The Lotus Elan was the pinnacle of Colin Chapman’s pursuit of speed in a lightweight package. The 1.6-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission in this restored 1972 model were overhauled. On Wednesday, July 19, the online auction for the Bring a Trailer ends. Lotus is the only company that fully understands and supports the principle of “less is more.” The Elan was introduced in 1962 at the same price as the Jaguar E-type, although having a lighter chassis and a smaller displacement four-cylinder engine. The elusive Lotus was more akin to a mongoose than the regal Jaguar. Car and Driver’s sister site, Bring a Trailer, also sells a modernised version of the Lotus Touch. It’s a five-speed manual 1972 Elan Sprint that’s been repainted to look like the Lotus F1 racing team’s Gold Leaf sponsorship from the late 1960s. The 13-inch rims that house the 185/70 Avon tires have disc brakes on all four corners. The interior has been updated visually, and thanks to a limited-slip differential, it feels much roomier than it is, despite the Elan’s diminutive exterior dimensions. The Elan may not have been the first road-legal Lotus, but it is often considered one of the best. The original Miata is undoubtedly a modernised clone of an Elan, as intended by Mazda’s developers. This Lotus, on the other hand, is dwarfed by a Miata. The Elan is just under twelve feet long and weighs roughly 1500 pounds at the curb, and it is all about saving every last gram. The fibreglass hood, for instance, has no hinges and instead slides into position. A 1.6-liter four-cylinder twin-cam engine producing 140 horsepower is housed here. The Elan, one of its cars, boasted a 105-horsepower engine and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in under seven seconds, so the company’s vehicle should be rapid. The later model, Elan 2+2, has a five-speed manual transmission, which should improve the driving experience on the highway. It won’t, however, be dull. An Elan has less inertia to overcome when accelerating, braking, or turning because of its low mass. Hummingbirds with internal combustion engines flit and flicker along a winding back road, their four-cylinder machines buzzing noisily. The Lotus Elise, a descendant that will no longer be manufactured after 2021, offers the closest driving sensation. The latest offering from the manufacturer is the fully electric Eletre, which departs dramatically from this idea. It’s as big as a Honda Pilot and weighs as much as 5500 pounds, yet it has a top speed of 905 horsepower. Right now is your chance to speak out against the lightweight’s death. When everything is factored in, the Elan is rather pricey. However, it will be a perfect example of Colin Chapman’s dictum, “Simplify and add lightness.”
