Thank you Jay & Jim, I'm 70 now (2021) & this vid has brought me back to life. I remember being 17 at a Motor Show here in Adelaide, South Australia & seeing a Lotus for the first time. Needless to say, it was love at first sight but Lotus was the gorgeous supermodel & I was a 2nd-year apprentice, so my dream was dashed. Although now, being happily married for 48 years to the most beautiful woman in the world, I still have feelings for my first love, Lotus. What you have both done here is to take the Elan to a whole new level of perfection with meticulously fabricated bespoke parts through superb workmanship, & attention to detail, that has improved on the original design. All that while totally respecting the geniuses that made it happen. I don't buy lottery tickets, but if we won I would snap up an early Lotus & give the rest of the money away. As an aside, I drooled over the handcrafted fluid lines before they got a mention. ❤️
You are so right Bill. Maybe you share my hope that Jay allows Jim and the other build team to drive this car they put heart, talent, and soul into. Jay’s rather legendary ego always plants his fanny in the driver’s seat. We can be pretty certain the builders would much prefer taking their wives or girlfriends for a picnic in the mountains in these masterpieces they devote considerable blocks of their lives to than simply see their names on a faux garage poster. Sure it’s Jay’s money, and he clearly regards these journeymen as hourly employees, but episodes where the builders enjoy some segment of the road test would both honor their commitment to excellence, it would moreover provide a richer, more detailed commentary on their completed machine. That’s my take anyway.
@@docraineyIIIyou have zero idea what your talking about and any personal experiences with any of this to make the statement you did. What a bunch of BS. Loser.
Absolute perfection! What a car. I guessed 1300lbs haha. Growing up with a mechanic for a father I was around engines and restorations from the moment I could walk. I have so much respect for him and the people who designed and built these classic works of art. He is to this day never happier than when he fires up a restored engine for the first time, be it a 1600 VW flat four or a monster American V8, he just smiles like all is right with the world. While he has worked on a lot of new cars over the years his passion has always been restoration and custom builds. Sadly, always for other people. I love the plaque and the love for other tinkerers, the best part of the automotive world is the love and respect we so rarely see elsewhere today.
Thank you so much for taking me along on that drive. I could almost imagine being the driver and going up that long canyon road. I have a little Mazda Miata MX5 1994. I know it doesn't compare to your cars. But then I'm a poor boy. I'm a disabled Vietnam Veteran and forced to live on that limited income. I still have managed to have fun along the way. Part of that fun is having built that car, ground up, twice. This is my Lotus Elan. Thank you again Jay for all the fun I have with you and your guys. One gear head to another. It's been quite a ride. And the good part is, it's not even close to being over. Love you guys it would sure be nice to meet all of you sometime. Bruce F Andrews Christian, an American Patriot, a conservative, an USAF veteran.
Hello to et all. This is undoubtedly the nicest restoration I've had the enjoyment of watching from front to finish. To Jim Hall; You sir have he greatest job in the world, and this piece of kinetic art is priceless. It is museum quality, and should be shown at Pebble Beach. You are a true artist in the truest sense of the word. Great job to all involved, and to you Jay; TY for building this piece of automotive history, and having the class to share your good fortune with the rest of us. TY for sharing!
If I saw this car on the road I would've guessed that it was made in the 90's or early 2000's. A timeless design and a terrific restoration made it perfect 👍.
I know your grandkids might be the ones reading this 🙂 but take a look at the Fiat Barchetta, it is from that time and genuinely pretty, interesting details and quite rare.
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Jim, and the team that built that car and saw it at its 1/2 way build. Its so nice to see the glow on Jims face as Jay is driving it going through the gears. The satisfaction of building your own car and being able to drive it, show it and enjoy it is such a great feeling. Way to go Jim. Two thumbs up.
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT , so cool with all the names on the magazine and the shout outs , and Jim being able to build his dream Elan , hope Jay let's him drive it now and again.
This Lotus is a masterpiece. It's a real treat to see Jim and Jay collaborate on building a SUPER Elan. I wish I had the skills to restore a car like that!
Watching as tears flow down my cheeks. I've loved this car since Emma Peel drove pne all those years ago. Thank you Jay Leno for doing so much with your love of cars, and driving, which are inseparable for me.
I watched it with a big grin. Ms. Peel was maybe my first tv crush, too. She wasn’t driving this particular Lotus, though! This car is the distilled essence of classic sports car engineering. And beautiful! The faired headlights totally make it, too.
This car is the perfect example of why Jay is so awesome; he understands, appreciates & respects all the different car design/engineering philosophies be it American, European, Japanese or etc. He’s not like the stereotypical American car guy who given the same opportunity would probably take a small lightweight car like this drop a Chrysler V10 from a Viper in it and say, "There’s no replacement for displacement!"
and your comment is the biggest displacement I see all the time. Torque does not speak, it just works. I do not like the Elan and suicidal screaming.. but hey. Preservation has a value to be education. Meanwhile ten geared awd, 3000 pounds and 1781cc boxers with just one barrel can stomp that elan into hell.
cybertree I believe this is what you were going for: "I think deep down you’re just threatened that a "Stereotypical American" engineered the fastest vehicle on the planet" If you’re going to talk about engineering you might want learn how to engineer a sentence.
