Elan PROTOTYPE CONCEPT CAR

[tedtaylor]

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/ ... 86/2477609
Let's see what M100 owner wants to invest in the original concept car.
no relation/affiliation, FYI only.

[Jamie N]

Thank goodness it was not that thing that was eventually released, to my eyes it's a Scabber .

[lotusflasherman]

That's not 'the original concept car'. Lotus set up a design competition - Peter Steven's design won it and became our M100's, Ital's and GM Europe design studios didn't.
Think I prefer the GM entry (shown below) to that Ital 'Scabber'.. who wants to pay good money for 'a loser' anyway?

gm elan entry .jpg

[Ian T]

Amusingly described as a 2-door, with manual transmission and a fuel type of 'other'.

At least the last element of those three descriptive items is correct...

Of course it would be plagiarism, but wouldn't it be interesting to buy that buck and make moulds from it and transform a damaged Elan into it?

[lotusflasherman]

Amusingly described as a 2-door, with manual transmission and a fuel type of 'other'.

At least the last element of those three descriptive items is correct...

Of course it would be plagiarism, but wouldn't it be interesting to buy that buck and make moulds from it and transform a damaged Elan into it?

NO!

[Ian T]

LOL. You wouldn't want the one-off then?

I realise that the amount of work involved is monstrous, took Lotus millions of Pounds to do, etc etc etc.

Meant to say, I saw a brand new M100 boat the other day at Bromley Pageant - unused from the factory and in primer. Even I would rather reshell a duff one than take on the task of trying to create a different car.

[Rambo]

One for Musee de Specky

[tb10]

Wasn't this prototype up for auction last year or the year before? IIRC the 'car' is actually a wooden structure with no engine etc so to use it you'll have to adopt the 'Fred Flinstone' running gear / engine / transmission!

[tb10]

This was the original post from last year. Note the price then €7,500.00

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23708&p=298550&hilit=prototype+sale#p298550

[lotusflasherman]

LOL. You wouldn't want the one-off then?

I realise that the amount of work involved is monstrous, took Lotus millions of Pounds to do, etc etc etc.

Meant to say, I saw a brand new M100 boat the other day at Bromley Pageant - unused from the factory and in primer. Even I would rather reshell a duff one than take on the task of trying to create a different car.

Nope. Don't like the look of it and not distinctive enough... bit like a Renault Alpine GTA/610 but without the muscles. Looks more like a 2+2 and fixed head too ... and one of the plastic wheels trims is broken !!!!!
Who enters a design competition for a World Championship Winning Car Constructor and puts plastic wheel trims on it?

I attended a lecture at Cambridge Uni' given by Peter Wright in the mid 80's. It was supposed to be about the application of active suspension to road vehicles (ambulances in particular) but he also spoke about the development of the ground effect Lotus 78 & 79, which had then been banned so he wasn't giving any secrets away. He explained how they used hot and cold air flows & also went into how this could be used on road cars at the design stage. A flat bottom and curved upper surface (most cars) acts like a wing that will give low pressure over the car and create lift at high speed so the ideal profile is raised in the middle between the axles but looks like a banana. A more pleasing design stops the air going under at the front, has wasted sides with concave curves that create low pressure zones and extract air that is under the car to create low pressure under and eliminate lift.

Peter Stevens' design for the M100 incorporated those ideas (so keep the rubber bib in good order and don't put side exhausts on an Elan or NACA ducts in the bonnet) and the design of TVR's shortly after seemed to pay close attention to airflow under the car too. Ital seem to have a rear spoiler and undertray to counter lift but not really an elegant design solution.

If I really wanted a one-off that was never made I think the M300 is a bit more exciting...peterstevensdesign.co.uk/design/lotus-m300-
or maybe this..peterstevensdesign.co.uk/design/elan-coupe ... interesting that radiator exhausts out of the bonnet and no pop-up headlights

[Rambo]

It's done 10 miles

[rip]

It's done 10 miles

Dico won't want it then?

[lotusflasherman]

It's done 10 miles

Must have been pushed then if it's got no engine..

[Nickydee]

LOL. You wouldn't want the one-off then?

I realise that the amount of work involved is monstrous, took Lotus millions of Pounds to do, etc etc etc.

