This is my 1991 Lotus Elan. Lotus brought this car to the US market in 1991, and that was the only year they were available.
Being something of a car guy, I remember how suprised I was the first time I saw it as I did not recognize it; after buying it I learned that is probably due to the fact that there were only somewhere around 500 cars sold in the US!
I chased this car for a couple years trying to find the owner, then calling him every Spring & Summer to see if he would sell it. Finally, after having the car sit for ~3 years, he gave in and decided to sell it to me.
The restoration of the car took me a little over the year to complete, as there was a fair amount of work to do in pretty much every area (engine, body/paint, interior, brakes, tires, etc!)
It has finally reached a level where i consider it more or less "done", and it is an absolute blast!
The Elan truly is an unusual car; the first and only Lotus with a front engined/front wheel drive layout, and the first new Lotus to be introduced since 1975. In factory form, it is powered by a 1.6 litre turbo-charged, intercooled engine rated ~165HP (Though mine is currently putting 200+HP to the wheels).
After reviewing it, Road & Track wrote, "That the Elan is front-driven is merely a footnote to its handling....The new Elan is no hairy-chested 4-wheel drifter, but don't mistake that for timidity when attacking a twisting road."
I think that pretty much would sum up my opinions of the car as well. While it can smoke up the tires with a hard launch, it is no 5.0 V8 off the line. Peak horsepower is developed up in higher RPMs similar to other 4 cylinder cars, and while I would call it mind-blowingly fast, I wouldn't hesitate to consdier it pretty darned quick!