I would like to thank Jay Leno for being such a great guy. He has had one of the most successful careers in show biz and has such a passion for automobiles. Thank you again..
a true british sports car, tribute to jim clark. I like jay leno because he appreciates the history and heritage of every car he has and puts on you tube for us to watch.
K, I'm upset I only just now discovered this car. This thing is probably my new favorite. I love featherweight cars, and little is lighter than this, but this thing is amazing. 2 liter straight 4 twin cam ford engine is quite a lot like the engine in my escort, and I love those things. For road engines, they LOVE to rev, and they're very responsive. But the best part is the sound. I don't think I've ever had a car that has left me short of breath and with a tear in my eye, but this one genuinely did. I think this is THE BEST sound I've ever heard from a car, and I would sell my soul to the devil himself to own or even just to drive one. Hats off Jay to you and your team, you've created a masterpiece.
Would you please do some small feature videos on your team? I think we'd all like to see their story in a brief format. How did they get into what they do, how did you come to meet and work with them? I know some of them have vintage race cars/bikes- can we hear a bit more on that?
Congratulations on Finishing this Beautiful Auto. You've both built more than just you're Dream Car, you've built a Gift to Every Car Enthusiast. Thank You for sharing you're Dreams & Visions with us.
I love how THOROUGHLY WELL DONE this vehicle is, it reminds me of my first vehicle and how I wanted everything to be bulletproof beyond need (ironically it was a 96 Ford Bronco lol), all the extra chassi welds, the *safety wiring*, the smaller weight saving modern parts...just beautiful. I bet this car will never need maintanence again other than fluids!
I'm 28, and Lotus Cars and Jim Clark have always been huge main parts in my life. I owned a Twin-Cam Europa for a bit, and visited Jim Clark's home town in Duns, Scotland. I even met Clive Chapman at Hethel. It means so much to see Jay Leno get into Lotus in such a big way, and truly appreciate the cars, the mindset an the lifestyle of a Lotuseer. I'll always be a huge Jay Leno fan, and an even bigger fan of this channel. Thanks Jay.
I love this car, Jay loves this car, everybody loves this car. That's a lot of love! Being a Lotus fan, I was studying this very car at Newcomb's. Jay walked up behind me and stopped in my line of view. I was stunned and awestruck, of course. Took a selfie of myself and Jay with the car in the background. What a great sense of mischievousness. Jay certainly has a friendly sense of humor which endears him to all.
+MuhLogan I'd hate to work for Jay, tho. As much as I like this series. When they said this car was Jim's dream...why didn't Jay just give it to him?!?!
+Stev Rex Hmmm. I'm not really into "redistribution of wealth", but I do believe in generosity...especially when it would NOT affect my lifestyle in the least bit.
Edslittleworld Seriously? This was Jay's dream. He was the one who envisioned the car, and then set the wheels in motion to build it. Why the hell would he put up all that money and time just to give it away when it was finished??
Almost speechless. Except Chapman himself would be so happy with this car's restoration, undoubtedly. The car is pure Lotus in spirit, form, and performance. Evidenced by the car-jaded Jay's facial and verbal expression later in the drive. Pure deLIGHT his eyes. But Jim's passion for the car and the painstaking workmanship as homage to Collin's designs, and fellow builders, is equally inspiring. Such an amazing project. So inspiring to see. Finally, let there be no doubt about the source of inspiration for the mazda miata.
Wow, this thing looks like a blast to drive! I really can appreciate all the intense amount of workmanship, time and quality that went into creating this masterpiece. Absolutely wonderful. A sound is amazing and the 1358 pounds curb weight is ridiculous, the six speed sequential gearbox is awesome (I love manuals), no abs, traction control, electronic stability management, etc. which makes driving more direct, just lovely. I wish I had a car like this! Thank you for showing the entire process, very interesting how all those details together, and go all those part to fit, incorporating features from that era of racing. Professor Hall does very nice work! Jay Leno, you have very good taste my friend!
Also add: no heater...no AC...no airbags...no spare...no radio...no top, etc. Are you sure you'd want it for the same price as a two new Porsche Boxster S's? I would, but I also collect cars.
There's a lot of cars on this channel that I look at and think "sweet car, looks like a lot of fun", but this is the only one that I have literally drooled over and am completely envious of... I drive an old Datsun 240Z and I love it because it's light, well balanced, and has something of a raw driving experience to it. This thing takes everything I love about my Datsun and turns it up several notches. It's perfection, wow!
Caterham wasn't copying the Super Seven. At the time they were a Lotus dealer and when Lotus stopped production of the Seven in 1973 Caterham bought the tools and the production rights from Lotus. So the Caterham Seven can be called the genuine successor for the Lotus Seven.
When Caterham started building Lotus 7 cars, they built Series 4 cars, continuiing with Lotus tooling etc. Then they decided to make an updated Series 3 instead. You might be interested to know that around 100 Lotus 7 cars were made in New Zealand, under licence from Lotus. They were made by Steel Brothers in Christchurch New Zealand, all Series 4 with Lotus twin cam engines. When the Lotus twink went out of production, they made a prototype with a Lotus 912 engine, but the car didn't go into production. I once met Graham Nairn of Caterham Cars, and told him about the Steel Brothers cars - he was polite but simply refused to believe me... The Caterham and Steel Brothers cars are all genuine 'continuation' cars.
