Elan - the 90s one
Discussion
So...as far as I know it's got an Isuzu engine, it's FWD and is about as much like an original Elan as BMW Mini is like an original Austin.
But...I have experience driving front wheel drive cars, these are fairly cheap, and they say Lotus on the front.
Question is, are they any good? Are they fast? Are they light? Good enough to take on the occasional trackday? Reliable enough to drive across Europe for a few trips? Comfortable enough for a weekend trip to the 'ring? Or should I just splash the extra and get an early Elise?
I'm just tempted by these as they are slightly different, and I had a bad experience in an Elise. It ended up with me in the gravel due to a complete lack of RWD driving talent, and a small bill for seat upholstery cleaning.
For the same sort of money as these (£6-8k) I could get a decent Clio RS (maybe a 182 Trophy if I can find one), an import Integra or an early S3.
Is this enough of a Lotus to warrant the cash, or should I just stop fannying around with wrong wheel drive, pluck up the courage, and try an Elise again?
But...I have experience driving front wheel drive cars, these are fairly cheap, and they say Lotus on the front.
Question is, are they any good? Are they fast? Are they light? Good enough to take on the occasional trackday? Reliable enough to drive across Europe for a few trips? Comfortable enough for a weekend trip to the 'ring? Or should I just splash the extra and get an early Elise?
I'm just tempted by these as they are slightly different, and I had a bad experience in an Elise. It ended up with me in the gravel due to a complete lack of RWD driving talent, and a small bill for seat upholstery cleaning.
For the same sort of money as these (£6-8k) I could get a decent Clio RS (maybe a 182 Trophy if I can find one), an import Integra or an early S3.
Is this enough of a Lotus to warrant the cash, or should I just stop fannying around with wrong wheel drive, pluck up the courage, and try an Elise again?
HereBeMonsters said:
So...as far as I know it's got an Isuzu engine, it's FWD and is about as much like an original Elan as BMW Mini is like an original Austin.
But...I have experience driving front wheel drive cars, these are fairly cheap, and they say Lotus on the front.
Question is, are they any good? Are they fast? Are they light? Good enough to take on the occasional trackday? Reliable enough to drive across Europe for a few trips? Comfortable enough for a weekend trip to the 'ring? Or should I just splash the extra and get an early Elise?
I'm just tempted by these as they are slightly different, and I had a bad experience in an Elise. It ended up with me in the gravel due to a complete lack of RWD driving talent, and a small bill for seat upholstery cleaning.
For the same sort of money as these (£6-8k) I could get a decent Clio RS (maybe a 182 Trophy if I can find one), an import Integra or an early S3.
Is this enough of a Lotus to warrant the cash, or should I just stop fannying around with wrong wheel drive, pluck up the courage, and try an Elise again?
To answer your questions:But...I have experience driving front wheel drive cars, these are fairly cheap, and they say Lotus on the front.
Question is, are they any good? Are they fast? Are they light? Good enough to take on the occasional trackday? Reliable enough to drive across Europe for a few trips? Comfortable enough for a weekend trip to the 'ring? Or should I just splash the extra and get an early Elise?
I'm just tempted by these as they are slightly different, and I had a bad experience in an Elise. It ended up with me in the gravel due to a complete lack of RWD driving talent, and a small bill for seat upholstery cleaning.
For the same sort of money as these (£6-8k) I could get a decent Clio RS (maybe a 182 Trophy if I can find one), an import Integra or an early S3.
Is this enough of a Lotus to warrant the cash, or should I just stop fannying around with wrong wheel drive, pluck up the courage, and try an Elise again?
Yes, they are very good. Buy the right car and you'll have an absolute blast.
Yes, they are pretty quick even in standard form. Extra performance can be unleashed by the addition of a 'Mountain' chip (at under £100 it offers up to an extra 35 bhp or so and, I'm told, can also improve your fuel consumption). Piper exhausts are proving a popular add-on, too. If you do add more power and/or fancy taking the car on track, uprated front brakes are a must.
By most modern standards, they weigh what you'd expect a practical, well-engineered sports car to weigh. They are heavy by Elise standards but generally hide their mass pretty well.
I've never tracked any of my M100s but several owners do. If I was going to take mine to the track, I'd uprate the brakes and look at having some roll-over protection fitted first.
