The Lotus M100 Elan, launched in 1989, was a two-seater, convertible sports car designed by Lotus and built with the development and testing resources of General Motors. Around £35 million was invested in its development - more than any other car in Lotus history. Its design, featuring a fibreglass composite body over a rigid steel monocoque chassis, was true to Lotus founder Colin Chapman's original philosophy of achieving performance through light weight, and the name 'Elan' connected the car with its 1960s ancestor, the original Lotus Elan. The M100 Elan was conceived as a mass-market car and in particular one that would appeal to US buyers. Consequently, Lotus put an enormous effort into testing the car; over a two-year period 19 crash cars and 42 development vehicles were built, logging nearly a million test miles in locations from Arizona to the Arctic. The Elan was driven at racing speeds for 24 hours around the track at Snetterton. Finally each new car was test-driven for around 30 miles at Lotus's Hethel factory to check for any manufacturing defects before being shipped to dealers. This series 2 car, number 157 of a limited edition of 800 Series 2 (S2) M100 Elans was released during the Romano Artioli era (produced June 1994-September 1995) when it was discovered that enough surplus engines were available to make this possible. According to Autocar magazine, the S2 addressed some of the concerns over handling, power was reduced to 155bhp and the 0-60 acceleration time increased to 7.5 seconds. The S2s are popular cars now as they provide a very responsive drive, boast a slightly lower overall vehicle weight, have future-classic pedigree and represent good value in the ever-competitive sports car market. The vendor of this car is only the second owner since 1997 and has serviced the car regularly at Bell & Colvill, respected Lotus specialists. The MOT test certificate on this vehicle expires on September 2 nd 2010, however no advisory notices were issued at the last test and having driven the car we have no reason to expect the car not to pass. Offered for sale with only 35,000 miles recorded, original owners handbook and a meticulous history file, this spritely modern classic will put a smile on the face of all who drive her.
The Lotus M100 Elan, launched in 1989, was a two-seater, convertible sports car designed by Lotus and built with the development and testing resources of General Motors. Around £35 million was invested in its development - more than any other car in Lotus history. Its design, featuring a fibreglass composite body over a rigid steel monocoque chassis, was true to Lotus founder Colin Chapman's original philosophy of achieving performance through light weight, and the name 'Elan' connected the car with its 1960s ancestor, the original Lotus Elan. The M100 Elan was conceived as a mass-market car and in particular one that would appeal to US buyers. Consequently, Lotus put an enormous effort into testing the car; over a two-year period 19 crash cars and 42 development vehicles were built, logging nearly a million test miles in locations from Arizona to the Arctic. The Elan was driven at racing speeds for 24 hours around the track at Snetterton. Finally each new car was test-driven for around 30 miles at Lotus's Hethel factory to check for any manufacturing defects before being shipped to dealers. This series 2 car, number 157 of a limited edition of 800 Series 2 (S2) M100 Elans was released during the Romano Artioli era (produced June 1994-September 1995) when it was discovered that enough surplus engines were available to make this possible. According to Autocar magazine, the S2 addressed some of the concerns over handling, power was reduced to 155bhp and the 0-60 acceleration time increased to 7.5 seconds. The S2s are popular cars now as they provide a very responsive drive, boast a slightly lower overall vehicle weight, have future-classic pedigree and represent good value in the ever-competitive sports car market. The vendor of this car is only the second owner since 1997 and has serviced the car regularly at Bell & Colvill, respected Lotus specialists. The MOT test certificate on this vehicle expires on September 2 nd 2010, however no advisory notices were issued at the last test and having driven the car we have no reason to expect the car not to pass. Offered for sale with only 35,000 miles recorded, original owners handbook and a meticulous history file, this spritely modern classic will put a smile on the face of all who drive her.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
