Lotus

The Elan was built on a backbone-type chassis, to which was added a GRP body shell, which was strong enough to pass the tests demanded by the new US regulations in 1968. It had disc brakes all-round and the famous 1558cc twin-cam Lotus engine in various states of tune. The original S1 introduced in 1962 lasted until 1964. The S2 had bigger front brakes and centre-lock wheels. The S3 from 1966 had electric windows and a close-ration gearbox option. This series also brought the SE model with more power. The S4 came in 1968 with wider wheel arches and the 128bhp Sprint came in 1971. This is a book of contemporary road and comparison tests, technical and specification data, new model introductions, driver' s impressions, racing, history. Models covered include: Series 1, 2, 3, 4 & S4 Sprint, Plus2, Plus 2S.

The Lotus Elan and Plus 2 are the definitive classic Lotus Sports cars. Small, light, and powered by Lotus's own Twin Cam engine, these were and are fast, great handling sports cars with a Grand Prix winning pedigree. With a winning formula of glass fibre bodyshell, and simple sheet steel backbone chassis, the Elan was an affordable replacement for the expensive and exotic glass fibre monocoque Lotus Elite, and became the mainstay of the Lotus road car range throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s. First introduced as an open two-seater in 1962, and as a Coupé in 1966, the Elan was available as a do-it-yourself ‘kit' car or in factory assembled form, and was refined through the 1960s, culminating in the famous Sprint models of 1971, with the big valve 130bhp Twin Cam engine. The widened and stretched 2+2 Elan with its vestigial rear seats - named, unsurprisingly, the Plus 2 - was introduced in 1967, followed by the higher-spec Plus 2S in 1969, which was the first Elan not available in kit form. The Plus 2S 130 gained the Sprint specification engine in 1971, and the final Elan was the Plus 2S 130/5 of 1972. Just over 9000 Elans were produced between 1962 and 1973, while just over 5000 Plus 2 were produced between 1967 and 1974. This book has been written to provide the prospective owner with all the information they need to establish if an Elan or Plus 2 is for them, and what to look for when viewing an example. All aspects of the cars are examined, including paperwork, mechanical issues, bodywork and interior with many photos of example cars to assist in the assessment of an individual car, and understand the implications of many of the common problems that a car can exhibit. The author is a Lotus enthusiast, and has been working on and writing about classic Lotuses for a number of years.

Simply the purest driving machine on the planet" so said Sam Mitani of Road & Track about the Elise based 340R. This portfolio traces the progress of the superb Lotus Elise and its derivatives. Reported on are the 111, R & S, Sport 135 & R, the TT 190 & Sport, Exige S1, S2 & 240R, TT 260 Supersport plus the 340R & GT1. Included are road and comparison tests, specifications and expert advice on buying used.

Announced in 1957 this fiberglass monocoque did not go into full production until 1959 when the new factory at Cheshunt was opened. Coventry Climax supplied complete engines mated to BMC's B-series gearbox. The fully trimmed body shells were produced by Maximar. The Series 2 had bodies made to a higher standard by Bristol with some interior changes. The SE version had more power and performance, and could also be specified with Stage II tuning. Due to difficulties in distribution and pricing the car was offered in component form in 1961. This is a book of contemporary road tests, specification and technical data, driver's impressions, racing, long term tests, history.

This portfolio reports on Lotus's 4-seater Excel which was introduced in late 1982 and remained in production until 1992.

All titles in this popular series of landscape-format books contain model-by-model technical descriptions, explain design and development features, discuss performance and equipment levels and, where appropriate, competition activities, as well as providing ownership guidance. The main text is supplemented by comprehensive reference material in the form of easy-to-study Appendices. Originally produced in hardback, recent additions and reprints of earlier volumes are now published in paperback format.

A re-issue of the comprehensive reference work for the famous Lotus twin-cam engine.