@@psk1w1 I am lucky enough to have owned both a Series 2 Lotus 7 (but totally rebuilt and upgraded to Series 3 spec'), plus a Series 4, which in mine, had the Ford 1600GT engine. Both great cars, which obviously now I wish I'd kept.
I'm watching this in Hangzhou, China and as it played a guy with a piped cafe racer was going back and forth out front running it through the gears. It sounded like he was racing the Lotus. The relationship people have with cars is something of a universal language. It lags or leads with the time and place but always exists at some level. Thanks for helping to express this in the videos Jay. It is more than it seems.
One of my favorites of Jay Leno I’ve watched this video like 5 times. Jim Hall is quite the designer/engineer/builder! You can tell he has such a passion for his job too. Lotus is one of my favorite brands. I love the Elise. Simple, lightweight, easy to work on and not crazy expensive. So much fun to drive and work on
This not a restoration, this is a professional artwork, just like the old timers have done it, on the racetrack. Imaginative, Inspirational, and transcendental! Cheers from Brazil, to you all, specially to Jim Hall. This is synchronicity at its best, beyound space and time.
Jim is an amazing craftsman, happy you two crossed paths in life. Love to see an episode about your main guys pasts, and how they came to work for you.
Not really fair to comment prior to viewing the entirety, but the infectious good humor and enthusiasm really comes through. Thanks for the effort spent on doing all this. And now, back to the chase.
Beautiful. A real work of art. My hat's off to Jim, Jay, and the magazine cover crew in the garage. It's projects and automobiles like this that drive my love of vehicles, so thank you for sharing this with the rest of us.
1300lbs, 220hp race-style engine, and a sequential 6-speed... I bet you that car gives you a bigger smile than most of the 500hp+ cars he has sitting in that garage. ..and that sound! ~ ~c===8
220bhp 2 litre 8 valve twin cam on carbs is pretty good. I dont think this is totally race engine and wouldnt go much higher anyway if it was. unless it went forced induction.
cableaddict well I guess it's quite powerful, if you think about it 220 horse mated to a car that only weighs 670 kilos, adds up to about 380 brake horsepower per ton which is pretty good even by today's standards!
i think most people would back off the throttle before they used the full potential of 380hp per ton. Any higher hp would not be tractable by such a lightweight car without wings. Even if it did, the cornering g forces would be unsustainable to the average driver.
Wow.. I've be revisiting/rereading a lot of Peter Egan material.. and sort of [just recently] "became aware" of the magic of the Lotus Elan.. then to see (revisit) this - well, it's just a sort of gloriousness and passion that's hard to describe with human language.. So good. So magical.. Thank you for sharing this.. Cheers from Wisconsin..
10yrs later and I'm still drooling over that car! It's one of my dream cars as well. Driven them only in simulators, and they always handle better than anything else. The only thing that compares is the Suzuki GSX/-4 Concept car. Pushrod suspension gave that car perfect handling, plus it has a superbike engine in it. The Hayabusa engine I think. Just epic. But that's impossible to own, so is your car, so I'll have to build my own.
Absolutely stunning. Jay must pay a fortune to his craftsmen to build such beautiful machines. I love this car. I remember the first time I saw the Elan, when I was 10. Diana Rigg was driving one in The Avengers. She looked so good in it, and it was a beautiful car back then too. But this 26R is state of the art. Jim must be a genius, to be able to build everything from scratch, and remember every little detail that needs to be addressed. If you have intelligence, and love cars, working for Jay has got to be a dream job. He is such a nice guy. You think he ever yells at anyone in the garage? Nah. He has too much fun making videos.
Always wanted one of those! Looks fantastic! I was wondering why the driver door looks to be flexing so much on the highway. I could understand it doing it some but that is really a lot!
I've watched this video several times over the years and this Lotus has to be one off the finest builds to come out of Jay's garage. Kudos to Jay, Jim Hall and all the those whose talent went into this car. Such a fine piece of automotive splendor.
Mr. Hall you have done a beautiful job, you are a true artist. This car deserves to be in a fine art museum but that would be a complete shame this car deserves to be driven! Well done sir, Well done! And well done to Jay for providing the impetus and the financial backing. Nice work, both of you!
I believe that's the best sounding car Jay has ever featured in his series. Beautiful. And beautiful looking, too. Though...go to 20:13 and look at the serious door gap on the lower driver's side door. I'm guessing that's just caused by the fiberglass contour, which you can only do so much about. Still, just a wonderful machine. Great job!
I've been waiting on it since he did the review of the blue Elan and this one was sitting next to it. He mentioned back then how they'd do all sorts of crazy stuff to it. I was thinking back then they'd do the engine and maybe lighten it, but adding that sequential box was a stroke of genius. That gear whine.. Someone was saying in the comments that it's bad you can't skip gears, but I can't think of a reason why you'd ever want to.
vtr0104 It really was a wild ride and a crazy long wait. I remember watching the first vid of the restoration blog. After about 6 updates I thought it'd never end. Seeing it finished almost brings a tear to the eye. Jim did such an amazing job and kudos xInfinity to Jay for letting him do something special not just for the car but for the history.
I JUST WISH THEY WOULD MAKE SEQUENTIAL MANUAL TRANNY'S LIKE THIS A MASS PRODUCT INSTEAD OF THOSE STUPID FLAPPY PADDLES (phew). No seriously Jay that is one heck of a build. I would love to own such a work of art, precision, and perfection. My hats off to Mr. Jim Hall for his effort and attention to detail. People like Him and Jay inspire me to stay a true petrolhead. Many thumbs up guys !!
Yet another superb video Jay. In the early sixties, I went to Aintree [Merseyside UK] to watch the European Grand Prix. I was fortunate to see Juan Fangio drive in the race...my favourite driver of all time [but only slightly ahead, in my personal ranking, of Gentleman Jim Clarke & John Surtees]. Thank you amigo.
I gotta agree with Jay on the thought that the mechanical things are much more satisfying than the electronic stuff..I would much rather drive a period hot rod than a hot hatch
I so agree with him and you. Mechanical over electronic or even electro-mechanical. I prefer my hydraulic or no assist steering to all this crap electric or electric "assisted" steering they're putting into "performance cars." Same with those stupid flappy paddle gearboxes. All you need for fast shifting times is a proper sequential manual like this one with a REAL clutch pedal. Wish someone would mass produce THIS racing technology.
Amen brother...I do appreciate the gadget guys builds too, but for me it's manual steering, manual brakes, carburated, 4 speed.. I guess I like the KISS cars..The feel of the combination I suggested set up right is sooooo awesome..
It is rather difficult to get a sense of achievement and functional beauty from making lines of code and binary pulses of electrons racing along a wire or a circuit board. The satisfaction to guys of our generation is one of imagining a physical medium, like air squeezing and swirling through a manifold, mixing with fuel and detonating in a perfectly formed chamber. Little things that fit together and go snick, snick like the proverbial rifle bolt stir the loins of those that live more through the touch of their fingers than through pure theory.
Oh how I envy you for waxing such automobile poetry lol. Your comment is one of THE best comments on UA-cam and you definitely are a purist petrolhead. Hats off, sir.
trefod Very nice description sir..Your literary use of the language would suggest you are an author of some sort..If not may i suggest a change in career..Just superb..I agree wholeheartedly with 647killas' statement..Bravo..
This episode was the one I liked the most, I even got emotional. Colin Chapman may have been a great killer of pilots with his suicide machines (“with a Lotus you earn or a Grand Prix or Heaven”, they used to say), but he and his team embodied that quality that names the model: Elan, that sense of audacity, just for the satisfaction of knowing you defied the odds pressing to the limit to know first hand, and not be told by other. Great show... Thanks...
That sounds amazing. You two look almost as good as Emma Peel did in her Lotus Elan back in the 60s Avengers series. Okay, not really. That racing stripe just seems to glow.
Vintage automotive perfection. I'm 65 and I lusted after a car like this in my youth but it didn't really exist at the time. My buddies were into muscle but I wanted a driver. All I could afford was a Cosworth twin cam Vega that I improved with a nice engine rebuild. I want your Lotus!
Lovely Car guys. Just a note to say Caterham was a Lotus agent till Mr. Graham Nearn bought the rights to build the Super 7 from Mr. Colin Chapmen around 1975. That means they are licensed and not copying the Super 7. Everyone else copied.
Jim I think your little LElan (Lotus Elan) as I like to call it is absolutely wonderful. If I could I would love to see Her first hand and I wouldn't mind wondering around Jay's shop taking in the cars, posters, and everything laying about. Very very nice job Sir, and the safety wiring was an absolute must for that build.
I worked in a high quality auto shop and this is better than the best work we ever did. I went to school with a guy who drove an amateur "restored" Lotus that made me sad. The paint job looked like it had been done with a vacuum cleaner. Proper restoration of a car of this caliber and quality is not an amateur project and this resto is in keeping with what this little car is.
Ohh as if no one has made a spelling mistake before. Im glad that you have solved all the worlds problems now you can get down to stopping the horror of minor grammar mistakes.
My favorite episodes are the ones about Jay's cars that feature his crew as guests. Always the best.
Thank you Jay & Jim, I'm 70 now (2021) & this vid has brought me back to life.
I remember being 17 at a Motor Show here in Adelaide, South Australia & seeing a Lotus for the first time.
Needless to say, it was love at first sight but Lotus was the gorgeous supermodel & I was a 2nd-year apprentice, so my dream was dashed.
Although now, being happily married for 48 years to the most beautiful woman in the world, I still have feelings for my first love, Lotus.
What you have both done here is to take the Elan to a whole new level of perfection with meticulously fabricated bespoke parts through superb workmanship, & attention to detail, that has improved on the original design. All that while totally respecting the geniuses that made it happen.
I don't buy lottery tickets, but if we won I would snap up an early Lotus & give the rest of the money away.
As an aside, I drooled over the handcrafted fluid lines before they got a mention. ❤️
Jim Hall is an incredible craftsman and artist!
An old school combination of both......very rare.
Oh yes... old-school artisan. His motto really seems to be: "I gilded the lily".
That's a lot of grey hair ; )
You are so right Bill. Maybe you share my hope that Jay allows Jim and the other build team to drive this car they put heart, talent, and soul into. Jay’s rather legendary ego always plants his fanny in the driver’s seat. We can be pretty certain the builders would much prefer taking their wives or girlfriends for a picnic in the mountains in these masterpieces they devote considerable blocks of their lives to than simply see their names on a faux garage poster. Sure it’s Jay’s money, and he clearly regards these journeymen as hourly employees, but episodes where the builders enjoy some segment of the road test would both honor their commitment to excellence, it would moreover provide a richer, more detailed commentary on their completed machine. That’s my take anyway.
@@docraineyIIIyou have zero idea what your talking about and any personal experiences with any of this to make the statement you did. What a bunch of BS. Loser.
Still one of my favorites, he really did build the perfect Elan.
i know it's kinda randomly asking but does anybody know of a good website to watch new tv shows online?
@Emmitt Jesse Meh try flixportal. You can find it through google =) -kingston
@Kingston Douglas thanks, I signed up and it seems to work :) Appreciate it!
@Emmitt Jesse Happy to help :)
That is gorgeous...and nothing short of British Racing Green will do it justice. Most impressive.
Absolute perfection! What a car.
I guessed 1300lbs haha. Growing up with a mechanic for a father I was around engines and restorations from the moment I could walk. I have so much respect for him and the people who designed and built these classic works of art. He is to this day never happier than when he fires up a restored engine for the first time, be it a 1600 VW flat four or a monster American V8, he just smiles like all is right with the world. While he has worked on a lot of new cars over the years his passion has always been restoration and custom builds. Sadly, always for other people.
I love the plaque and the love for other tinkerers, the best part of the automotive world is the love and respect we so rarely see elsewhere today.
I love the mechanical sounds, straight cut gears, Ducati-like clutch, all good.
respect to jay leno for funding this project.I like that he loves small nimble four cylinder British cars as well as big American V8s
It brought tears to my eyes when you pulled the hood, that's the most beautiful engine compartment I've ever seen...
Thank you so much for taking me along on that drive. I could almost imagine being the driver and going up that long canyon road. I have a little Mazda Miata MX5 1994. I know it doesn't compare to your cars. But then I'm a poor boy. I'm a disabled Vietnam Veteran and forced to live on that limited income. I still have managed to have fun along the way. Part of that fun is having built that car, ground up, twice. This is my Lotus Elan. Thank you again Jay for all the fun I have with you and your guys. One gear head to another. It's been quite a ride. And the good part is, it's not even close to being over. Love you guys it would sure be nice to meet all of you sometime. Bruce F Andrews Christian, an American Patriot, a conservative, an USAF veteran.
Hello to et all. This is undoubtedly the nicest restoration I've had the enjoyment of watching from front to finish. To Jim Hall; You sir have he greatest job in the world, and this piece of kinetic art is priceless. It is museum quality, and should be shown at Pebble Beach. You are a true artist in the truest sense of the word. Great job to all involved, and to you Jay; TY for building this piece of automotive history, and having the class to share your good fortune with the rest of us. TY for sharing!
Agreed!
Very well said!
Couldn't have said it any better myself. This video is just mesmerizing.
If I saw this car on the road I would've guessed that it was made in the 90's or early 2000's. A timeless design and a terrific restoration made it perfect 👍.
I know your grandkids might be the ones reading this 🙂 but take a look at the Fiat Barchetta, it is from that time and genuinely pretty, interesting details and quite rare.
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Jim, and the team that built that car and saw it at its 1/2 way build. Its so nice to see the glow on Jims face as Jay is driving it going through the gears. The satisfaction of building your own car and being able to drive it, show it and enjoy it is such a great feeling. Way to go Jim. Two thumbs up.
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT , so cool with all the names on the magazine and the shout outs , and Jim being able to build his dream Elan , hope Jay let's him drive it now and again.
This Lotus is a masterpiece. It's a real treat to see Jim and Jay collaborate on building a SUPER Elan. I wish I had the skills to restore a car like that!
And the cash ;-)
I don't think this was a restore, they had a new body never built.
@@earlyculyer4103 They started with a complete '66 Elan. He says so at 2:00.
@@ctpctp Then why were no holes cut in the body for pedals, brake lines and wiring at 10:18?
Watching as tears flow down my cheeks. I've loved this car since Emma Peel drove pne all those years ago. Thank you Jay Leno for doing so much with your love of cars, and driving, which are inseparable for me.
I watched it with a big grin. Ms. Peel was maybe my first tv crush, too. She wasn’t driving this particular Lotus, though! This car is the distilled essence of classic sports car engineering. And beautiful! The faired headlights totally make it, too.
This car is the perfect example of why Jay is so awesome; he understands, appreciates & respects all the different car design/engineering philosophies be it American, European, Japanese or etc. He’s not like the stereotypical American car guy who given the same opportunity would probably take a small lightweight car like this drop a Chrysler V10 from a Viper in it and say, "There’s no replacement for displacement!"
and your comment is the biggest displacement I see all the time. Torque does not speak, it just works. I do not like the Elan and suicidal screaming.. but hey. Preservation has a value to be education. Meanwhile ten geared awd, 3000 pounds and 1781cc boxers with just one barrel can stomp that elan into hell.
***** nice trolling :)
cybertree I believe this is what you were going for:
"I think deep down you’re just threatened that a "Stereotypical American" engineered the fastest vehicle on the planet"
If you’re going to talk about engineering you might want learn how to engineer a sentence.
cybertree
American "sports" cars, have NOT "THAT FEELING", period!!!
+cybertree - So you use the case of the Hennesey Venom - a Lotus Exige withe a different heart-beat?
I would like to thank Jay Leno for being such a great guy. He has had one of the most successful careers in show biz and has such a passion for automobiles. Thank you again..
nice work Jim ! you should be very proud.
a true british sports car, tribute to jim clark.
