Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives
2014-lotus-elan-1

2014 Lotus Elan

Lotus revives one of its most hallowed badges, adding a few pounds in the process

Avert your eyes, stringback-gloved purists: A new Lotus Elan is set to debut at the Paris auto show, and, for the first time, the model will not be available with an open top.

First, a bit of history: The Elan badge dates back to 1962, when Lotus was a fledgling concern known largely for its motorsport success and an impractical sports car called the Mark VII, or 7. That year, it launched a gossamer wisp of a rear-drive roadster, one that weighed just over 1700 pounds and sprinted to 60mph in 7.1 seconds. It would prove to be one of the defining moments in sports-car history.

The Elan was a massive success, injecting much-needed cash into Lotus’s coffers and serving as the benchmark for the modern sports car. A host of derivatives followed, both in-house and out (the first-generation Mazda MX5 was an unabashed Elan tribute), and although Lotus revived the name in the late 1980s for a front-wheel-drive convertible with an Isuzu-sourced powertrain, the first-generation Elan is widely hailed as Lotus’s masterstroke, and one of the greatest cars ever built.

In short, the Elan is Lotus, and Lotus the Elan, and we can therefore assume that the resurrection of the name was not taken lightly. The ingredients for success—if not an accurate recreation—are present: The car that will be shown in the Paris 2014 show is a 2900-pound, rear-wheel-drive coupe due for production this year. Power comes from a mid-mounted, 4.0-litre Toyota-sourced V6 that spins to 7800 rpm and uses forced induction—no word on what type—to produce 444hp and 343lb-ft of torque.

Top speed is claimed to be 193 mph, and Lotus says that 60mph comes up in 3.5 seconds. Two seats are standard, but as with the first Elan, a 2+2 configuration also will be offered. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is the only available gearbox, and a “push to pass” F1-inspired hybrid system will be optional. Price is said to be around £75,000, which we hear will also be the approximate price in $US.

Like the original, the ’14 Elan will sit in the bottom half of Lotus’s product range, perched above a lighter, cheaper, and more focused model (the all-new ’14 Elise, which fills the slot once occupied by the 7) but below heavier, faster, and more expensive cars (the Paris-announced Elite, Esprit, and Eterne, which recall early high-dollar Lotuses like the 1970s Elite and original Esprit).

If nothing else, the parallel is interesting—Lotus founder Colin Chapman used the first Elan’s success and volume to fund the company’s growth, moving upscale and chasing profits through costly, low-volume offerings. More Lotuses are always a good thing; here’s hoping this one lives up to its name.

Lotus Cortina Mk1: A history Part 1 Lakeside July 2013

Related Posts

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

marburg-banner

EMRs, Gallery 2022, Homepage, News

Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022

plus2-banner

Articles, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Technical

Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane

Random images

btiu-07 IMG-1001 Steve, an early arrival Crossing the finish line Our-Marquee James 5-Arrival-at-the-Mt-Glorious-Cafe 19-Barrams-in-blue.jpg IMGP3622 - Copy 5-LCQ-members-photo-distribution jensen Patrick IMG_5299 118_1805_STA img_1092 IMG_6506 McL_20 IMG_8412 image_134 image_067 image_029 IMG_3277 Greg McHugh 2017 Ford Focus RS - 1 Damions-Seven DSC_0260 IMG_0066 aa Pat-Richards Barry-chasing-Mitch As-bought-1970 Joe-Helen IMG_2464 Peter Cox 1990 Mazda MX5 - 2 IMG_8746 gw_Garages of other competitors gw_Elise & Exige production line up the-lads The-Three-Amigos IMG_0101 Noble design & constructed Trailer tony-galletly-with-car efi Daryl Sep_MS02_9 IMG_5099 IMG_8510 Mar-main-73 Through-beautiful-undulating-countryside main-3 Lotus-Evora Matt-coming-in-behind-Darryl John-in-his-Cheetah-and-on-track main-31a IMG_4840 119_1972_IMG P1060113 Ploughman's Lunch Ploughman's Lunch Ploughman's Lunch 1425983899_9ef272b9d3_m_1 Bambino on steroids IMG_9101 IMG_0347 img_1112 2009_Maccleans_Bridge_008 Excel_Henry_1 119_1951_IMG 119_1949_IMG 02c 19_IMG_9595 IMG_2608 Doing_the_warm_up_lap 018_18 John_Barram_main_straight IMG_5102 P1020779 IMG_6310 IMG_8018 IMG_0523 IMG_5147 P9190091c1 P9190105c1 DSC03835 IMG_7961 Lotus-Row Catch_up_Stop 20181111_144629 Lotus display_gw plus2-and-elan Porsche-911 IMG_6155 Heading-for-Mt-Mee-gw Jones-Winery-1 IMG_1426 _MG_9666 as Smart Object-1 vyv-photo-10 Rob's-Elise-2 _MG_9737 as Smart Object-1 main-32 Transport-Museum-Hillman-Minx-1960-2

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios