The Lotus Elan, an unsuspecting giant killer

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  • Опубликовано: 29 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 130

  • @05gtdriver
    @05gtdriver 2 года назад +20

    " Mrs. Peel, we're needed"

  • @tvrduude
    @tvrduude 2 года назад +19

    Nice video! For the uninitiated to Elans, I point out that Gordan Murray, F1 designer and force be hind McLaren cars owns 2 Elans and considers them a goal to emulate at all times. A significant seal of approval!

  • @GTSCarLife
    @GTSCarLife 2 года назад +35

    So nice seeing something different every now and then! The car that is single handedly responsible for Mazda building the MX-5 Miata!

    • @oneoldgit
      @oneoldgit 2 года назад

      Yeah. When both in GM ownership the plans of the elan were given to a Brit design house who converted it to a steel body for Mazda

    • @dickieb2233
      @dickieb2233 Год назад +2

      @@oneoldgit What a pile of , sorry you say "crock" over the pond.

    • @mrdainase
      @mrdainase Год назад +2

      @@oneoldgit GM have never owned Mazda. The dimensions of the MX5 are nowhere near the same as the Elan. And finally, IAD in the UK created a prototype for Mazda featuring a fibreglass body. The Elan was a source of inspiration for the MX5, nothing more.

    • @oneoldgit
      @oneoldgit Год назад

      @@mrdainase I must admit I have always believed the story about Mazda being owned by GM. But having checked you are correct. However I worked with guys from IAD who claimed that was the case. They also said they had the drawings of the Lotus to use as guide lines.

    • @Pauley_in_GP
      @Pauley_in_GP Год назад

      As an older guy, when I drive my Miata, I often fantasize an Elan, especially after watching a video like this. It's true.
      Sure wish my dashboard look more like that!

  • @johnnysmith863
    @johnnysmith863 2 года назад +8

    I first got in to cars as a kid when a neighbour was rebuilding his Elan Sprint in his garage - he'd spun it on ice in to a wall. I used to 'help' by handing him tools.
    Anyway, I've loved Lotuses ever since and the original Elan in particular. It's one of those benchmark cars that really changed how sportscars were made ever since.

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад +2

      They are suprisingly quick and fun to drive!

  • @maseratilotus
    @maseratilotus 6 месяцев назад +2

    Was this filmed on a trailer? Speedo and rev counter on zero!!
    Owned my Elan +2S 130/5 for 46 years, never let me down yet, best handling car I’ve owned. Brilliant 👍

    • @michaeltb1358
      @michaeltb1358 6 месяцев назад

      Looks like instruments are not working at all!

  • @craigluhr7243
    @craigluhr7243 2 года назад +3

    I loved this car and wanted one when I had a '72 Triumph TR6. I look at these now and never realized how small they were. It is a beautiful car.

    • @justindaley2460
      @justindaley2460 2 года назад

      I have a 72 TR6 and a 71 Elan. I have a definite favourite!

  • @chas4life
    @chas4life Год назад

    My Dad owned a BUNCH of British sports cars when I was growin up, but in the late 70's he bought an Elan and took me and my little brother out for a spirited drive many times. Fond memories of the sound and the style of this car. Haven't seen one on the road since, but they truly are special cars.

  • @jefflavigne1747
    @jefflavigne1747 2 года назад +1

    I can relate. I have owned a ‘67 Elan DHC for 35 years. That alone stands testament to how good they are; never felt the need to improve on it. Before you sell, could you please: 1. Put the windscreen wipers back on. 2. Reattach the interior light dangling by your head. 3. Get the tach and speedo working. Thanks for a great video!

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад

      They took the wipers off because racecar...

  • @AtypicalDriver
    @AtypicalDriver 2 года назад +2

    Glad to see some Lotus coverage here!

  • @geoffclarke8934
    @geoffclarke8934 2 года назад +5

    Brilliant little cars. I'd have an Elan in my dream car garage.

    • @LateNightCable
      @LateNightCable 2 года назад

      Mine as well, top ten in fact. Though I wonder if I could fit in one. My knees are in the dash of my little, but comparably much larger NB Miata.