I like jay leno because he appreciates the history and heritage of every car he has and puts on you tube for us to watch.
That Jim guy has a dream job...
Jim Clark has been dead since the late sixty's.
I would wash the cars at Jays garage to maybe sneak a couple out now and then!!!
@@MegaF1guy Jim Hall, the guy in the video.
K, I'm upset I only just now discovered this car. This thing is probably my new favorite. I love featherweight cars, and little is lighter than this, but this thing is amazing. 2 liter straight 4 twin cam ford engine is quite a lot like the engine in my escort, and I love those things. For road engines, they LOVE to rev, and they're very responsive. But the best part is the sound. I don't think I've ever had a car that has left me short of breath and with a tear in my eye, but this one genuinely did. I think this is THE BEST sound I've ever heard from a car, and I would sell my soul to the devil himself to own or even just to drive one. Hats off Jay to you and your team, you've created a masterpiece.
Would you please do some small feature videos on your team? I think we'd all like to see their story in a brief format. How did they get into what they do, how did you come to meet and work with them? I know some of them have vintage race cars/bikes- can we hear a bit more on that?
Eric DeJesus i
The PERFECT sports car! An absolute dream build Lotus, the Quaife sequential box is a stroke of genius! My envy is impossible to contain!
Jay's coolest car yet. Sounds amazing.
Congratulations on Finishing this Beautiful Auto. You've both built more than just you're Dream Car, you've built a Gift to Every Car Enthusiast. Thank You for sharing you're Dreams & Visions with us.
What a wonderful noise that motor makes when Jay drops the hammer....awesome, just awesome....
Great to have Mr Leno keeping this history and craft alive, wonderful sounds and craftmanship.
I love how THOROUGHLY WELL DONE this vehicle is, it reminds me of my first vehicle and how I wanted everything to be bulletproof beyond need (ironically it was a 96 Ford Bronco lol), all the extra chassi welds, the *safety wiring*, the smaller weight saving modern parts...just beautiful. I bet this car will never need maintanence again other than fluids!
I'm 28, and Lotus Cars and Jim Clark have always been huge main parts in my life. I owned a Twin-Cam Europa for a bit, and visited Jim Clark's home town in Duns, Scotland. I even met Clive Chapman at Hethel. It means so much to see Jay Leno get into Lotus in such a big way, and truly appreciate the cars, the mindset an the lifestyle of a Lotuseer. I'll always be a huge Jay Leno fan, and an even bigger fan of this channel.
Thanks Jay.
I love this car, Jay loves this car, everybody loves this car. That's a lot of love!
Being a Lotus fan, I was studying this very car at Newcomb's. Jay walked up behind me and stopped in my line of view. I was stunned and awestruck, of course. Took a selfie of myself and Jay with the car in the background. What a great sense of mischievousness. Jay certainly has a friendly sense of humor which endears him to all.
Jim Hall is an excellent man. Just a walking encyclopedia. I have so much respect for men like him. If I only had the money....
+MuhLogan I'd hate to work for Jay, tho. As much as I like this series. When they said this car was Jim's dream...why didn't Jay just give it to him?!?!
+Stev Rex Hmmm. I'm not really into "redistribution of wealth", but I do believe in generosity...especially when it would NOT affect my lifestyle in the least bit.
If hurling insults on the internet is your perogative. you truly need some serious psychological help.
Edslittleworld Seriously? This was Jay's dream. He was the one who envisioned the car, and then set the wheels in motion to build it. Why the hell would he put up all that money and time just to give it away when it was finished??
+Stev Rex
^^^ WTF is wrong with this dude?
Almost speechless. Except Chapman himself would be so happy with this car's restoration, undoubtedly.
The car is pure Lotus in spirit, form, and performance. Evidenced by the car-jaded Jay's facial and verbal expression later in the drive. Pure deLIGHT his eyes.
But Jim's passion for the car and the painstaking workmanship as homage to Collin's designs, and fellow builders, is equally inspiring.
Such an amazing project. So inspiring to see.
Finally, let there be no doubt about the source of inspiration for the mazda miata.
Wow, this thing looks like a blast to drive! I really can appreciate all the intense amount of workmanship, time and quality that went into creating this masterpiece. Absolutely wonderful. A sound is amazing and the 1358 pounds curb weight is ridiculous, the six speed sequential gearbox is awesome (I love manuals), no abs, traction control, electronic stability management, etc. which makes driving more direct, just lovely. I wish I had a car like this! Thank you for showing the entire process, very interesting how all those details together, and go all those part to fit, incorporating features from that era of racing. Professor Hall does very nice work! Jay Leno, you have very good taste my friend!
Also add: no heater...no AC...no airbags...no spare...no radio...no top, etc. Are you sure you'd want it for the same price as a two new Porsche Boxster S's? I would, but I also collect cars.
There's a lot of cars on this channel that I look at and think "sweet car, looks like a lot of fun", but this is the only one that I have literally drooled over and am completely envious of...
I drive an old Datsun 240Z and I love it because it's light, well balanced, and has something of a raw driving experience to it. This thing takes everything I love about my Datsun and turns it up several notches. It's perfection, wow!
very nice car, great work, great details, great sound, great style, great design, great performance, just amaing car.
