This weeks Autocar

[C3LOS]

Check this out, the Elan M100 was in the top ten recommended lightweights!
Sweet!

[marvic]

Got two out of the ten. Only 8 to go then, although I doubt I'd get them all here.

[muley]

..did they mention the Elan M100 is the cheapest of the bunch by a HUGE margin?


Jim

[Saltire]

..did they mention the Elan M100 is the cheapest of the bunch by a HUGE margin?


Jim

Actually, Jim, their estimated cost for the Elan was quite high IMHO. They suggested £8,000 - £12,000, which I thought was plenty (although having seen the NM one on eBay at present, maybe I'm out of date.)

[Jamie N]

And where was the DC2 ?.

[muley]

*cough* ..not to mention the DC5

[lotusflasherman]

And where was the DC2 ?.

DC2 was probably In the hanger Jim


Seriously though - Wondering what Autocar's definition of 'Lightweight' is, I'm surprised the M100 is in there. Anything that 'weighs a ton' isn't a lightweight by my standards...
Heaviest car Lotus made to mid 70's was Elan+2 at 1,970 lbs but the '2 seaters' were under 1,600 lbs. My Lotus 6 with 1172 sidevalve engine was under 1,000 lbs and early Sevens similar. Bet the Seven clones have put on some weight ...
even the Elise has crept up to almost 1,900 lbs. When I ordered mine the brochure said 675kg (1,488 lbs)...

Mid '70's Chapman put on weight and so did the cars - Elite, Eclat, Esprit and Excel all came out at around a ton because of the need to meet a crash test at 50kph into a concrete block rather than avoid it..

M100 was first small car Lotus had made in quite a while and motor mag's who did detailed road tests were saying they measured it at around 2,250 lb. Some mags compared it to the MX5 at 2,093 lb with 114 bhp, same power to weight ratio as a Cooper S that preceded it by 25 years, and hardly comparable to T26 Elan at 1,250lb with 105 bhp, or M100 with 165 bhp.

The MOT Brake Test Chart used to calculate brake efficiency shows M100 SE at 2,520 lbs & S2 2,710 lbs so I assume that allows for the 'British Standard occupants' to be on board..
So not very lightweight are they? ... but that said, M100 can still be 'bargain of the century' for performance per £ spent.

[rip]

Wondering what Autocar's definition of 'Lightweight' is

That's a very good point.
Cars in general have got heavier, with most creeping up in weight with each revision. I remember Top Gear reviewing the 1st turbo Golf GTi & they stated that is was almost twice the weight of the 1970's model.

Compared with an older car from the 70s or earlier, the M100 is heavy. It is light compared to anything from this century.

Engines are getting more efficient all the time. They need to because they have to lug around so much more weight that economy barely improves.

[Steve A]

Wondering what Autocar's definition of 'Lightweight' is

That's a very good point.
Cars in general have got heavier, with most creeping up in weight with each revision. I remember Top Gear reviewing the 1st turbo Golf GTi & they stated that is was almost twice the weight of the 1970's model.

Compared with an older car from the 70s or earlier, the M100 is heavy. It is light compared to anything from this century.

Engines are getting more efficient all the time. They need to because they have to lug around so much more weight that economy barely improves.

That's the price of safety

[par]

And where was the DC2 ?.

Dont worry Jamie the DC2 was No.1 in one of the other categories - Best Front Wheel Drive I think!