  • @gregkarkowsky967
    @gregkarkowsky967 2 года назад +2

    Gotta love the Lotus. My wife has an Elise daily driver.

  • @canucklehead0
    @canucklehead0 2 года назад +10

    So brilliant, that the Mazda corporation copied it almost exactly for the first generation MX-5 / Miata's.

    • @oneoldgit
      @oneoldgit 2 года назад

      Copied the plans when both in GM ownership

    • @mrdainase
      @mrdainase Год назад

      @@oneoldgit Oh dear.....

  • @johnmaroulis
    @johnmaroulis 2 года назад +2

    I owned and raced an Elan S2 (Red!) in Australia. Best car of many that I owned and or raced!!! We compered quite successfully in theNational International Rothmans12 hour race at Surfers Paradise one year. Some great cars and drivers in that race incl a young Jackie Stewart, Paul Hawkins , Hawthorne Attwood etel and some top Aussie drivers.Cars were varied, even a mini moke with a hot Cooper S motor in ii, 250LM Ferrari AC Cobra, various Porche species, Lola Lotus super 7 and Lotus Elan, Sorry, I cant see where to put a pic here! Cheers John Maroulis

  • @friendlypiranha774
    @friendlypiranha774 2 года назад +3

    Little cars have HUGE personalities 😍

  • @louislottner9427
    @louislottner9427 2 года назад +2

    She is absolutely right. I drive a Series 2 love it.. it is like a racing car of the 6o's

  • @danielthomas8507
    @danielthomas8507 2 года назад +2

    I own a mk1 mx5 because i couldn't afford an elan....mazda done a good job using the elan as the blueprint as it too is fun to drive ........The elan is the dream the miata is reality hehe....great video Colleen...cheers.

    • @paulduffin131
      @paulduffin131 7 месяцев назад

      I own an elan m100 miatas arch nemesis 😂 but got u wave from a miata the other day or because I'm from Scotland mx5

  • @iulian2548
    @iulian2548 2 года назад +2

    My favorite classic 4 cylinder car of all time.
    Less is more.

  • @naurybirnbaum7471
    @naurybirnbaum7471 2 года назад +4

    This car, as noted, has a Dave Vegher twincam. A "Vegher Power" twincam in good shape is worth $20K alone. This car, as told to me my James McNiff (previous owner), hit a top speed of 143mph. The stock twincam on the S3 was maybe 110 bhp. A Vegher version, as in this car, could easily be 150 bhp or more. My Vegher twincam (street not race engine) makes 181 bhp in my Elan. Yields a horsepower to weight ratio of the early Viper. Pretty damn quick and will out handle most cars.

    • @richarda8097
      @richarda8097 2 года назад +1

      Hmmm...street engine pushing out 181bhp, please post engine spec - you maybe able to make a fortune.

    • @barryfeatherstone1616
      @barryfeatherstone1616 2 года назад

      @@richarda8097 The 26R put out 180bhp in 1964... I think perhaps a good engine tuner could emulate that these days without too much trouble... 😊👍

    • @AskewRichard
      @AskewRichard 2 года назад +2

      Hi Barry
      Agreed. The Ian Walker prepared 26r knocked out around 180bhp in race trim, but that wouldn't be very useful for street use...as originally asserted. Imho 150bhp is about as far as you get for street use and keeping to the original 1558cc. But if someone has come up with super-duper spec that offers a tractable non-turbo'd or nitro'd 180bhp, I would love to see sight of the spec.

