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Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Lotus
Everyone has their ultimate vehicle wish list, and ours is littered with a smattering of models both obscure and asinine. One of the more mainstream sweethearts is the original
Lotus Elan. Collin Chapman's wonderchild remains an impressive performer even today, thanks to its feathery curb weight and the impressive performance on hand. As you may recall,
EVO Magazine pitted editorial director Harry Metcalfe's 1972 Elan Sprint against vehicles like the
Toyota MR-2 and
Mazda Miata back in the early 2000s. Metcalfe still has his tiny yellow convertible and was kind enough to bring a camera along for the roadster's first run of the spring season.
Weighing in at around 1,500 pounds and packing a surprising 126 horsepower, Metcalfe says the car is still good for sprints to 60 mph in a tick past six seconds. Unburdened by pesky life-saving hardware like crumple zones, steel reinforcements, airbags or any electronic nannies, the plucky little fiberglass creation is also a pretty smart handler even though the model is now officially 50 years old.
Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.
Continue reading EVO takes a closer look at Harry Metcalfe's 1972 Lotus Elan Sprint
EVO takes a closer look at Harry Metcalfe's 1972 Lotus Elan Sprint originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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April 13th, 2012
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Lotus
Lotus Concept Cars - Click above for high-res image gallery
Despite the barrage of concepts presented at the
Paris Motor Show,
Lotus still has lots of planning ahead as it maps out the future.
Five concept vehicles were revealed in 2010:the Elan, Elise, Elite, Esprit and Eterne. We've got an update on two of them.
Car and Driver says that the
Lotus Esprit should arrive by 2013. The Elan, however, has a murkier future. Forget 2013; it's been speculated that we might not see it until 2016. Blame the Lotus Evora.
Orignally, Lotus planned to shut down the Evora so that it could give way to the Elan. Now, Lotus management has decided that the Evora deserves a traditional model cycle. Should the Evora continue into a second generation, it puts the Elan's existence into question. If a second-generation Evora isn't developed, a next-generation car, then new Elan will arrive and fill in the open lineup spot.
Lotus delays Elan until 2016, Esprit on track for 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 May 2011 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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May 21st, 2011
Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Lotus, Luxury
Lotus concept cars - Click above for high-res image gallery
Lotus set the motoring community abuzz when it showed up at the
Paris Motor Show with a slew of concept cars. These vehicles show the direction Lotus is moving, and each is a polarizing
example of a future filled with
heavier yet more powerful Lotus sports cars.
The automaker recently brought its
Elise,
Esprit,
Elan, and
Elite concept vehicles out to the beach for a day of camera fun. There really isn't much more we can say about these cars that we
haven't already said... that is, until someone gives us a few sets of keys (and a lesson in holding back ear-to-ear grins). So stop reading and click through the gallery below.
[Source: Lotus]
Pics Aplenty: Lotus releases slew of new images originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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December 23rd, 2010
It's a rare occurrence when a 1964 Lotus Elan
shows up on eBay. Rarer still is when it's in Stoughton, Wisconsin. More rare? When the eBay listing's phone number is for the wife of
Road & Track's
Peter Egan.
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October 13th, 2010
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Lotus
2013 Lotus Elan Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
We didn't see this one coming.
Lotus' five-car concept explosion at the
Paris Motor Show is one of the most welcome surprises sprung on us in recent memory... and the biggest surprise of all may be this Elan. Lotus says its new Elan is slated for a debut in 2013, which makes us wonder what the future may have in store for the current
Evora. Pricing for the 2013 Elan is set at $118,500 (
£75,000).
In any case, the Elan is powered by a 450-horsepower supercharged 4.0-liter V6 engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox from
Toyota, which offers enough gumption to scoot to 62 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 193 mph. Lotus also promises that a hybrid will be available using a Kinetic Energy Recovery System similar to those seen in Formula One a season ago.
Take a good look at the awesome cockpit of the 2013 Elan. Plenty of carbon fiber, plenty of high-tech goodies, even including a digital race track readout for track days. And could anything be better than that awesome flat-bottom and flat-top steering wheel? No, we didn't think so.
Weight comes in at 2,849 pounds and there is room for a driver and a passenger, but Lotus will also optionally deliver the Elan with two itty-bitty perches out back. Are we sensing that Lotus has the
Porsche 911 in its sights? You betcha'. Check out the 2013 Lotus Elan in our high-res image gallery below.
UPDATE: Video added after the break and live shots added in second gallery below.
Live photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOLContinue reading Paris 2010: Lotus Elan Concept stuns the crowds [w/video]
Paris 2010: Lotus Elan Concept stuns the crowds [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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September 30th, 2010
This
2014 Lotus Elan won't just have a 450 HP V8, but its design was inspired by Mario Andretti's 1978 Formula One car. We didn't realize F1 used to have roofs, but who cares when there's a lotus this hot.
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September 30th, 2010
