1989 Lotus Elan
Beautiful auto design 1980–2000 series #2
Those who recall the Esprit that appeared in a few 007 movies should know Lotus, one of proud British sports cars along with Jaguar and Bentley. Lotus has a heritage of iconic sport cars such as Elite, Etna and Elan in addition to the Esprit. The new Elan, unveiled in October 1989, has been praised as an innovative model in terms of product concept, design, and engineering. While famous sports cars like Ferrari and Porsche are showing trends towards high performance and larger sizes, the Lotus Elan is emerging as a dark horse in the realm of compact sports cars, possessing both high performance and practical characteristics. The compact size of the body is primarily due to the road conditions in the UK, which are relatively narrow compared to the continent, where Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and others might seem cumbersome.
Another notable aspect is the adoption of the FF (Front Engine, Front Wheel Drive) system, in contrast to the traditional RR (Rear Engine, Rear Wheel Drive), MR (Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive), or FR (Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive) configurations popular among sports cars. This, among other factors, has led to the Elan being hailed as a new turning point in sports car design.
New Kid In Town
From a design perspective, the Elan may not immediately strike viewers as particularly beautiful or sleek compared to other sports cars. It lacks the sleekness of a Corvette, the power of a Ferrari F40, the beauty of a Testarossa, or the aggressive feel of a Countach. However, this is precisely what design director Peter Stevens aimed for. It’s rare for a truly progressive design to be immediately perceived as beautiful. Instead, the Elan emphasizes a compact feel and the smoothness of its overall lines.
Let’s look into the appearance of the Elan from a design perspective.
The proportions of the Elan’s body give it a somewhat shorter and bulkier feel compared to typical sports cars. This is due to the FF layout, which positions the 1600cc engine transversely (across the width of the car) and results in a short front overhang and a lower nose, along with unusually short rear overhangs. In the case of Elan, it emphasizes a compact feel and the smoothness of the lines that make up the whole, rather than a sense of speed, giving an image of boldness. This point directly connects to the spirited driving sensation, which I couldn’t believe was a small-engine sports car; I felt firsthand during a slalom run on the flat test track, which was once used as a US Air Force base, when I visited Lotus in Hethel, UK, in 1994.
Another reason is the absence of side moldings that are typically found along the waistline of cars, which avoids breaking up the side view of the body vertically. The neat treatment is also a prominent feature of the Elan. The cover for storing the convertible top is made of fiberglass and seamlessly integrated with the body. It takes only 20 seconds to fully deploy the top.
Just the top cover itself could be considered a work of art. Unlike traditional soft-top convertibles, which often look awkward when the top is deployed, the Elan’s design ensures that the guides on either side of the top and the joint clubs on the header panel blend seamlessly with the body’s style while also perfectly preventing leaks.
Adding to the sense of refinement are the smooth and sleek curves flowing along the windshield, bonnet, nose, and bumper, as well as the well-integrated rear spoiler, which, like the roof storage cover, harmonizes perfectly with the body.
The integrated turn signal lamps within the front bumper may recall those of the Mazda Miata but appear slimmer and more cohesive. The pop-up headlamps, a feature adopted by many sports cars to lower the nose, also contribute to the Elan’s neat and smooth design.
Unconventional Sports Car
Another distinctive feature is its solid and compact design, derived from its wide body and short overhangs, as well as its coke bottle shape. The fenders forming the wheel arches also contribute to this solid feel with their smooth blister shapes.
The only flaw to my eyes may be the somewhat flat and monotonous taillights, segmented into overly vertical patterns, which don’t quite match the overall design and give the impression of being borrowed from another car. The rear view of the Elan is perceived as inferior compared to its front and side views.
The interior of the Elan, designed by Simon Cox, who also designed the interiors of Lotus’s new Esprit and Isuzu Caspita concept car, the, is overall soft and efficient, with neatly arranged controls typical of a sports car. The most eye-catching feature is the wide band of color flowing from the door trim to the seats, which effectively ties the interior space together.
As with its predecessors, which caused a sensation with their unique designs when first unveiled 16 years ago, the introduction of the new Elan is also making a fresh impact on the world of sports cars. In terms of design, it differs from the stylish and somewhat ostentatious design image exuded by American sports cars like the Camaro and Firebird, as well as the dense and detail-oriented Japanese sports cars led by the MR2, Integra, and Celica. It also sets itself apart from Italian super sports cars like the Ferrari Testarossa, F40, and Lamborghini with its compact sports car design. The evidence that the Elan is opening up new horizons for Lotus lies in the fact that, unlike the new Esprit, which was recently unveiled and didn’t deviate significantly from its predecessor in terms of design, the Elan has completely departed from the traditional Lotus look, which was evident even in the 1983 initial prototype and continued until the final confirmed model in 1987.
