Tuesday 19th May 2015

Pre-95 Lotuses: Spotted Special

With track days for pre-95 classics at Hethel we dip into the classifieds for some suitably on-brand cars

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Just to reiterate the point, the Magnitude Events track days at Hethel are open to all manufacturers and not simply Lotus products. But you would want to drive Fiorano in a Ferrari, wouldn't you? So in anticipation it only seemed right to have a look through the PH classifieds for some suitable cars. From £5K Elan to £100K Elite, it's all here. Take a look and be inspired!

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1961 Elite
Lotus Elites are very expensive now. There are four currently available on PH with one at £79,500, one going to auction soon with a £50-£60K estimate, another advertised at POA and then this one.

Once owned by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, it's a very rare Elite as it was assembled with an 'R' on the build sheet. 'R' for racing, one of very few Elites built solely for competition. The advert states it was briefly road registered too during the 60s but this is proper little racing car. See the 'to start' instructions on the steering wheel!

It has raced at the Goodwood Revival and would surely be eligible for a host of historic championships. Perhaps Hethel could be used for a pre-race shakedown?

LOTUS ELITE COVENTRY CLIMAX S2 (road car)
Engine: 1,216cc 4-cyl
Transmission: Z/F gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 84@6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 75@3,750rpm
0-62mph: 11 seconds (0-60mph)
First registered: 1961
Recorded mileage: N/A
Price new: £N/A
Price now: £94,995

See the original ad here.

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1989 Esprit
As has been the case for a long time, an Esprit appears to represent incredible value for money. Here is a 150mph, mid-engined 80s sports car for £11,500. We are all aware of how daft 911 prices are currently but when even a BMW 6 Series auto with similar mileage is just £1,000 less the Lotus is made to look a fantastic bargain.

According to the seller of this car, all the common faults have been addressed and it's served him very well as a daily driver. Of course owner testimonies must be taken with a pinch of salt but it would appear all precautions have been taken to avoid any major issues. Doesn't mean they won't happen though...

But what else can be bought that looks this good, handles this well and goes this fast for the money? There's a challenge!

LOTUS ESPRIT
Engine: 2,174cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 268@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 261@3,900rpm
0-62mph: 4.7 (0-60mph)
First registered: 1989
Recorded mileage: 105,000
Price new: £42,500
Price now: £11,500

See the original ad here.

 

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1991 Elan
What was that about Esprits representing great value for money? Here's a superb little Elan M100, the more desirable SE with just 67,000 miles recorded, for just £5,450. You may sniff at its front-wheel drive but the Elan remains lauded as one of the best front-drivers ever.

Of course the cheaper MX-5 stole much of the Elan's thunder but its rarity ensures some appeal today. To these eyes it still looks quite modern too. Perhaps not the obvious Lotus choice, but certainly one with considerable merit. And it's £5K!

LOTUS ELAN
Engine: 1,588cc 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 167@6,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 148@4,200rpm
0-62mph: 6.5 sec (to 60mph)
First registered: 1991
Recorded mileage:67,450
Price new: £N/A
Yours for: £5,450

See original ad here.

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1992 Carlton
Well there's only one thing for it if you want to powerslide all of Hethel... Lotus Carlton values have certainly strengthened recently, as evidenced by this low mileage car for sale at nearly £40K. Still, you would if you could, right?

It has been dry stored for a number of years so will probably require some light recommissioning before any track work. Or it could be the tow car for the Elite? But it's not a PH Hero for no reason, and it's certainly cooler than the German alternatives . Grab it while you can!

LOTUS CARLTON
Engine: 3,615cc 6-cyl twin-turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 382@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 415@4,200rpm
0-62mph: 5.4 sec (to 60mph)
First registered: 1992
Recorded mileage: 26,200
Price new (1990): £48,000
Yours for: £39,000

See original ad here.

[Spec sources: Carfolio, LotusEspritWorld]

[daveco]

That first Lotus Coventry...

*unzips*

[soad]

The wheels are massive, the body kit is massive, the exhausts are massive - that Carlton!

[Moospeed]

On the Esprit....

> But what else can be bought that looks this good, handles this well and goes this fast for the money? There's a challenge!

Any ideas? Brain is smoking now...

[Itsallicanafford]

I really fancy an Elan, think i will wait until there is snow on the ground this winter and go bargain hunting.

[SrMoreno]

Itsallicanafford said:

I really fancy an Elan, think i will wait until there is snow on the ground this winter and go bargain hunting.

Good news, there's snow on Ben Nevis at the moment. Get it today.

[pSyCoSiS]

That Carlton for me please.

[rbgos]

For even less than the Esprit you can get an Excel. Well, not right now, there's only one on PH and it's £6,750, but you'll see daily drivers down to £3,500 or so if you bide your time. Same Lotus 900-series engine as the Esprit (but no turbo'd versions), the SE model has 180hp. As with any Lotus it's lightweight, great handling, and superb to drive. Unlike some Loti, it's remarkably reliable, will seat four (at a push), and you can still fit in the driving seat if you're over 6'.

[rjracin240]

Seeing as how Hethel is open to other brands, I am going to be the rude yank and stir the poop a bit; a definite competitor for a strong running pre-95 track car if set up right and cheap as dirt (relatively speaking)would be a Datsun 240Z. Definitely can wipe the smile off some drivers of rather expensive machinery, but oh so rewarding as the Datsun driver. Lovely sound with a set of side drafts on, and some good angles of the car for the viewing pleasure

Edited by rjracin240 on Tuesday 19th May 23:20

[gremlin666]

This is more like that £100K Garage thing....... well, without the Elite obviously.

Much prefer the S1 - S3 Esprits over the Peter Stevens cars, especially the 'JPS' edition.

Always liked the General Motors Elan. And they're kind of bargain basement money.

And the Carlton. Just great that they exist. Not really a Q car looking like that, and with a Lotus badge on the back. But if I had £40K going spare........

[kambites]

That Elite is glorious. The Carlton is nice enough but I can't imagine what I'd ever use it for, it's too nice (and too expensive) to use as a family car and too big and heavy to drive purely for fun.

I've never been particularly keen on the Esprit or M100. Turbocharged sports cars just don't appeal.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 20th May 06:24

[Moospeed]

rbgos said:

For even less than the Esprit you can get an Excel. Well, not right now, there's only one on PH and it's £6,750, but you'll see daily drivers down to £3,500 or so if you bide your time. Same Lotus 900-series engine as the Esprit (but no turbo'd versions), the SE model has 180hp. As with any Lotus it's lightweight, great handling, and superb to drive. Unlike some Loti, it's remarkably reliable, will seat four (at a push), and you can still fit in the driving seat if you're over 6'.

Not even close to being a looker like the esprit though? Otherwise though a good suggestion.

[nickydee]

SrMoreno said:

Good news, there's snow on Ben Nevis at the moment. Get it today.

For the first time in ten years the prices of M100 are rising. Buy now or pay more later.

[j_s14a]

Moospeed said:

On the Esprit....

> But what else can be bought that looks this good, handles this well and goes this fast for the money? There's a challenge!

Any ideas? Brain is smoking now...

Mazda FD3S RX7 is the only contender I can think of. Similar reliability too