name that Lotus
Discussion
Quickie to help in a discussion at work
What was the name of the Lotus during the mid-late 80s that was a bigger, more GT-ish Esprit looking thing? (possibly a four seater)
For the life of me I can't remember the name of the thing - despite the fact one of the kids at schools parents had one...
What was the name of the Lotus during the mid-late 80s that was a bigger, more GT-ish Esprit looking thing? (possibly a four seater)
For the life of me I can't remember the name of the thing - despite the fact one of the kids at schools parents had one...
Edited by Dunk76 on Monday 19th November 15:31
Mars said:
The engine was always the weak link with these cars (Elite, Eclat and Excel) but there's plenty of room for something more modern under the bonnet. I've long thought about rebuilding one with more modern components. Great handling car and practical.
As far as I could determine, they'd solved a number of the weak links (gearbox, drivetrain, chassis rot protection, interior build quality) on the Excel, but not the electrics, which are by all accounts absolutely dire. The best you'll get out of the engine is 29mpg (21 is more usual), and if anything goes wrong with the engine it costs supercar money to fix.However, I'd feel wrong ripping out that thoroughbred engine in favour of some off-the-shelf unit. You could say the same with any classic GT though - you could make your life easier but it would spoil the car, I feel.
The Excel is a very, very good car. 4 seater, decent sized boot, Toyota running gear, Lotus handling etc.
The Excel engine is not a weak link, looked after it will rack up very high mileages. Have a look here for more information.
Electrics are not that bad, but like any 'plastic' bodied car earths can cause problems.
The only thing I know about the fuel consumption is that mine used more when I drove it than it did when the wife drove it!
Wish I'd not sold mine, one day I'll get another one.
Twincam16, what owners club are you talking about?
The Excel engine is not a weak link, looked after it will rack up very high mileages. Have a look here for more information.
Electrics are not that bad, but like any 'plastic' bodied car earths can cause problems.
The only thing I know about the fuel consumption is that mine used more when I drove it than it did when the wife drove it!
Wish I'd not sold mine, one day I'll get another one.
Twincam16, what owners club are you talking about?
skeggysteve said:
The Excel is a very, very good car. 4 seater, decent sized boot, Toyota running gear, Lotus handling etc.
The Excel engine is not a weak link, looked after it will rack up very high mileages. Have a look here for more information.
Electrics are not that bad, but like any 'plastic' bodied car earths can cause problems.
The only thing I know about the fuel consumption is that mine used more when I drove it than it did when the wife drove it!
Wish I'd not sold mine, one day I'll get another one.
Twincam16, what owners club are you talking about?
My local Owner's Club, in Oxfordshire.The Excel engine is not a weak link, looked after it will rack up very high mileages. Have a look here for more information.
Electrics are not that bad, but like any 'plastic' bodied car earths can cause problems.
The only thing I know about the fuel consumption is that mine used more when I drove it than it did when the wife drove it!
Wish I'd not sold mine, one day I'll get another one.
Twincam16, what owners club are you talking about?
I spoke to a couple of local owners when I was thinking about buying one, and they were quite frank with me - the electrics are dodgy, it's thirstier than 2.2 litres ever has the right to be and the engine generates supercar maintenance bills. It is a fantastic car, but I have an MR2 budget and I honestly don't think I could afford to run one, so I got an MR2 instead.
Twincam16, I think you may have hit on a couple of owners with bad cars.
Yes, the electrical system is complicated by the plastic body and some of the components needs rebuilding after a while - but I use mine virtually every day as a commuter vehicle with no problems. Graham Arnold (late chairman of Club Lotus and ex-Lotus marketing/sales) always reckoned it was the best car they ever made as long as it was used regularly.
Even Mike Kimberley has called it "the most sorted car" that Lotus have ever built.
Fuel consumption - it's a 1970s Slant-4 engine returning either 160bhp or 180bhp (when properly maintained) but still gives between 22 and 30 mpg on carbs. Fuel injection conversions do better, but are costly to install. The worst bit is the 24000 mile/2-year "C" service interval which involves cambelt replacement, but since it's a longitudinal engine in the front of the car, even that isn't too difficult.
http://www.lotusexcel.net/ is a pretty good place to get more info. - we're honest, but passionate.
(and for a hint of how it can perform see this : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-542988546... )
Yes, the electrical system is complicated by the plastic body and some of the components needs rebuilding after a while - but I use mine virtually every day as a commuter vehicle with no problems. Graham Arnold (late chairman of Club Lotus and ex-Lotus marketing/sales) always reckoned it was the best car they ever made as long as it was used regularly.
Even Mike Kimberley has called it "the most sorted car" that Lotus have ever built.
Fuel consumption - it's a 1970s Slant-4 engine returning either 160bhp or 180bhp (when properly maintained) but still gives between 22 and 30 mpg on carbs. Fuel injection conversions do better, but are costly to install. The worst bit is the 24000 mile/2-year "C" service interval which involves cambelt replacement, but since it's a longitudinal engine in the front of the car, even that isn't too difficult.
http://www.lotusexcel.net/ is a pretty good place to get more info. - we're honest, but passionate.
(and for a hint of how it can perform see this : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-542988546... )
Gassing Station | General Lotus Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff