The name Elan refers to several different cars produced by Lotus throughout the last 5 decades. The first Elan was born in the 1960s, with the Elan roadster first coming to sale in 1962. Additional models of this new sports car were produced subsequently, with an optional hard top followed by a full coupe version in 1965. The Elan was an economical option to the much sought after Elise, as it had similar performance and an elegant style.
The Elan led many developments from the Lotus designers. By combining a steel chassis with a fibreglass body the car was strong and stiff as well as exceptionally light. This is a trend in all Lotus cars and is somewhat expected for all future designs. This lightweight design gives all Lotus cars expert handling and the Elan is no different. The car also saw developments of a twin-cam engine, independent suspension and 4 wheel disc brakes. May of these features are seen in subsequent cars from Lotus.
Lotus continued their design with the production of the Elan +2 which features a longer wheelbase to make room for two additional seats in the rear of the car. Even though the car had been increased in size it remained elegant and sleek, performing like a sports car. Lotus produced few of this model, meaning that there is high demand from enthusiasts for the Elan +2 now.
Lotus released a new Elan in the 1990s, designating it the M100. The two door roadster was the only front wheel drive sports car to be produced by Lotus. Although this offered a better ride it was concluded that the drawbacks of front wheel drive, such as steering kickback were not compatible with Lotus and the Elan was the last front wheel drive car to be produced.
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