Hard to think of a good reason why Lotus wouldn’t bring back the Elan, what with the cachet of that great name and the ambition of the company’s new Geely-led management, which among other assets has access to an enticing collection of Volvo/Geely/Lynk&Co running gear.
Lotus’s sibling companies have already conquered many of the problems that might have deterred others thinking of a lowish-volume roadster for global sale.
As well as access to major components, Lotus already knows what kind of chassis to use. It has an enviable understanding of bonded riveted aluminium structures and has even put recent time into defeating the system’s biggest problem as demonstrated on the Lotus Elise: awkward ingress and egress. Bigger doors and lower sills are now pretty simple to provide.
Lotus lovers – and the company’s long-suffering dealers – will hear this news (if news it be) and welcome the future. It’s very hard to think of five words in Lotus language that could have a more beneficial impact on business than these: “They’re bringing back the Elan.”
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Who cares what name they use?
Another journo getting over excited about a model name. If the Elise/ Exige range had been called Elan from the start do you think Lotus would be better placed ?
I want Lotus to succeed brilliantly in the future. That will depend on their engineering skills ,design,marketing and pricing.
The same ridiculous over excitement about a name happens everytime Ford show any remotely sporting concept. "Capri".
Totally agree, Old But not
Totally agree, Old But not yet Dead.
A new Elan may well be great, but in no way whatsoever because it is called 'Elan'.
Similarly yes, any new Capri has nothing to do with the previous Capri, just because of a name.
Autocar did a ridiculous history of the dreadful Beetle not long ago, as if the fake Golf turd that just died had any continuity with the previous Hitler Beetle turd that went before it.
And as for the new Puma, words fail me...
Electric?
Electric?
Cropley...
like Gavin Green is living in 1973. Lotus should focus on a new Elise instead of wasting time on a model in an overcrowded market. Will a new Elan steal sales from a Boxster or even a Z4? I highly doubt it.