Lotus Elan M100

The best handling front-wheel drive sports car hasn’t appreciated in quite the same way as either its ‘Sixties namesake or more recent Lotus cars, such as the Elise. According to the specialists we’ve spoken to, enthusiasts are missing a trick…

- David Milloy

Launched at the 1989 Motorfair at Earls Court, London, the Lotus Elan M100 drew as much attention for its groundbreaking front-wheel drive lay-out as its crisp lines.

Initial reaction to the car was hugely positive. The Elan’s prodigious cross-country pace drew breath from those who experienced it; Autocar and Motor proclaimed it to be the world’s first front-wheel drive supercar and The Design Council gave Lotus an award. Indeed, the Elan’s impact was such that many heralded it as the future of sports cars.

It was, however, a future that never came to pass. Lotus had spent heavily on the Elan’s development and over-engineered it to a degree that made it impossible to meet its initial sub-£15,000 price projections. When the Elan came to market, even the cheaper normally-aspirated version came in at just under £18,000 without options. In better economic times that probably wouldn’t have mattered greatly, but the global economy was slowing and the spectre of recession raised its ugly head.

Against this backdrop and with a parent company (General Motors) that was also feeling the effects of the fiscal squeeze, Lotus’ hopes of selling 3000 Elans a year came to naught. And in 1992 the seemingly unthinkable happened: Elan production ceased. Only 3855 had been built.

But the Elan wasn’t finished. In 1993, Bugatti bought Lotus from General Motors and a plan was hatched: Lotus would introduce a new, simpler sports car but in the meantime the Elan would return for a limited run of 800 cars. Launched in June 1994, the Elan S2 featured a number of changes over its earlier siblings, including the fitment of a catalytic converter and larger wheels.

In spite of a basic price that had grown to £24,000, the S2 found favour with the buying public. But when all 800 S2s had been built, Lotus closed the Elan production line for good and readied itself for the forthcoming Elise.