1962 - 1995 Lotus Elan
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Lotus Elan
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Year:1962- 1995
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Make:
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Model:
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Engine:inline-4
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Transmission:5-speed transmission
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Horsepower @ RPM:162
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Displacement:1588 cc
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0-60 time:6.5 sec.
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car segment:
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body style:
The Lotus Elan was the true mother of all sports cars. You see, a true sports car does not require extreme power or a big engine with tons of cylinders pounding away – it doesn’t hurt though. A true sports car is about precision handling, peppy acceleration, and the ability for the driver to feel like he is in control of what’s going on.
The Elan is all of that wrapped up in a sexy looking, 2-seat roadster package. Well, this old girl recently had her 50th birthday and she is looking just as stunning as she did the day she rolled off of the production line back in 1962.
The Elan was a driver’s car and spawned many other spin-offs and reproductions, like the Alfa Romeo 124 Spider, BMW Z3/4, and most notably, the Mazda MX-5 Miata. The original Elan had a fairly successful run, lasting 13 years before getting the axe. In 1989, Lotus chose to resurrect the Elan, with the Elan M100. While the M100 was a mechanical success, it was not nearly as popular as the original rendition and it lasted just seven years.
In 2010, Lotus introduced us to a new version of the Elan that it anticipated seeing showrooms in 2013, but that release date was later adjusted to 2017. With the recent restructuring going on at Lotus, we anticipate seeing this date getting adjusted once again.
So, how can we give the Elan a special birthday this year? Well, by giving her a full historic review, of course.
Click past the jump to read our complete historical review on the 50-year-young Lotus Elan.