So I saw a Lotus S6 (M100) Elan today...

[Egg Nog]

This afternoon I saw an S6 Elan, known to most people as the "new" Elan. I got to thinking.

So, at first I was disappointed by this car after hearing about how its FWD and it's unfortunate engine.

However, it's lightweight, and it's probably the best-handling FWD car ever. Not only this, but after seeing one today I realised how gorgeous this car is! Pictures made me think it looked more like a Mazda MX-5/Miata than anything else, but it really is an amazing little car. Hats off to Peter Stevens.


Anyways, what are your thoughts on this little roadster?

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Egg Nog

This afternoon I saw an S6 Elan, known to most people as the "new" Elan. I got to thinking.

So, at first I was disappointed by this car after hearing about how its FWD and it's unfortunate engine.

However, it's lightweight, and it's probably the best-handling FWD car ever. Not only this, but after seeing one today I realised how gorgeous this car is! Pictures made me think it looked more like a Mazda MX-5/Miata than anything else, but it really is an amazing little car. Hats off to Peter Stevens.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on this little roadster?

Lotus SE maybe ? Are you sure about S6 ??

For a 10+year old design it still looks very modern.

They ARE the best handling FWD cars going.
I was very impressed and was close to buying one.

It's the ISUZU engine that put me off !
Lotus had to use it to get money to keep the company afloat at the time.

BUT, it didn't really have much 'spirit'.
It didn't have the LOTUS charisma - probably because it IS the best handling FWD and what we all want is the best handling RWD from LOTUS

Don't know how they've held up over the years as few were sold and even fewer seen on the roads today - I know of only one in this area

[Egg Nog]

Armed with the knowledge that the last version of the old Elan was the S5, I suppose I just assumed that calling this "new" one an S6 would be quite suitable Anyway, it's the 1990s Elan, I think the production code was M100. You know the one I mean. Anyway, I sure was impressed with its looks!

[bum-man]

do you have a pic of it because i dont really know what this car looks like...and im sure some other people would agree as well.

[crisis]

Whether or not it is the best handling FWD is irrelevant. What is the point of a company like Lotus building a FWD. To my knowledge their raison d être is building no compromise sports cars. FWD is the domain of couldnt care less , make it cheap and make it anywhere manufacturers. While Im not a huge fan it is dissapointing to see Lotus go this way. Even Porsche building a SUV has some bottom line rationale.

[Egg Nog]

Crisis, in all fairness, Lotus isn't really "heading" this way. I think the M100 Elan production ended in 1994... regardless, as I said before, it is disappointing because of its engine and the fact that its FWD. So sad

Anyway, it's still mighty good-looking. I find that pictures don't really do this car justice. When I saw the car in real life, it looked exponentially better than I'd imagined it would.

For reference, 4 photos are attached.

[Egg Nog]

4 more photos...

[crisis]

Is it a Lotus chassis or something borrowed from somewhere else?

[Egg Nog]

Originally Posted by crisis

Is it a Lotus chassis or something borrowed from somewhere else?

Lotus chassis, developed with an Isuzu Inline-4 turbocharged up to (I believe) 162hp. Not bad for just over 1000kg, but still a poorly-chosen layout. I don't think Lotus has ever borrowed a chassis from another company, because they spend much of their time co-developing them for other companies. For example, they did much of the chassis and suspension work for the AW11 Toyota MR2.

I just found an interesting quote... the head of Lotus said that the Elan was designed partially to "Allow 100 percent of its owners to use 90 percent of its performance 90 percent of the time."