That really is a gorgeous vehicle... the shape and stance are just perfect. There is a lot to admire here.
Caterham wasn't copying the Super Seven. At the time they were a Lotus dealer and when Lotus stopped production of the Seven in 1973 Caterham bought the tools and the production rights from Lotus. So the Caterham Seven can be called the genuine successor for the Lotus Seven.
I was going to say something about that too - first time I heard JL something factually incorrect.
Exactly. It's All Good in the Hood there.
When Caterham started building Lotus 7 cars, they built Series 4 cars, continuiing with Lotus tooling etc. Then they decided to make an updated Series 3 instead.
You might be interested to know that around 100 Lotus 7 cars were made in New Zealand, under licence from Lotus. They were made by Steel Brothers in Christchurch New Zealand, all Series 4 with Lotus twin cam engines. When the Lotus twink went out of production, they made a prototype with a Lotus 912 engine, but the car didn't go into production.
I once met Graham Nairn of Caterham Cars, and told him about the Steel Brothers cars - he was polite but simply refused to believe me... The Caterham and Steel Brothers cars are all genuine 'continuation' cars.
@@psk1w1 I am lucky enough to have owned both a Series 2 Lotus 7 (but totally rebuilt and upgraded to Series 3 spec'), plus a Series 4, which in mine, had the Ford 1600GT engine. Both great cars, which obviously now I wish I'd kept.
@@grahamw56 would they be worth more now?
I'm watching this in Hangzhou, China and as it played a guy with a piped cafe racer was going back and forth out front running it through the gears. It sounded like he was racing the Lotus. The relationship people have with cars is something of a universal language. It lags or leads with the time and place but always exists at some level. Thanks for helping to express this in the videos Jay. It is more than it seems.
Again, Thanks Jay for taking such good care of all the mechanical wonders. We appreciate your commitment.
One of my favorites of Jay Leno I’ve watched this video like 5 times. Jim Hall is quite the designer/engineer/builder! You can tell he has such a passion for his job too. Lotus is one of my favorite brands. I love the Elise. Simple, lightweight, easy to work on and not crazy expensive. So much fun to drive and work on
Beautiful car, genius builder and grateful, appreciative owner. I’m a fan of the whole deal. Another favorite car of the collection.
This not a restoration, this is a professional artwork, just like the old timers have done it, on the racetrack. Imaginative, Inspirational, and transcendental! Cheers from Brazil, to you all, specially to Jim Hall. This is synchronicity at its best, beyound space and time.
Jim is an amazing craftsman, happy you two crossed paths in life. Love to see an episode about your main guys pasts, and how they came to work for you.
The color. The sound. I NEED this! This is probably the sexiest car you own as far as I am concerned.
Such a pleasure to follow a master fabricator / enthusiast like Mr Jim!
I think this is by far my favorite car that Jay has done . It is a labor of love by Jim and others. Well done. I could listen to that car run all day.
Seeing this in person it was absolutely bad ass. Love the concept and direction of it. Brilliant!
Jim is amazing - a true engineer, an artist and a gentleman. Over all, a bloody good bloke! And huge respect to his team.
Really been waiting to see how this one turned out. What an amazing car...well done!
Not really fair to comment prior to viewing the entirety, but the infectious good humor and enthusiasm really comes through.
Thanks for the effort spent on doing all this. And now, back to the chase.
That car is very nice, Job well done. That is the ultimate Lotus Elan for sure.
Beautiful. A real work of art. My hat's off to Jim, Jay, and the magazine cover crew in the garage. It's projects and automobiles like this that drive my love of vehicles, so thank you for sharing this with the rest of us.
awesome...that sound is mesmerizing
Of all the many cars I've seen on this show, this is the one I'd pick. Great job.
1300lbs, 220hp race-style engine, and a sequential 6-speed... I bet you that car gives you a bigger smile than most of the 500hp+ cars he has sitting in that garage.
..and that sound! ~ ~c===8
220bhp 2 litre 8 valve twin cam on carbs is pretty good. I dont think this is totally race engine and wouldnt go much higher anyway if it was. unless it went forced induction.
cableaddict well I guess it's quite powerful, if you think about it 220 horse mated to a car that only weighs 670 kilos, adds up to about 380 brake horsepower per ton which is pretty good even by today's standards!
i think most people would back off the throttle before they used the full potential of 380hp per ton. Any higher hp would not be tractable by such a lightweight car without wings. Even if it did, the cornering g forces would be unsustainable to the average driver.
2011metalmaniac yep, I agree. Good call.
2011metalmaniac And I'm thinking GM TDI might not be to tall .More power
Wow.. I've be revisiting/rereading a lot of Peter Egan material.. and sort of [just recently] "became aware" of the magic of the Lotus Elan.. then to see (revisit) this - well, it's just a sort of gloriousness and passion that's hard to describe with human language..
So good. So magical.. Thank you for sharing this..
Cheers from Wisconsin..
It really does sound incredible.
I love the sound of the transmission. Not loud at all. Sounds great. Those shifts are wicked fast. What a sleeper of a car.
I've been waiting a long time for this episode. Beautifully done!
10yrs later and I'm still drooling over that car! It's one of my dream cars as well. Driven them only in simulators, and they always handle better than anything else. The only thing that compares is the Suzuki GSX/-4 Concept car. Pushrod suspension gave that car perfect handling, plus it has a superbike engine in it. The Hayabusa engine I think. Just epic. But that's impossible to own, so is your car, so I'll have to build my own.