    • @naurybirnbaum7471
      @naurybirnbaum7471 2 года назад +1

      @@AskewRichard et al
      • New CNC Lotus Twincam Weber cylinder head. Street ported. Aluminum LM25 TF alloy. No cam bearings needed.
      • New Weber DCOE 40’s (151) with relatively small 32 mm chokes for better street tractability but engine still is able to develop substantial horsepower and torque at streetable rpms (7K redline). This elevated output belies the common wisdom that Weber 45’s and larger chokes are needed to generate this level of power. Horsepower and torque are similar or exceed the performance of many Lotus 26R and GTS racing variants and at lower (non-race) rpm’s.
      • Valves: Manley Mfg. Stainless steel with hard chrome finish on stems. 1.625” on the intake and 1.375” on the exhaust. By comparison with the Elan “Big Valve” Sprint @ 1.565” intake, 1.325” exhaust.
      • Cams: Kent Cams. High lift/short duration
      o Lift 0.440” gross vs Elan Sprint “D” cam @ 0.360”
      o 250deg duration measured @ .050” lift vs Sprint 232deg
      o 105deg lobe center on the intake and 107deg lobe center on the exhaust
      o 0.008” lash intake cold
      o 0.010” lash exhaust cold
      • Formula Ford SCAT crank, robust square main bearing caps
      • Long 4.928" rods vs standard 4.8”, ARP 2000 bolts
      • Custom forged CP racing pistons, 3.2765" in diameter, Engine Bore 3.2795 (83.3mm vs 82.5). Displacement: 1692 cc vs 1558
      • 10.25 compression ratio, uses unleaded pump gas (US 91 (R+M)/2 octane)
      • Custom made Lotus 26R deep airbox and mounting plate (the smaller stock airbox reduced bhp by 7hp on the dyno)
      • Custom baffled engine sump to reduce cornering oil pressure losses
      • Lightened flywheel (Fidanza), saves 7.5 pounds and provides more dynamic response of the engine. No loss of smoothness at idle or in street driving.
      Dyno at the flywheel: 181.3 @ 6900, 142.9 torque @5100 . ~Flat torque 4K - 7K
      Thus, it is reasonable that the Vegher engine in this car could be in the 150 hp range. Lest, those doubters think that my engine is unique and not legitimately developing the stated power, please see Lotus7.com for similar examples of modern high output twin cams from another master builder, Tony Ingram.
      lotus7.com/1741_CC.html

    • @barryfeatherstone1616
      @barryfeatherstone1616 2 года назад

      @@AskewRichard True - then.... My point was that with today's engineering a lot more is available - reliably too... 😊

  • @ArthurStone
    @ArthurStone 2 года назад +1

    Thanks; much appreciated. The truck at the left rear of garage looks cool : D

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад +2

      Thats bootstrap, im currently in the proccess of restoring.... in my spare time 😅

  • @komradkolonel
    @komradkolonel 2 года назад +7

    I've seen these and they are really tiny. One of the smallest cars I've ever seen. They weigh next to nothing so they didn't need a lot of power to get them going. Lotus cars have good engines and transmission but the frames had essentially no rust protection so you never drove them in the rain or snow. Some people wouldn't like how loud they are but to me that's better than listening to the radio.

  • @christophergreasley9300
    @christophergreasley9300 7 месяцев назад

    I owned a 1967 Lotus Elan for nearly 14 years in the 1970,s and 80’s and rebuilt it twice on new chassis’. The wooden dashboard is made of quite thin veneered plywood and weighs virtually nothing. It adds nothing whatsoever to the structural rigidity of the car which comes almost entirely from the backbone chassis. It was (and is) a wonderful car. I now have a Mazda MX5 ND and, as best as I can recollect, it handles very much like my Lotus which is high praise to the Mazda engineers who were clearly briefed to design it to do just that.

  • @geoffclarke3796
    @geoffclarke3796 5 месяцев назад

    Great video. These are fantastic little cats and would be in my dream garage collection for sure.

  • @bocomoto
    @bocomoto 2 года назад +6

    Need to dial in the clutch control deal,..nice presentation otherwise.

    • @cliffsfolks9092
      @cliffsfolks9092 2 года назад

      In my experience, 90 percent of the folks driving a manual transmission don’t know how to do it with elan.

    • @MadAntz970
      @MadAntz970 2 года назад

      Ouch poor clutch. Also none of the gauges work????

  • @monty6545
    @monty6545 2 года назад +1

    This was a nice surprise , i live not far from the factory that made the Elan .

