When Lotus first developed the Elise, they used an 8-tooth steering rack pinion, which reportedly was preferred by the more enthusiastic drivers on the design and development team. However, there was always some debate as to whether the steering was too quick for the average Elise driver, and under pressure from senior management, the pinion was changed for a 7-tooth just prior to the car's introduction. Here at Raceline, we prefer the faster feel of the 8-tooth pinion and we think you might too. At just 2.45 turns lock-to-lock, among other benefits this upgrade meets Raceline technical director Peter McEwen's criterion for 'sporty' steering: that you can emerge from a 90° junction without 'shuffling' the wheel through your hands. Yet there is no discernible down side in the form of straight-line instability or other unwanted effects. Indeed some customers who have tried our demonstrator have reported that they can discern little difference. Far from being affronted, we have taken this as an endorsement of the quicker pinion! We have sourced a supply of these 8 tooth pinions and are pleased to be able to offer the quicker option as another Raceline Performance Engineered Elise upgrade.