Handling superb if in good order. Try a few for datum

SE is the car to have as lack of turbo ruins character

Cockpit is good although can leak. Most controls are Vauxhall-derived, so cheap

Isuzu engine is a goer and dead reliable. Camshaft and cooling only watch-points

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What is a (M100) Lotus Elan?

It was the all- new Elan for the 1990s which only had two things in common with the original; the name and those pop-up headlamps. Colin Chapman would have approved however because the M100 embraced all that was so right about the original, but made it thoroughly modern at the same time. The result was a fine car although one which failed to woo Lotus lovers, meaning that it’s one of the most underrated sports classics on the market as well as being one of the best value Lotus rag tops ever.

History

The M100 was launched in 1989, 15 years after the original was killed off - although the Norfolkbased specialist had been tempting and teasing Lotus fans for the best part of the 1980s over a suitable replacement. As you’d expect from such a forward thinking specialist, the new Elan was no retro make-over but state-of-the art, meaning frontwheel drive and turbo power. The M100 was allegedly dubbed a ‘90 per center’ by Lotus development staff because it allowed 90 per cent of drivers to exploit 90 per cent of its potential, 90 per cent of the time in complete safety. The reason for this was essentially due to its clever chassis design employing a highly stiff box section with the suspension systems mounted on innovative alloy ‘rafts’,
so keeping changes to the suspension’s geometry minimal.

As we all know, Lotus is no stranger to using outside power plants and this time Norfolk turned Japanese with an Isuzu power plant under the bonnet
(Lotus like Isuzu were then owned by General Motors). It may have seemed an odd choice but as owners soon found out, it was one of the most sensible moves Lotus ever made as it ensured reliability. Talking about reliability, the Elan was developed like no other Lotus. Over a two year period, 61 development Elans were thrashed (including 250,000 miles on the famous punishing Millbrook proving ground) and crashed while every car made was subjected to a 35 mile dash around Hethel to make sure all was well. And yet for all this a fundamental mistake on the drawing board reportedly meant the new Elan was saddled with that extraordinary wide look…

Two models were launched; an entry level Elan boasting a normally aspirated 1.6-litre ‘four’, kicking out a reasonable 130bhp or a hotter Turbo SE (by far the most popular pick), which yielded a meatier 165bhp. All models were fed via afive-speed ‘box to the front wheels, which had power assisted steering. Despite eager anticipation by Lotus lovers and rave reviews from press and pundits alike, the Elan didn’t sell particularly well due to
its then lofty twenty grand price tag (it was that dear due to massive investment and development costs which reportedly totalled some $40m) and slow uptake caused it to be dropped as early as 1992, only a year after dismal US sales sealed its fate. Less than 4000 were made.

In 1994 and now under the control of Bugatti, Lotus tried again with the S2. This was a Turbo only model with a slightly detuned 155bhp catalysed engine, modified chassis, larger tyres and added appointments, all taking the new Elan up to a bank-busting £24,500! Only 800 were made and it was the final curtain call on the Elan after five short years.

Driving

Although the M100 Elan is a generation away from the original, the emphasis remains the same. Yes of course it’s front-wheel, drive but you’d scarcely appreciate it, so precise and balanced is the Elan’s handling. And thanks to the car’s huge track and gumball-like low profile tyres, roadholding is a world away from the skinny-tyred original: no wonder almost two decades on the M100 is still regarded as the best front-wheel drive car ever made. That said, comparisons with the original Elan were - and still are - inevitable and it can’t be denied that the M100 loses out to its illustrious predecessor in terms of agility and driver involvement. While it can out corner most things, the sheer size of this later Lotus means there’s less road room to play with. But don’t let this take anything away from the Lotus; for most enthusiasts it’s an extremely fast and safe car to drive with gusto. What about that Japanese engine, which was hardly the sexiest four-cylinder around? Make no mistake this Isuzu hot hatch engine isn’t short of shove although it does lack the sheer character and pedigree (and unreliability) of the Lotus-Ford lump. Even the normally aspirated Elan is good for a seven-and-a-bit second sprint to 60 and maxing close to 130mph.

The Turbo shaded it by a second and 10mph respectively, but crucially took on an entirely new character as the turbo made itself felt mid range. Economy – always an Elan strongpoint - is excellent on the M100 too; expect 30 mpg if in good tune on both variants. Like the original, the M100 rides fabulously well for a sports car, that wide track helping a lot. And it’s a lot more civilised and solid than Chapman’s earlier effort ever was. Sadly the Elan’s lack of sales success ruled out any derivatives such as a hard top roadster and a larger Elan+2 for growing families, but as a two seater it’s roomy, civilised and practical.

Prices

Along with the unloved Elite/Eclat and Excel GTs, the M100 is dirt cheap for what it offers - but not for long as Lotus specialists sniff
something in the air with this car. Prices range from a few thousand to around £12,000, which is literally pennies when you consider what good original Elans now go for. Mainstream price guides ‘book’ the Elan up to £6000 for an SE and almost £8000 for an S2, but top cars are selling for considerably more. As with all specialist cars, it’s best to pay a premium to get the best Elan around rather than do up a dog of a car, of which there are a fair few around. It’s reckoned that the S2 is the better car thanks to improved build and development, although the loss of 10bhp does take the edge off of performance.