  • @charlestesoro7902
    @charlestesoro7902 2 года назад +1

    Emma Peel's (Diana Rigg's) favorite ride!

  • @archsailor
    @archsailor 7 месяцев назад

    I bought a 1966 Lotus Elan in 1972 and loved it. I went around corners like paint and accelerated quickly. It was the S2 version (Stage 2) of 1, 2 and 3. Each had more horse power. I had to sell it when I went into the Peace Corp in 1973. A sad moment. I think the Mazda Miata copied the body style when they first came out.

  • @robertlloyd7493
    @robertlloyd7493 2 года назад +2

    Used to be built 5 miles from where I live....sold in kit form if you wanted to avoid car tax !

    • @MadAntz970
      @MadAntz970 2 года назад

      Correct. In actual fact Colin Chapman managed to provide a completed car, less the road wheels fitted. That got round the car sales tax for a while until the government cottoned on...

  • @erepsekahs
    @erepsekahs Год назад

    "Here we go loopdi-loo, Here we go loopdi-li, Here we go loopdi-loo, All on a Saturday night." Thanks for the tour Loopy. What the ding-a-ling is failing to tell you, because whoever told her didn't know either, is that the instruction booklet telling you how to put it together was written in reverse order because simply selling it as a kit with instructions on how to put it together, did not avoid the tax, so it actually gave detailed instructions on how to take it apart. That is a fact. I know because I lived in the UK at the time.

  • @michaeltb1358
    @michaeltb1358 6 месяцев назад

    I wonder how those wheels and tyres were squeezed in. Original tyres were 145 - 13. Later cars used 155-13 but wheel arches were extended. This looks like an S3 shell but tyres are wider than 145.

  • @GeoffBottoms
    @GeoffBottoms 7 месяцев назад

    When you are driving the Elan why is the Tack and Speedo and temp gage reading 0 ? Owner of S1 and S2 Elan's

  • @paulblouin6955
    @paulblouin6955 Год назад

    According to Isac Newton you don't have to slow down a Elan or Seven to turn. The gearbox is straight out of a British Ford but with closer gear ratios. I drive a Cortina GT because the Elan was so much fun to shift.

  • @SeattleSoulFan
    @SeattleSoulFan 2 года назад +2

    "Simplify, then add lightness."

  • @LateNightCable
    @LateNightCable 2 года назад +1

    I’ve wanted an early Elan for a long time, and try to fathom how tiny it is as I’ve never seen one in person
    . I know my ‘99 Miata is considerably larger externally, so I wonder if I could still fit into an Elan, being 6’6” but lanky.

    • @bradleypease2492
      @bradleypease2492 Год назад

      There’s two positions for the seats - second one is designed so someone more your height can fit into one

  • @12dougreed
    @12dougreed 2 года назад +2

    Now one can see why you get clutch problems.
    In England we call it riding the clutch . 😂😂

    • @richarda8097
      @richarda8097 2 года назад

      Maybe it's still has its original Rotoflex couplings, which need a different technique to avoid kangaroo starts

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад +2

      And or one is trying not to run over their videographer 😆

  • @ChrisEbbrsen
    @ChrisEbbrsen Месяц назад

    Would have liked to at least see you with helmet, there seems to be no roll bar in that Elan. Your presentation excellant. Maybe put it on hoist and make sure no brake leaks first before driving? Looking forward to more demonstrations by you! Thank you.

  • @soaruk3697
    @soaruk3697 8 месяцев назад

    Always laugh when people say the Elite was 'fragile' - it won it's class at LeMans 6 times in a row - don't think any other car has done this. It also finished the Monte Carlo rally when entered.

  • @primokona
    @primokona Год назад

    LOVE THIS CAR

  • @timgosling6189
    @timgosling6189 2 года назад +1

    FYI, that lovely gearbox started life in the Ford Anglia of Harry Potter fame. UK Ford manual boxes in the 1960s were awesome!

    • @AskewRichard
      @AskewRichard 2 года назад +2

      ...I think you'll find it was from a Ford Corsair GB not Anglia.