Yes, they are easily comfortable enough to take to the 'Ring and back. Apart from being great to drive - they go where you point them - they are spacious and comfortable to drive or be driven in and have ample luggage space. I'm just back from a 600+mile trip in mine and the car didn't miss a beat.
The Elan, like any Lotus, feels special. You won't get that sort of feeling with a Clio 182, no matter how good it is to drive.
Whether one is right for you depends on what you want. If you like your thrills on the raw side and aren't too bothered about practicality then an Elise would be a better bet. The Elan is, in my opinion, a better balanced car than the Elise. It is much more practical, not a great deal slower in a straight line (if chipped), easier to pilot at speed down tricky roads if perhaps not quite as thrilling as an Elise, and (if you buy one that's been cared for) just as reliable.
Want to know more about the M100? Just about any question you might have can be answered by looking here: www.lotuselancentral.com
Good luck. Hope you enjoy whatever you buy.
KW
Hi
I've owned my M100 Elan for around 8 years and love it to bits!
As for it being like a BMW Mini, I'd never cast such a sinful comment like that! The M100 is still British and still a Lotus car. In fact, one of the last to be mostly made at the Hethel factory. It's design was radical for it's day and was launched in a poor economic climate, like today.
The only area I would recommend to consider looking to change are the brakes. Purely because standards are not as good as you'd expect from a modern car.
I have tracked my car, Blipi, several times even taken her to Nurburgring. She handles like a dream.
If you like rear wheel drive, then of course the M100 won't fit what you want. However, power delivery is superb and they are in element on twisty roads!
It's also a good every day car being comfortable and with a big boot. I've taken Blipi on several camping trips to Scotland and had a hoot!
You can get excellent upgrades such as a variety of chips, hard tops and custom bits made through the Elan community. Generally they are very reliable although, being an ageing car, there are points to start watching for as you would expect!
Please check out www.lotuselancentral.com for a wide M100 community. There are some excellent cars for sale there and you will receive all the help you need from the friendly members.
If you are near Northants, I do know of a good example available to buy that you'd be welcome to look at.
Good luck!
Stef
I've owned my M100 Elan for around 8 years and love it to bits!
As for it being like a BMW Mini, I'd never cast such a sinful comment like that! The M100 is still British and still a Lotus car. In fact, one of the last to be mostly made at the Hethel factory. It's design was radical for it's day and was launched in a poor economic climate, like today.
The only area I would recommend to consider looking to change are the brakes. Purely because standards are not as good as you'd expect from a modern car.
I have tracked my car, Blipi, several times even taken her to Nurburgring. She handles like a dream.
If you like rear wheel drive, then of course the M100 won't fit what you want. However, power delivery is superb and they are in element on twisty roads!
It's also a good every day car being comfortable and with a big boot. I've taken Blipi on several camping trips to Scotland and had a hoot!
You can get excellent upgrades such as a variety of chips, hard tops and custom bits made through the Elan community. Generally they are very reliable although, being an ageing car, there are points to start watching for as you would expect!
Please check out www.lotuselancentral.com for a wide M100 community. There are some excellent cars for sale there and you will receive all the help you need from the friendly members.
If you are near Northants, I do know of a good example available to buy that you'd be welcome to look at.
Good luck!
Stef
HereBeMonsters said:
So...as far as I know it's got an Isuzu engine, it's FWD and is about as much like an original Elan as BMW Mini is like an original Austin.
But...I have experience driving front wheel drive cars, these are fairly cheap, and they say Lotus on the front.
Question is, are they any good? Are they fast?
Excellent little cars, fast definitely. Not straight line quick mind, but in a real world mix of A & B roads most definitely. On a bumpy B road I'll probably be quicker in my Elan than the GT3. I've been followed by other 911's driven by people I know who were surprised just how quick they are. They are exceptionally difficult to upset, which means you can drive them hard without any real concern about them coming unstuck.But...I have experience driving front wheel drive cars, these are fairly cheap, and they say Lotus on the front.
Question is, are they any good? Are they fast?
HereBeMonsters said:
Are they light? Good enough to take on the occasional trackday? Reliable enough to drive across Europe for a few trips? Comfortable enough for a weekend trip to the 'ring? Or should I just splash the extra and get an early Elise?
