Lotus Elan Reviews, Specs, Prices, Photos And Videos

1962 - 1995 Lotus Elan

Lotus Elan
Year:

1962- 1995
Make:

Lotus
Model:

Elan
Engine:

inline-4
Transmission:

5-speed transmission
Horsepower @ RPM:

162
Displacement:

1588 cc
0-60 time:

6.5 sec.
car segment:

sports cars
body style:

convertible

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.

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Read the full 1962 - 1995 Lotus Elan review

Latest Lotus Elan news and reviews:

Video: Jay Leno Reviews A 1966 Lotus Elan 26R

March 31, 2014 13:00 by Ciprian Florea

Having taken delivery of his brand new McLaren P1 supercar — the first US-spec version to cross the Pond — Jay Leno is probably busy driving Britain’s most anticipated vehicle for the 2014 model year as we speak. And we bet he’s grinning from ear to ear while with all 903 horsepower at his disposal.

Coincidentally, the most recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage also focuses on a British car. One that comes from a different era and in a package that’s more about lightness and precision handling than extreme horsepower. We’re talking about the Lotus Elan 26R.

Launched in 1963, the Elan was a small sports car that measured only 145 inches in length and tipped the scales at just 1,516 pounds. To draw a better picture of what the Elan was about, the third-gen Mazda MX-5 is about 158 inches long and weighs around 2,500 pounds.

Developed using Colin Chapman’s "simplify, then add lightness" design, the featherweight Elan didn’t need more than a 1.6-liter, inline-four engine and 105 horsepower to take on public roads or race tracks at high speeds. Of course, the tiny vehicle quickly became a popular race car.

Getting back to Jay Leno, he already owned a 1969 Lotus Elan, but his garage lacked a track-prepped 26R. That hole was obviously filled recently, when Jim Hall completed the roadster you’re about to see in the video above. The project started from a regular 1966 Elan, which means we’re not dealing with an authentic 26R, but judging by the amount of work it was put into the roadster, it’s safe to assume that Leno’s right by saying this is "the ultimate Elan".

Overview

1962 - 1995 Lotus Elan

June 28, 2012 16:00 by Justin Cupler

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.

view all

Lotus drops plans for Elan; Moves forward with other models

May 18, 2011 19:00 by Simona

At the 2010 Paris Auto Show, Lotus unveiled the impressive Elan concept with the full intention of bringing it back in production form by 2013. Be it blind passion or just a mere oversight, Lotus failed to notice that their new concept bared a strong resemblance to their Evora model, so the company is putting the concept on hold indefinitely.

This may sound a little familiar considering we had already heard that the Elan was headed back to the drawing board for looking too much like the Esprit Concept revealed at the same auto show. This begs the question as to whether or not the Esprit will also be delayed because of the same issue, but apparently that is not the case. The Esprit and the Elite will share many of the same components, including a V8 engine that is rumored to deliver around 550 horsepower. This engine will be mated to either a standard dual-clutch transmission or an optional manual.

However, before those puppies are born, Lotus will be working on updating the apparently inspiring Evora with some aesthetic changes and new trim levels to align it with the rest of the "Lotus New Era" range. The Elise and Exige will also be seeing the light of day, but will do so with newer versions "more usable for every day". The production Exige will finally be revealed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

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Lotus goes back to the drawing board with the Elan and Esprit

March 15, 2011 15:00 by Simona

What’s with automakers bringing out two concepts of the same car all of a sudden? First with the FT-86 and the FT-86 II and now Lotus with its Elan and the Esprit concepts. Both concept vehicles were presented at last year’s Paris Auto Show, so one would think that the next logical step would be production models for those vehicles. Not so.

It seems that Lotus is tossing the two models back and starting fresh from the drawing board because the two concepts just looked too similar. Now, it’s up to Head Designer, Donato Coco, to work on a more optical differentiation between the two sports cars, which makes darn good sense considering the Esprit supercar is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine and the Elan sports car only gets a 4.0L V6 engine.

The next generation Lotus Elise is also getting bad feedback due to its enormous weight gain. The current generation weighs only 876 kilos (1931 lbs), but the next generation model will weigh up to 1,100 kilos (2425 lbs). Lotus has yet to decide the fate of the Elise, but the Elan and Esprit will have to undergo some massive changes before getting launched onto the market in 2013.

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Featured

2013 Lotus Elan

September 30, 2010 12:13 by Simona

The last model in Lotus’ display at the Paris Auto Show is the Elan, a 2+2 sports car that will go on sale in the autumn of 2013 at a price of £75,000 ($118,000 at the current rates).

The 2013 Elan is powered by a 4.0 liter V6 engine that delivers 450 HP and 465 Nm of torque. The engine will be combined with the new KERS system and will sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in 3,5 seconds, while top speed will be 192 mph.

"If there was ever a car to make you drive the long way home, it’s the Elan. Perfect for both road and track, the Elan not only ticks all the boxes, it creates new ones too. The Elan will convert people to Lotus, I would challenge people not to become addicted to driving it. It will also go a long way towards dispelling the old misconceptions about this class, that in order to have high performance you must sacrifice usability – those days are gone."

Updated 10/13/2010: Lotus has unveiled today new images of the new Elan concept car. Check them out!

Updated 12/22/2010: Lotus has revealed today new studio photos of the Elan. Check the picture gallery!

UPDATE 01/25/11: If there ever was any doubt about Lotus’ intention to become more upscale to compete with the big boys of the auto industry, this spy video - courtesy of PaulTan and the boys - of the Elan Concept’s instrument panel should hush all those skeptics. Even if its not a full-blown production ready vehicle yet, the Elan’s instrument panel features a large LCD screen flanked on both sides by two smaller components. It’s pretty nifty, if you ask us, one that paints a pretty clear picture as to where Lotus’ heads are at these days. No more small sports cars, people. Lotus is playing with the big boys now. Video after the jump.

Press release after the jump.