  • @daveblock4061
    @daveblock4061 Год назад

    Funky shodding it with Yokohama 048s. Same as my Elise came with.

  • @michaelreis4789
    @michaelreis4789 2 года назад

    What is this green colour called?? Looks Stunning!

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад +1

      British racing green.

    • @michaelreis4789
      @michaelreis4789 2 года назад +1

      @@FerrarisOnline Must be a darker shade of BRG... looks much richer and deeper than the typical Lotus BRG - Either way pretty awesome car, nice review!

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад

      @@michaelreis4789 thanks.

  • @upsidedowndog1256
    @upsidedowndog1256 2 года назад

    Real cool car! It sounds like my 84 Nissan Pickup, which is a tiny truck.

  • @thomasveierd9696
    @thomasveierd9696 2 года назад

    "Corners like it's on rails" Nice li'l reference there some Lotus aficionados might recognize. Was it deliberate, though?

  • @grahaminkpen5436
    @grahaminkpen5436 2 года назад

    I had a Europa Twin Cam. Best fun I have ever had in any car I have owned. Should never have sold it.

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад

      We just got a frame off resto europa. :) I just have to assembled it. Should be fun.

    • @grahaminkpen5436
      @grahaminkpen5436 2 года назад

      @@FerrarisOnline well they are easy to take apart - as in body off chassis. The S2 wasn’t so good with its Renault engine but the twin cam is good fun. The ones destined for the states lacked the same performance due to emissions regs. Fitted with rubbish Strombergs aligned to paired up inlet ports on the cylinder heads. That Elan you have is how we got them in the U.K.

  • @MrMotherFuker
    @MrMotherFuker 2 года назад

    Want. These cars are so damn quick.

  • @andrewpolasek5524
    @andrewpolasek5524 Год назад

    I love these cars. I think my NA Miata has Elan envy. 😅

  • @me-also-youtuber
    @me-also-youtuber 2 года назад

    Kia from ROK also released KIA-version Elan for Korean domestic market.

  • @timsbike4887
    @timsbike4887 2 года назад +1

    As soon as someone puts their hand on the inside of the wheel to steer i cant watch..

  • @MadAntz970
    @MadAntz970 2 года назад

    Webber DCOE carbs came as standard on the "Big Value" models (around 130 ish bhp), else the car came fitted with a pair of Strongberg carbs with slightly less power. Not a straight forward upgrade as the Lotus heads are different on the Ford Kent cross flow derived twin cam or "Twink" engine. Colin Chapmans ethos "Engineer in Lightness"

    • @melvynwoodman5787
      @melvynwoodman5787 2 года назад

      Not true.The Webber dcoe was fitted to all series elans from the start although engine output was gradually increased as the years went by. The Strombergs only appeared on some series 4 cars mainly for US emission versions but not exclusively so. Some Sprints were supplied with Dellorto carbs similar to the Webbers but I am not sure why this was done, possibly supply issues.

    • @andrewpolasek5524
      @andrewpolasek5524 Год назад

      Big Value engine? I think it was Big Valve.

  • @abogoni
    @abogoni 11 месяцев назад

    omg - your that cool chick from Donut Media - great video ❤
    nice camara work - the video filter thing - im starting a channel and i like your style 😎
    im like 6 foot (182cm) and 130kg (i do strongman) - do you think id fit in the car 😊

  • @PeterRichter-mm6jh
    @PeterRichter-mm6jh 2 года назад

    But the lamp for the interior could at least have been screwed on, because it really doesn't look good that way 😞

  • @kev-the-windsurfer.
    @kev-the-windsurfer. 2 года назад

    What a hoot of a car!! soooooooo many interesting things to look at in the background, did I see what appears to be a Ferrari 330P4 replica? Or maybe its even real?

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад +1

      If your talking about the project car in primer, it is a replica Ferrari 512M (the racecar not the street car.) 🙂

    • @kev-the-windsurfer.
      @kev-the-windsurfer. 2 года назад

      @@FerrarisOnline yes that’s the one!! You have some very interesting projects on the go!!