Light enough. Never tracked mine but I suspect good enough. Very very reliable, had mine 17 years & only once has a problem which was a fuel switch. Very comfortable seats, big cabin, far superior in this respect to an Elise. The Elan is a completely different car to the Elise. If you are looking for an Elise like experience you may be disappointed. HereBeMonsters said:
I'm just tempted by these as they are slightly different, and I had a bad experience in an Elise. It ended up with me in the gravel due to a complete lack of RWD driving talent, and a small bill for seat upholstery cleaning.
For the same sort of money as these (£6-8k) I could get a decent Clio RS (maybe a 182 Trophy if I can find one), an import Integra or an early S3.
Is this enough of a Lotus to warrant the cash, or should I just stop fannying around with wrong wheel drive, pluck up the courage, and try an Elise again?
Yes it's a Lotus. Will be far cheaper to own & run than an Elise. Far more unique than an Elise. Drive an Elan & see. For the same sort of money as these (£6-8k) I could get a decent Clio RS (maybe a 182 Trophy if I can find one), an import Integra or an early S3.
Is this enough of a Lotus to warrant the cash, or should I just stop fannying around with wrong wheel drive, pluck up the courage, and try an Elise again?
Sounds good then. Has anyone had experience of owning one of these as well as an Elise? Or perhaps compared to an S2000 or Boxster?
I guess now is the worst time of year to buy a convertible really, but as the house purchase looks like it might not happen I have to treat myself to something. I think it's a toss-up between this and an S2000 tbh. Do Elans have a/c?
I guess now is the worst time of year to buy a convertible really, but as the house purchase looks like it might not happen I have to treat myself to something. I think it's a toss-up between this and an S2000 tbh. Do Elans have a/c?
HereBeMonsters said:
Sounds good then. Has anyone had experience of owning one of these as well as an Elise? Or perhaps compared to an S2000 or Boxster?
I guess now is the worst time of year to buy a convertible really, but as the house purchase looks like it might not happen I have to treat myself to something. I think it's a toss-up between this and an S2000 tbh. Do Elans have a/c?
There were a few with a/c, but I mean literally a few. I don't think I've ever seen one advertised in the UK. Not sure about the S2000, but with a Boxster you are talking very different money in terms of purchase & running costs. I guess now is the worst time of year to buy a convertible really, but as the house purchase looks like it might not happen I have to treat myself to something. I think it's a toss-up between this and an S2000 tbh. Do Elans have a/c?
HereBeMonsters said:
Sounds good then. Do Elans have a/c?
Air con was factory option on UK cars but was standard fit on US market Elans. Very few UK Elans are fitted with air con. It adds weight and isn't really needed in our climate. There is a nice, well cared for Elan S2 for sale right now. It's on PH classifieds at the moment for a very sensible price - the owner and car are well known to members of the lotus elan central community.
Edit: As there are several Elan S2s on PH at the moment, this http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/975844.htm is the one I was referring to. It doesn't say so in the ad. but it does have air con. For the avoidance of doubt, I've no connection with the car or the seller.
Edited by Kaiser_Wull on Tuesday 21st April 19:33
GT03ROB said:
Consider also £6k should get you an excellent condition car, a £6k Boxster will be a dog.
Mine would cost you £12k, but then it still has a new car smell.
Yeah, I would probably be stretching it with a Boxster, and I couldn't afford the servicing, but using it as an example...Mine would cost you £12k, but then it still has a new car smell.
Thanks for all the replies btw - I am notoriously bad at choosing cars, I saved up initially £5k, couldn't choose. It became £10k, which became 15, which became a house deposit...so back to square one. Looks like we're not able to get a mortgage anyway for a few months, so using a little of the house deposit for some summer fun...
Owned an M100 for 6 years, now have an S1 Elise - Both are absolutely super little cars. Only complaint was the M100's power steering giving poor driver feedback also the brakes tended to fade after a spirited drive.
They are totally different cars in so many respects, in terms of weight, refinement, handling characteristics, etc -I can see why different folk prefer one over the other.
They are totally different cars in so many respects, in terms of weight, refinement, handling characteristics, etc -I can see why different folk prefer one over the other.
GT03ROB said:
Consider also £6k should get you an excellent condition car, a £6k Boxster will be a dog.
Mine would cost you £12k, but then it still has a new car smell.