Meant to say, I saw a brand new M100 boat the other day at Bromley Pageant - unused from the factory and in primer. Even I would rather reshell a duff one than take on the task of trying to create a different car.

Nope. Don't like the look of it and not distinctive enough... bit like a Renault Alpine GTA/610 but without the muscles. Looks more like a 2+2 and fixed head too ... and one of the plastic wheels trims is broken !!!!!
Who enters a design competition for a World Championship Winning Car Constructor and puts plastic wheel trims on it?

I attended a lecture at Cambridge Uni' given by Peter Wright in the mid 80's. It was supposed to be about the application of active suspension to road vehicles (ambulances in particular) but he also spoke about the development of the ground effect Lotus 78 & 79, which had then been banned so he wasn't giving any secrets away. He explained how they used hot and cold air flows & also went into how this could be used on road cars at the design stage. A flat bottom and curved upper surface (most cars) acts like a wing that will give low pressure over the car and create lift at high speed so the ideal profile is raised in the middle between the axles but looks like a banana. A more pleasing design stops the air going under at the front, has wasted sides with concave curves that create low pressure zones and extract air that is under the car to create low pressure under and eliminate lift.

Peter Stevens' design for the M100 incorporated those ideas (so keep the rubber bib in good order and don't put side exhausts on an Elan or NACA ducts in the bonnet) and the design of TVR's shortly after seemed to pay close attention to airflow under the car too. Ital seem to have a rear spoiler and undertray to counter lift but not really an elegant design solution.

If I really wanted a one-off that was never made I think the M300 is a bit more exciting...peterstevensdesign.co.uk/design/lotus-m300-
or maybe this..peterstevensdesign.co.uk/design/elan-coupe ... interesting that radiator exhausts out of the bonnet and no pop-up headlights

Just had a look at Peter Stevens website and compared the Elan coupe and the MG TF coupe. In the past there was talk that the MGTF hardop that Peter designed was in fact a rehash of the Elan one and I must admit I was sceptical. However comparing the Elan coupe and MGTF coupe http://peterstevensdesign.co.uk/design/mg-tf-coupe- roof treatments they are almost identical.

[tb10]

See more here:

http://www.oldtimerfarm.be/nl/collectie ... Yq0bFIYEfx

Also - the wood:

[Rambo]

It's done 10 miles

Dico won't want it then?

9 more miles than Dico's done in the last 5 years. And that's without a souped up engine, upgraded clutch, fancy brakes bigboy dump valve, Heinz 57 exhaust etc...

[Rambo]

See more here:

http://www.oldtimerfarm.be/nl/collectie ... Yq0bFIYEfx

Also - the wood:

The wood looks quite authentic - it's got rust !!

[tb10]

Mind you, isn't that how they made the rear bulkhead on the Esprit? I distinctly remember that when I was on a factory tour at Hethel in 1999 I saw the 'jelly moulds' for the Esprit body shells and then what I recall was a section of plywood being fibreglassed to sit behind the driver / passenger heads further along the production line.....

The Esprit went well though!

[lotusflasherman]

See more here:

http://www.oldtimerfarm.be/nl/collectie ... Yq0bFIYEfx

Also - the wood:

It's a bloody Morgan ! Only car to fail an MOT because of woodworm

[lotusflasherman]

Just had a look at Peter Stevens website and compared the Elan coupe and the MG TF coupe. In the past there was talk that the MGTF hardop that Peter designed was in fact a rehash of the Elan one and I must admit I was sceptical. However comparing the Elan coupe and MGTF coupe http://peterstevensdesign.co.uk/design/mg-tf-coupe- roof treatments they are almost identical.

Well, if I'd done a lot of work that hadn't been used I might try selling it to somebody else too..

Lotus folklore has it that Lotus had a rear-engine design for an Elan all set to go (M90/X100) but they couldn't find the finances to build it and Chapman went to Toyota to agree the supply of transmission and suspension bits so he could make the Eclat a lot cheaper as the Eclat Excel. Part of the deal he agreed was to design a 2 seat rear-engine sports car for them. He came back to Hethel and after a suitable delay sent the 'stillborn Elan' designs to them, which Toyota built as the first MR2. (Toyota took a substantial shareholding in Lotus at that time too). Having seen some of the drawings around the Lotus design dept around that era I think this is probably true...