  • @paulduffin131
    @paulduffin131 7 месяцев назад

    Pop up headlights rule

  • @wesleycardinal8869
    @wesleycardinal8869 2 года назад +3

    If you want a car to be seen, get a Ferrari. If you want a car to drive, get a Lotus 👍🇦🇺

  • @jamiekeeper6204
    @jamiekeeper6204 2 года назад

    Beautiful 😍 the car is nice too 😊

  • @Andoniscars
    @Andoniscars 2 года назад

    love this. in yellow

  • @wheelsfetish
    @wheelsfetish 2 года назад

    Still for sale? Price?

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад +1

      This elan sold, however we do have a europa undergoing a restoration at the moment.

  • @MrMichele1070
    @MrMichele1070 2 года назад

    So cool 😎

  • @MrStegerhoek
    @MrStegerhoek 5 месяцев назад

    I'll teach you how to drive this queen.....

  • @johnpoulter8611
    @johnpoulter8611 Год назад

    Pity none of the visible gauges were working - deliberate or poor restoration? Don't ride the clutch when you change gear.

  • @hoedemakerbart
    @hoedemakerbart 2 года назад +2

    Colleen 😍🤪

  • @jamiekeeper6204
    @jamiekeeper6204 2 года назад

    I have noticed it’s British engineers who are the best 😊 I’m slightly biased I suppose 😜🤪

  • @benhur_9377
    @benhur_9377 8 месяцев назад

  • @gilligan80
    @gilligan80 2 года назад

    They were treated like saturn ions

  • @kurtappley4550
    @kurtappley4550 8 месяцев назад

    1280# homologated race weight....

  • @cva1122
    @cva1122 2 года назад

    Race car? No harness or even belts?

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад

      Cage is currently out of the car. As it was in the proccess of being restored

  • @johnnyfuglestad349
    @johnnyfuglestad349 Год назад

    dellorto carbs was and is prefered, weber is only second choice. the elan is the best sportscar ever.

  • @visekual6248
    @visekual6248 2 года назад

    Driving a right hand car is easy until you need to overtake a truck on a two-lane road.

    • @AskewRichard
      @AskewRichard 2 года назад +1

      The trick is to always have a passenger. Then, when you pull out, you glance across to their face. If it's stark horror, you know something's coming the other way.

    • @FerrarisOnline
      @FerrarisOnline  2 года назад

      Exactly!

  • @automotiveaffairsshorts
    @automotiveaffairsshorts 2 года назад

    So gorgeous… and we don’t mean the car 😍

  • @oneoldgit
    @oneoldgit 2 года назад

    I had a 1966 elan S3 and when it went well it was brilliant. However it was a nightmare when things went wrong

  • @garydunn7014
    @garydunn7014 Год назад

    None of the gauges working.....

  • @robertoferrari5397
    @robertoferrari5397 2 года назад

    ...i like my Fiat 500.🙂

  • @413TomaccoRoad
    @413TomaccoRoad 3 месяца назад

    Not enough hp but a very nice car otherwise.

  • @berockization
    @berockization Год назад

    What is a Lotus Elon? For crying out loud! Say it correctly. Elan rhymes with pan and can and man.

  • @colinbatchford8007
    @colinbatchford8007 Месяц назад

    You must know some good mechanics and some poor tattooist.

  • @phillipwyatt7370
    @phillipwyatt7370 2 года назад

    if only you could pronounce the name better its an elan not elarn

    • @jeffhildreth9244
      @jeffhildreth9244 2 года назад +2

      To add,, the gyrating and gesticulating and hair flipping is annoying.

    • @richarda8097
      @richarda8097 2 года назад

      And also across the pond, they call them Jagwar not JagUar

    • @mrdainase
      @mrdainase Год назад

      If you want to be a pronunciation Nazi, it's actually spoken as Eylarn.
      You're welcome.

    • @mrdainase
      @mrdainase Год назад

      @@jeffhildreth9244 Well, you should stop doing it then.