You can get a good Elan for £6k but, unless you're very lucky, it'll cost a bit more for an excellent one. Budget on £8K for an excellent example and you might even end up with the right car and some change.Mine would cost you £12k, but then it still has a new car smell.
Kaiser_Wull said:
GT03ROB said:
Consider also £6k should get you an excellent condition car, a £6k Boxster will be a dog.
Mine would cost you £12k, but then it still has a new car smell.
You can get a good Elan for £6k but, unless you're very lucky, it'll cost a bit more for an excellent one. Budget on £8K for an excellent example and you might even end up with the right car and some change.Mine would cost you £12k, but then it still has a new car smell.
HereBeMonsters said:
Sounds good then. Has anyone had experience of owning one of these as well as an Elise? Or perhaps compared to an S2000 or Boxster?
I guess now is the worst time of year to buy a convertible really, but as the house purchase looks like it might not happen I have to treat myself to something. I think it's a toss-up between this and an S2000 tbh. Do Elans have a/c?
Yep...I own both an M100 (for almost 9 years), as well as an Elise 111r. Other than they are both drop tops, its somewhat of an Apples/Orange comparison. Elise is as simple in design as a lawn mower,bolt on/bolt off . The M100 otoh is somewhat complicated in design compared to other Lotus cars. Parts are a bit more difficult to come by for the M100,given that its 20 years old now. The 111r has proven to be superior build q (soft top doesn't even leak even in torrential downpours).I guess now is the worst time of year to buy a convertible really, but as the house purchase looks like it might not happen I have to treat myself to something. I think it's a toss-up between this and an S2000 tbh. Do Elans have a/c?
The Elan has better road going manners imho than the Elise; the power deliver of the turbo Isuzu is more suitable for spirited road going than the Elise,with its high reving Toyota lump,as well as steering adjustability thru the rear wheels and lighter weight is better for track use. Like the Elise a lot,but love the old girl M100,warts and all.
Don't know about racing, but there are a few Elans out there that go on regular trackdays (here is mine). It does perform quite well against the Elises with good pace down the straights and nice controllable four wheel slides in the corners. The original brakes do need upgrading to last more than a few laps.
To be competitive in a race series, I think you would have to spend quite a bit of money loosing weight, replacing suspension bushings and dampers and really taking away a number of things that makes it a great road car.
To be competitive in a race series, I think you would have to spend quite a bit of money loosing weight, replacing suspension bushings and dampers and really taking away a number of things that makes it a great road car.
I have a 1991 SE Turbo (PB) that I have owned for the last 14 yrs. It was my pride and joy (FSH) and always maintained by the same Lotus dealership in Birmingham, from where it was originally sold. With the arrival of kids it has sat for the last three years in my garage. The time has come when I need the money so it's days are numbered unfortunately. I would like to change the cam belt before I fire it up as it has sat for so long. Anyone know where I can buy a cam-belt kit from?
mwlotus said:
I have a 1991 SE Turbo (PB) that I have owned for the last 14 yrs. It was my pride and joy (FSH) and always maintained by the same Lotus dealership in Birmingham, from where it was originally sold. With the arrival of kids it has sat for the last three years in my garage. The time has come when I need the money so it's days are numbered unfortunately. I would like to change the cam belt before I fire it up as it has sat for so long. Anyone know where I can buy a cam-belt kit from?
try herehttp://www.christopherneilpartshop.co.uk/manufactu...
mwlotus said:
I have a 1991 SE Turbo (PB) that I have owned for the last 14 yrs. It was my pride and joy (FSH) and always maintained by the same Lotus dealership in Birmingham, from where it was originally sold. With the arrival of kids it has sat for the last three years in my garage. The time has come when I need the money so it's days are numbered unfortunately. I would like to change the cam belt before I fire it up as it has sat for so long. Anyone know where I can buy a cam-belt kit from?
Sorry to hear that your going to put your M100 up for sale, think you may have a shock on what prices they go for now 
You can get the bits for the Engine from the USA, alot off LEC members get them from http://www.rockauto.com/
search for 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS for engine parts
you may want to get the idler, tentioner and water pump to go with the cambelt.
If your unsure what to order have a look on LEC http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/index.php and LEC wiki http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Main_Page
Edited by Monty_M100 on Saturday 13th June 18:57
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