PPE Exhaust Header Information

2005-2009 Lotus Elise/Exige

Specially engineered and hand built in the United States for normally aspirated and supercharged Lotus cars equipped with the Toyota 2ZZ-GE drivetrain.

E-mail me (greg @ gtmotorworks.com) or PM me on LotusTalk (Bane) with questions:

Pricing:

Pictures:

I have paired up with PPE Engineering to provide a high-quality, cost-effective aftermarket solution for the restrictive stock exhaust header on Lotus cars equipped with the Toyota drivetrain. PPE Engineering is a small design and manufacturing company located in Tempe, Arizona that specializes in the field of high quality race headers for various vehicles. Shortly after the introduction of the Celica GT-S in the United States, PPE began building street and race headers at the request of several customers. Using advanced simulation and design software along with real-life testing PPE has emerged as the premier header builder for Toyota cars equipped with the 2ZZ-GE engine and it's variants (Celica GT-S, Matrix XR-S, MR2 spyder, Pontiac Vibe, etc.)

Late in 2007 their reputation for being the best at building high-quality headers for 2ZZ-GE caught my attention. Being somewhat local (130 miles away) I decided to bring my 2005 Lotus Elise to their shop to begin the design and fabrication of a new header system. The Lotus proved to be much more challenging then previous cars due to space constraints and the higher demands from Lotus owners. After several months of design and prototyping, the first header was finished. The end result was nothing less than stunning:

Advantages over the competition:

1. 4-into-1 long tubed design engineered specifically to augment the Lotus' powerband
2. Designed and manufacturered inside the United States (supply chain for raw materials is entirely inside the USA).
3. Custom built brace integrated into header design bolts directly up to the Lotus 2ZZ-GE engine

4. "Ball and socket" design allows header to flex with the engine without cracking or damaging fragile bodywork

5. Special consideration taken for owners of the Blackwatch Racing supercharger kit. Runner #1 has been designed to allow ample room around the relocated alternator:

6. Each header is hand-built one at a time. This allows our customers to pick exactly what they need and not just have to deal with an off the shelf part.

Generation two updates - All headers delivered in 2009+ will have these updates:

1. Runner location has been updated to allow for the largest of aftermarket toe-link braces (i.e. Sector 111)

2. Complete packaging redesign has been completed in Solidworks.

3. Straighter, more dimensionally accurate primary runners allow us to go to a BIGGER pipe diameter for those making extreme amounts of supercharged power (customer

Pricing:

*Note(s):
1. Stainless steel construction is available, please e-mail me for pricing (greg @ gtmotorworks.com)
2. Decat pipe and high-flow catalytic converter pipes only work with the PPE long-tubed header and will not bolt up to your stock Lotus.

Timeline:

November 2007 - PPE engaged for building custom Lotus headers

December 1st, 2007 - Burn's Stainless engaged to assist with design work using their X-design software

December 26th, 2007 - First Lotus header completed for 2ZZ-GE normally aspirated engines

January 2008 - Dyno testing commenced (+5% increase at the wheels... +9 RWHP, +5 ft lbs on my normally aspirated Elise. Gains will be greater on a properly tuned supercharged vehicle)

January 15th, 2008 - Low rate initial production (LRIP) started - Lead time was approximately 4-6 weeks per header

February 2008 - Supercharged prototype was completed - Special consideration taken for the Blackwatch Racing Supercharger kit. Runner #1 relocated to allow maximum air space between the exhaust header and the relocated alternator.

March 2008 - Second dyno testing session to compensate for advanced Lotus ECU. 2 additional horsepower and 3 ft lbs of torque were picked up after the Lotus ECU adjusted.

April 2008 - Full-rate production started - Lead time reduced by approximately 2 weeks

December 2008 - Generation two header design started. Design changes made to straighten out the runners, alleviate any potential clearance issues, and to allow larger diameter piping for cars with (or planning for) big power!

January 2009 - First generation two header prototyped and sent off to a customer.

March 2009 - Next three generation two headers shipped off to customers.

Questions? Comments? E-mail me: greg @ gtmotorworks.com <- spaces added for spam protection