Lotus Elan: The Front-Wheel Drive Oddity

Lotus Elan: The Front-Wheel Drive Oddity

The 1991 Lotus Elan M100 is a truly unusual car, standing out as the only front-wheel-drive Lotus ever made. Adding to its strange story, its engine came from Isuzu, and a version of this car was even sold by Kia.

This particular Elan is currently up for auction on Cars and Bids, offering a chance to own a unique piece of automotive history. Learn more about its quirks and features before you consider placing a bid.

This Elan is a special find. It’s in great condition with an attractive color combination, ready to make any car enthusiast scratch their head. You can bid on it at the live auction linked in the description after watching this review.

The auction is powered by Hagerty, whose specialist claims are true car lovers, not script readers. They ensure your car is repaired correctly with quality parts and restored to its original condition.

Hagerty offers guaranteed value coverage, meaning you set the value upfront, and it won’t depreciate over time like traditional insurance. Enthusiast cars are insured by Hagerty for good reason, and this partnership with Cars and Bids is exciting.

A Strange Partnership for a Sports Car

The M100 designation is important because it separates this car from the original, beloved Lotus Elan from the 1960s. Lotus revived the Elan name in the late 1980s for a new entry-level sports car.

The most surprising aspect is its front-wheel-drive setup, a departure from typical rear-wheel-drive sports cars. This decision came about when General Motors owned Lotus, aiming to make a more accessible sports car to boost sales and broaden the Lotus brand’s appeal.

GM provided the funding for the Elan’s development, ensuring a level of quality and testing that some past Lotus models lacked. The biggest GM contribution, however, was the powertrain. Lotus used a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine from Isuzu, a GM-owned company known for trucks but also capable of producing small, zippy car engines.

This engine produced around 160 horsepower, giving the Elan a respectable 0-60 mph time of about 6.5 seconds, making it quicker than the Mazda Miata of the era. You can even see “Isuzu Lotus” stamped on the engine, a clear sign of this unique collaboration.

Quirks Inside and Out

The exterior design of the Elan M100 is clean and modern, conveying a fun, entry-level sports car message. It features a rising beltline that gives it a sporty profile, a design usually found on rear-wheel-drive cars.

The spoiler is seamlessly integrated into the trunk lid, maintaining the car’s sleek lines. Even the door handles are cleverly hidden, requiring you to reach into a small opening to find a switch to open the door.

Pop-up headlights, a common feature of the late 80s and early 90s, also contribute to the car’s low-slung front end when they’re down. Operating the convertible top is a bit more involved than on a Mazda Miata, requiring several steps outside the car to stow it away.

Inside, the cabin has a surprisingly Japanese feel, with red-faced gauges and overall design that might remind you of a Nissan or Mazda from the period. This could have been intentional, aiming for a more familiar and reliable image for potential buyers.

The steering wheel is a notable shared component, also found in the Lotus Esprit and even early Saturn models, thanks to GM’s ownership. A cool touch is the rubberized ends on the turn signal and wiper stalks, which feel good to the touch and became a signature Lotus feature. Flashing the high beams is also unique: pulling the stalk activates the headlights and brights simultaneously, with the headlights retracting after a few seconds if not continuously used.

Other oddities include the power mirror switch placed sideways in the center console and power window switches that operate in reverse – push down to go up, and up to go down. A plaque on the passenger side dashboard proudly displays “Lotus” and “Elan,” emphasizing its identity.

The interior door panels boast a vibrant ’90s design, adding to the car’s retro charm. Despite being a two-seater, the Elan offers surprising practicality with storage compartments in the doors, a glove box, a center console lid, and even space behind the seats.

Why Didn’t It Sell?

Despite GM’s backing and Lotus’s engineering, the Elan M100 was not a sales success. Lotus produced only about 4,000 units globally, with fewer than 600 reaching North America.

The primary reason was its price; in 1990, it cost around $40,000, nearly triple the price of a $14,000 Mazda Miata. While it offered more power and features, the significant cost difference was a major hurdle.

The front-wheel-drive layout, intended to broaden appeal, instead made many sports car purists skeptical. Combined with lingering concerns about Lotus reliability and a limited dealer network, sales struggled.

GM eventually sold Lotus, and production of the Elan ceased in the UK. However, the story didn’t end there; Kia bought the rights and tooling, producing the car in Korea as the Kia Elan and even selling it in Japan as the Kia Vigato.

Driving the Oddity

Driving the Elan M100 is a surprisingly solid experience. It feels more substantial than a typical lightweight kit car, with good steering feedback and a planted feel on the road.

The gear shifter has a tight pattern, which can take some getting used to, but it offers a satisfyingly precise feel once mastered. The clutch has a high release point but is smooth and well-weighted.

Lotus did an excellent job mitigating torque steer, a common issue with front-wheel-drive performance cars. Flooring the accelerator reveals minimal torque steer, and the engine feels buzzy, smooth, and responsive.

The handling is nimble and athletic, feeling light on its feet. While steering precision might not match modern standards, the chassis and overall tossability are fantastic, making it a fun car to drive.

Verdict

The 1991 Lotus Elan M100 is an attractive, fun-to-drive, and exotic little car that offers a unique driving experience. It handles exceptionally well and possesses a cool, uncommon aura that sets it apart from more mainstream sports cars like the Miata or Porsche 944. However, as a Lotus, potential ownership could involve challenges with parts supply and potentially higher maintenance costs.

This car is not for everyone, unlike the more practical and reliable Miata. It’s a choice for those who desire something exotic and quirky with a fascinating history.

The Elan M100 represents a bold, albeit commercially unsuccessful, experiment by Lotus and General Motors. This particular example is available for bidding on Cars and Bids, offering a rare opportunity to acquire this wonderfully quirky piece of automotive history.

Source: The 1991 Lotus Elan Is the Weirdest Lotus Ever (YouTube)