Lotus Elan Parts and Spares

elan1962-1973side1 From the outside looking in, the Lotus Elan is a Lotus that only a mother could love. It's small enough that Smurfette would have to leave her purse at home, and forget bringing more than 1 person at a time for a ride. Though there are definitely two seats in the Elan, the second one is more like window-dressing than a place to rest a weary hind-end after a long day.

Of course, for every negative that can be penned about the Elan, there is one single positive point that easily outweighs them all. The Elan is quick. It's not Lamborghini fast, and it's not muscle car loud, but it is very quick. Of course, quick is more than a function of 0-60 time, though the Elan does that in less than 7 seconds. Quick is an amalgamation of both speed and handling, and handling is what the Elan has in spades. The acceleration on the Elan is slowing than the competition, but Elan owners are used to seeing taillights ahead of them. That is, until they reach the first corner and the other car has to actually slow down to make the turn. The Elan simply doesn't. It can take all but the most ferocious corners at speeds approaching it's top end of nearly 140 miles per hour thanks to the incredibly stiff chassis and the suspension from heaven.

The Lotus Elan weighs just a hair under 2,500 pounds and none of that weight is wasted on silly things like interior amenities. The seats are small and uncomfortable, and the steering wheel is placed as unceremoniously bad as can be. However, I've never actually met someone who bought a sports car because they were comfortable and had shiny bits inside. The fibreglass body panels on the Elan cover a frame that is a rigid a platform as can be found anywhere. The car itself seems to be bolted to the track or, goodness forbid, a back-country road with little traffic. The car rides surprisingly well, considering that it's a convertible, and every inch of the car screams to the driver to go just a shade faster around the next bend. The best part about the Elan . . . you can actually listen.