The Fiberglass Lotus GTs Almost Nobody Remembers Today
Lotus has built its reputation on a strict philosophy. In the words of its founder, Colin Chapman, its cars must be built under the following direction: “Simplify, then add lightness.” A traditional Lotus deprives its driver of cupholders, sound insulation, and luggage space to maintain its feathery curb weight. It welcomes no more than one extra passenger, assuming they are agile enough to clamber into the tight cabin. The occupants are then pressed against the road, but they would be mistaken if they thought the suspension was kind enough to filter out the potholes. This is the most analog driving experience you can achieve in a modern car, and it is the reason why Lotus is revered among enthusiasts.
But the brand’s legacy includes much more than lightweight roadsters and kit cars. And contrary to popular belief, the fully-electric four-doors that Lotus has recently added to its lineup are not the first models to shamelessly defy Chapman’s formula.
History Repeats Itself At Lotus
Lotus’s recent history has been nothing short of controversial. Enthusiasts wielded their pitchforks when the brand seemingly threw away its iconic light-as-a-feather sports cars in favor of the Eletre SUV and Emeya sedan, both of which bear the immense weight of electric batteries and contradict numerous aspects of Lotus’s tried-and-true sports car formula.
Both models break the automaker’s traditional bare-bones, no-frills approach to its interiors, instead presenting occupants with tablet-style touchscreens, motorized cupholders, and automatic door handles. They also indulge occupants with an unusual abundance of soft-touch materials, with a choice of sumptuous leather or sustainable wool-blend fabric. Lightweight fiberglass and basic plastics are nowhere to be found here, and the only trace of carbon fiber is in the fancy recycled weaves that have been compressed into a matte resin.
What’s more, the brand’s traditional emphasis on full driver involvement is completely supplanted by a full array of LiDAR sensors that automatically retract for aerodynamics purposes, which aims to enable fully autonomous driving in the future. And while Lotus usually pays little attention to straight-line power, the Eletre and Emeya emphasize blistering acceleration rather than precise cornering, boasting over 600 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque in base-model form. Higher-performance trims push well past 900 hp and 700 lb-ft in both models.
Being fully electric, the Eletre and Emeya cannot hide the elephant in the room, which is their unironically elephant-like weight. Breaking the scales at a respective 5,655 lbs and5,489lbs, it is immediately apparent that this is noElise. With these electric behemoths sagging under the weight of ultra-advanced technology and massive battery packs, it comes as no surprise that enthusiasts are not exactly thrilled that these four-door models wear the Lotus badge.
However, few are aware that sacrilege is nothing new at Lotus, and this isn’t the first time the brand has veered off its traditional path. In fact, the storied British automaker went through a very similar phase half a century ago, when it ruffled enthusiasts’ feathers with the introduction of several large, luxurious grand tourers.
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Chapman Broke His Own Rules
That’s right, Lotus’s lightweight, no-fluff philosophy was broken by the very person who created it. As shocking as it may sound, the company’s founder, Colin Chapman, personally opted to transition away from the simple kit cars that Lotus had become known for. Chapman hoped that the introduction of higher-margin vehicles would cover the expenses of his Formula 1 aspirations, and clearly, he was willing to take dramatic measures to achieve that goal.
Chapman was also eager to expand Lotus’s appeal beyond the cluster of enthusiasts who devoured his racing-derived kit cars. By adding refined and practical grand tourers that didn’t punish their occupants with stiff suspensions and tight cabins, he hoped to introduce the brand to an entirely new, and arguably much larger, audience of buyers who preferred a luxurious motoring experience.
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A Lotus With Lush Leather And Room For Four
For the first time ever, the Lotus badge would adorn a machine that was generous enough to offer air conditioning and ample leather-wrapped seating. The Lotus Elite and Eclat debuted in the mid-1970s, each boasting spacious hatchback body styles that pitted them directly against grand tourers from Jaguar, Porsche, and Ferrari. Both models easily accommodated four passengers and cradled them in an abundance of soft-touch materials and glossy wood trim sculpted by Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Italdesign, which was a wild departure from the cramped cockpits of Lotus’s older sports cars. A former Jaguar designer was poached to create a cutting-edge, wedge-like exterior shape, bearing zero resemblance to any previous Lotus.
While the Elite and Eclat undoubtedly looked and felt vastly different from traditional Lotus sports cars, the brand still made strong efforts to connect them to their roots. Both models introduced a cutting-edge fiberglass body and steel backbone chassis, staying true to Lotus’s lightweight philosophy with curb weights of 2,452 lbs (1,112 kg) for the base Elite and 2,160 lbs (980 kg) for the base Eclat. Both also drew power from in-house engines with identical output, and they were originally fitted with a 2.0-liter Lotus 907 inline-four engine producing 140–150 hp, while the later 2.2-liter 912 version bumped power up to around 160 hp and fixed the excruciating lack of low-end torque that hampered the 907-equipped models. Depending on the year and trim, the Elite and Eclat were initially equipped with either a four- or five-speed manual transmission. A GM-sourced three-speed automatic transmission was eventually added as an option.
|
Car |
Horsepower |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|
Lotus Elite (2.2L) |
160 HP |
160 LB-FT |
6.5 seconds |
|
Lotus Eclat (2.2L) |
160 HP |
160 LB-FT |
7.3 seconds |
|
Lotus Excel |
160 HP |
163 LB-FT |
6.5 seconds |
The Elite and Eclat were not exactly reliable. They were plagued with unmistakably British electrical issues, as well as rust in the steel chassis. In addition, the transmissions, drivetrains, and brakes were outsourced from cheaper British Leyland models that couldn’t handle the output of a high-performance grand tourer. As a result of this hodgepodge of components, maintenance schedules were demanding, and the Elite and Eclat couldn’t tough it out when neglected.
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The Formula Evolves With The Excel
The Excel arrived in the 1980s as a successor to the Elite and Eclat, and it doubled down on daily drivability by attempting to iron out the quirks and flaws that plagued the earlier models. The dodgy outsourced parts that powered its predecessors were replaced with more robust parts from Toyota, including the A60 Celica Supra’s W58 5-speed manual, drivetrain, and brakes. Lotus also attempted to remedy the older models’ electrical gremlins with Toyota-sourced pop-up headlight controls and window switches. While the Excel still utilized Lotus’s own 2.2-liter 912 engine, Lotus’s access to the Toyota parts bin managed to make it a much more dependable grand tourer.
While the Excel never achieved nearly the same level of popularity as two-seater models like the Esprit or Elan, it quietly served as the ultimate culmination of Chapman’s 2+2 grand tourer. By fixing the reliability qualms of the earlier Elite and Eclat and delivering a smooth evolution of their distinctive wedge styling, the Excel proved that Lotus was capable of blending reliability, practicality, and luxury with its famed lightweight build and responsive driving character. The Excel closed the brand’s four-seater chapter when it ended production in 1992, following a rather impressive ten-year run. Lotus never followed up with a direct successor, and the lineup moved on without a grand tourer model for over 30 years until the arrival of the modern-age super sedan that is the Emeya.
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Why These Cars Shouldn’t Be Forgotten
While the era of the Lotus 2+2 grand tourer is one that few remember, its dramatic departure from the usual formula is remarkably similar to the brand’s recent introduction of luxurious EVs. While the heavy, hyper-modern nature of the Eletre and Emeya may seem unprecedented, the Elite, Eclat, and Excel prove that Lotus is not new to experimenting with new ideas, making these overlooked grand tourers deserving of far more recognition than they currently receive.
Sources: Lotus, Bring a Trailer, The Classic Valuer
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