Lotus Excel Parts

August 17th, 2009

The Lotus Excel is considered by many as one of finest cars ever produced by British automaker Lotus. The Excel has a 2X2 body type with two front seats and two back seats. Like its predecessor the Lotus Elcat, the original Excel (known as the Éclat Excel) features excellent aerodynamic design, W58 manual transmission and a gearbox made by Toyota.

Toyota had purchased a large share of Lotus before the latter was purchased by General Motors. However, Toyota continued to make components for Lotus vehicles.

The Excel is a powerful sports car with a DOHC 2.2 litre Lotus 912 Slant Four engine. The 16 valve, all-aluminum engine is capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in just 7.1 seconds. In 1985, the engine was upgraded in the Excel SE to 180 bhp/134 kW from the original 160 bhp/199 kW. In 1986, the Excel SA used automatic rather than standard transmission.

The Lotus Excel was manufactured between 1982 and 1992. However, the car never received the publicity it deserved, possibly because it was never released in the United States where it failed emission requirements. A total of 2,160 Excels were produced.

The final Excel SA model in 1992 was priced at £22,900, while the stick-shift SE sold for £19,590.

Performance wise, the Lotus Excel can reach top speeds of about 130 mph. The SE version uses a 5 speed synchromesh Toyota manual transmission. The Lotus SA has instead a 4 speed ZF 4HP22 automatic gearbox. The vehicle consumes 22mpg and can carry a maximum payload of 890 lb. The SE model can accelerate to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

The Excel is front-engined with rear wheel drive and independent rear suspension. The vehicle uses rack and pinion assisted steering, and all around servo disc brakes.

The Lotus Excel is an excellent sports car with speed, acceleration and handling combined with great economy and reliability. Excel lovers consider the car one of the most attractive produced by Lotus. Despite its age, owners report that the vehicle is still relatively trouble free. And they note that this model still attracts many admirers.

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