...how many are really required by law? In addition, among this varied group, are airbags a viable safety consideration in race cars? - in spite of weight? I think of the recent LeMans race...and I've no idea about the nature of the crash that killed Allan Simonson...I missed it.

By law I think most jurisdictions say 2 airbags. If you are wearing a proper harness and a crash helmet then no, I don't think an airbag is all that necessary in a race car. In fact, I don't see that it is practical given the current level of technology, as they are calibrated for every installation, and I suspect you'd cause almost as many problems by fitting them as by leaving them out.

...I guess I can see a racing condition where two cars make contact...enough so that they can still race but enough perhaps to employ an air bag...thereby causing an accident.

Edited by meb58, 27 June 2013 - 12:50.

I think Mercedes did a lot of airbag research fro race cars. For DTM I think which may now have airbags.

Two racecar probelms I can think of

I was looking at a new Lotus Exige S recently and found that all Lotus models are being denied registration as road going fare in the USA. I was told that Lotus had an airbag exemption that somehow expired this past spring. All Lotus cars coming into the USA can only be used on a track...for the near future...including the Avora.

If this is so, from a business proposition, I think Lotus might have hurt an already weak status...? did Lotus begin to move into a more 2+2 market and attract the attention of regulators kind to their previous aspirations?

I found a site which said that the Evora had been given a years extension on the requirement to have second generation airbags. Lotus have given up on exporting the Elise and Exige to the USA because they need to change the front end to suit crash requirements and the headlights also need changing.

"What? does it get heavier? nononono drop the US marked"

I think that I can assume that a company like Ferrari have more resources than Lotus, but one would think that even the fading US market is important to Lotus? ...or that they sell enough elsewhere to meet there business goal...

I found a site which said that the Evora had been given a years extension on the requirement to have second generation airbags. Lotus have given up on exporting the Elise and Exige to the USA because they need to change the front end to suit crash requirements and the headlights also need changing.

With respect to airbags in racing cars I think Mercedes did lots of work on the subject. IIRC the DTM saloon racers may have airbags.

Two possible problems with airbags in racing are the higher probablity of a secondary collision with guardrails etc.( due to the higher speeds) , where airbags dont help, and the fact that most airbag installations rely on using the windscreen/shield as a reaction plate for the airbag to deploy correclty

I think that I can assume that a company like Ferrari have more resources than Lotus, but one would think that even the fading US market is important to Lotus? ...or that they sell enough elsewhere to meet there business goal...

Ferrari recently stated that their business goal is to sell less cars. To stay exclusive. As long as Lotus makes good money pr car and have the quality in check there is no reason to grow huge.

Morgan is still around.. Not Rover, MG, Triumph, Reliants and whatever else they made in the rain.

Edited by MatsNorway, 28 June 2013 - 16:42.

Mariner

You wrote two posts back "Two possible problems with airbags in racing are the higher probablity of a secondary collision with guardrails etc.( due to the higher speeds) , where airbags dont help, and the fact that most airbag installations rely on using the windscreen/shield as a reaction plate for the airbag to deploy correclty".

Don't you think that you could place an airbag disable switch during the preparation phase? It might take 15 minutes and would probably result in a safer race car on the track.

Regards