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

img_1064 10.John-B 6.Mike-Michelle-Leigh P1020849 Entering_Yackandandah Cameron_s_Elise IMG_0053 IMG_0040 IMG_6247 IMG_6238 117_1794_IMG 13-Lunch-at-Sirocco-2 IMG_4848 IMG_4412 IMG_7064 IMG_7056 IMG_6797 IMG_6550 image_240 Europa_Lindsay IMG_5323 The three drips 20220220_093812 Oops Kris McKerron 2004 Lotus Elise 111R - 1 gw_Mitch Andrew-Martin elans-2 20170226_071358 20161106_144520 20161105_091901 IMG_8779 Plenty of Advice _MG_4646 as Smart Object-1 Bleeding-brakes pit-lane Steve-Clive-and-Vyvyan Peter-and-Elise Chris MG_5971 04 IMG_5312 image_143 img_1108 P1060077 Carolyn,Jenny-and-Chris Cabarita-Beach Inside-the-Outpost-Cafe Giles-laying-down-the-rules A-couple-of-happy-chappies Lotus-Evora IMG_5308 Greg-following-John main-11a P1010429 lec_0174 Jeremy_and_James_in_BDR_7 P1060098 Ploughman's Lunch IMG_0308 IMG_7374 IMG_5041 IMG_5028 IMG_7614 IMG_0940 IMG_3660 03a 4_Joe_on_the_grid DSC_1534 IMG_7795 IMG_5653 IMG_3313 IMG_3094 P6220130 IMG_8010 IMG_5075 IMG_7353 Melted-turbo IMG_8194 Tim & Derek_gw Artists-impression-by-Dick-Reynolds The Quinn Machine Pat-Richards-trying-to-work-out-why-Geoff-is-so-fast-by-Bridie-Moran joe's-morgan-photo-by-alex Martin-hiding-in-the-shade The-Elan-Lineup main-12 image3 20140304_192936 _MG_9737 as Smart Object-1 Organisers-Margi-Ken_GW IMGP8379 main-29 Photo Maestro main-42 IMGP8492 Jason braving It BEST EDITED GROUP SHOT Paul on the Grid bsa-1

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