Sports cars have been growing from a steady diet of deep-fried creature comforts, sickly sweet bling and superfluous electronic do-dads. Fortunately, manufacturers have also been spicing their chunky bodies with plenty of extra zip to keep us happy. When the Lotus Elise arrived in North America in 2004, it was truly an automotive anomaly. Weighing a shade under 2,000 pounds and running the Toyota Celica GTS 1.8-liter four-banger with a six-speed transmission, this tiny English immigrant became an instant hit with enthusiasts and track junkies everywhere. Especially when it came with the factory Sport Package that included re-tuned springs and shocks, plus lightweight forged wheels with R-compound Yokohama rubber. The Elise reminded us that, even with a modest drivetrain, a lightweight, nimble chassis can be serious fun. This was what put Lotus on the map years ago with the Seven and the Elan.
Since 2004, sports cars are still getting extra power, but they've also begun shedding pounds. New cars are even faster, making the now not-so-new Elise seem weak by comparison. This can all be changed, though, with an aftermarket supercharger system from RCTS Canada.
RCTS is a long-time fully authorized HKS Pro dealer, Dinan BMW dealer and a contractor to Toyota Team Europe (TTE) in Cologne, Germany. Over the past 12 years, the company has been tuning and racing Toyotas and BMWs with many credits (five top-10 finishes at One Lap of America and Class 8 Modified wins at Targa rallies in Australia and Newfoundland in 2004, '05 and '07).
This newly developed forced induction system is based on the Toyota Team Europe (TTE) Roots-type supercharger developed for the Euro-spec Corolla TS 1.8 2ZZ-GE (the same engine as in the Celica GTS and the Elise). The intake manifold, additional brackets and boost pipes were cast in cooperation with TTE in Germany. No intercooler is required for this simple but potent application.
The key to any well-engineered aftermarket forced induction system is the integration of the existing engine electronics with the new system's hardware and software. The RCTS system utilizes an additional standalone ECU to accomplish this task. This application works downstream of the OEM unit (from EFI Technology, tuned by Lotus). It's not a piggyback set-up placed upstream to the factory ECU that tricks it by sending false messages. RCTS utilizes the HKS Fcon V-Pro standalone ECU to run ignition and fuel functions, and is capable of learning through feedback. This configuration uses all Toyota sensors through the OEM ECU (controlling intelligent variable valve timing, throttle, instrumentation and OBD functions) as well as two additional sensors (intake manifold temperature and pressure) connected directly to the standalone. Only higher-flow fuel injectors are necessary to match the system's increased volumetric efficiency.