Absolutely stunning. Jay must pay a fortune to his craftsmen to build such beautiful machines. I love this car. I remember the first time I saw the Elan, when I was 10. Diana Rigg was driving one in The Avengers. She looked so good in it, and it was a beautiful car back then too. But this 26R is state of the art. Jim must be a genius, to be able to build everything from scratch, and remember every little detail that needs to be addressed. If you have intelligence, and love cars, working for Jay has got to be a dream job. He is such a nice guy. You think he ever yells at anyone in the garage? Nah. He has too much fun making videos.
Sounds fantastic
Gosh, I hope artisians like this exist forever. I am infatuated with this kind of work.
Jay Leno What an amazing build! It sounds AMAZINGLY GLORIOUS!
@Jay Leno. You have such a great relationship with your restoration techs. Thank you for posting.
Loving the paint!
That is the most beautiful conveyance I have ever seen. Sublimely redolent with a singular and fascinating provenance.
Always wanted one of those! Looks fantastic! I was wondering why the driver door looks to be flexing so much on the highway. I could understand it doing it some but that is really a lot!
Mr Leno and Mr Hall are so wonderful, jeepers creepers love Jay Jim and the whole staff kudos
That may be the best sounding 4 banger I've ever heard.
Maybe, next to the Lotus Super 7 in the opening sequence of The Prisoner. Rapture.
Have to agree with that. Can't see the point in a radio.
I've watched this video several times over the years and this Lotus has to be one off the finest builds to come out of Jay's garage. Kudos to Jay, Jim Hall and all the those whose talent went into this car. Such a fine piece of automotive splendor.
Jay must have an employed staff just to renew the vehicles registration. A great video overall.
Mr. Hall you have done a beautiful job, you are a true artist. This car deserves to be in a fine art museum but that would be a complete shame this car deserves to be driven! Well done sir, Well done! And well done to Jay for providing the impetus and the financial backing. Nice work, both of you!
"make each part perform at least two functions, then add lightness"
Colin Chapman
Kudos on a great reconstruction and a great show. Elan was the most tasteful Lotus ever.
I believe that's the best sounding car Jay has ever featured in his series. Beautiful. And beautiful looking, too. Though...go to 20:13 and look at the serious door gap on the lower driver's side door. I'm guessing that's just caused by the fiberglass contour, which you can only do so much about. Still, just a wonderful machine. Great job!
Agreed, would love to know the 0-60mph time...
+Kaye NineTwo - you'd be amazed at how many Elans of this age have that same issue.
A real exercise in master craftsmanship. WOW!!!!! What a machine. Dream car material.
Some people just have no idea how long the hardcore fans of Jay Leno's Garage have been waiting for this video. No idea.
I've been waiting on it since he did the review of the blue Elan and this one was sitting next to it. He mentioned back then how they'd do all sorts of crazy stuff to it. I was thinking back then they'd do the engine and maybe lighten it, but adding that sequential box was a stroke of genius. That gear whine.. Someone was saying in the comments that it's bad you can't skip gears, but I can't think of a reason why you'd ever want to.
vtr0104 It really was a wild ride and a crazy long wait. I remember watching the first vid of the restoration blog. After about 6 updates I thought it'd never end. Seeing it finished almost brings a tear to the eye. Jim did such an amazing job and kudos xInfinity to Jay for letting him do something special not just for the car but for the history.
ampark09 DITTO !! LOVE IT !!!
If I could pick just one car out of Jay’s whole collection, this 26R would be it. Just magnificent.
finally ive been waiting for this one
This Rebuild is Pure Excellence... Great Job..
I JUST WISH THEY WOULD MAKE SEQUENTIAL MANUAL TRANNY'S LIKE THIS A MASS PRODUCT INSTEAD OF THOSE STUPID FLAPPY PADDLES (phew). No seriously Jay that is one heck of a build. I would love to own such a work of art, precision, and perfection. My hats off to Mr. Jim Hall for his effort and attention to detail. People like Him and Jay inspire me to stay a true petrolhead. Many thumbs up guys !!
Customers would love it until the repair bills him it them
Really great to see. Racing colours, too. Pure motoring as it was meant to be.
This car is what UK commentators mean when they talk about a ' sports car '. It's got everything you need, and nothing that you don't.
Truly one word comes to mind: *"PROPER"*.
Yep, simple and light :-)
Yet another superb video Jay. In the early sixties, I went to Aintree [Merseyside UK] to watch the European Grand Prix. I was fortunate to see Juan Fangio drive in the race...my favourite driver of all time [but only slightly ahead, in my personal ranking, of Gentleman Jim Clarke & John Surtees].
Thank you amigo.
I gotta agree with Jay on the thought that the mechanical things are much more satisfying than the electronic stuff..I would much rather drive a period hot rod than a hot hatch
I so agree with him and you. Mechanical over electronic or even electro-mechanical. I prefer my hydraulic or no assist steering to all this crap electric or electric "assisted" steering they're putting into "performance cars." Same with those stupid flappy paddle gearboxes. All you need for fast shifting times is a proper sequential manual like this one with a REAL clutch pedal. Wish someone would mass produce THIS racing technology.
Amen brother...I do appreciate the gadget guys builds too, but for me it's manual steering, manual brakes, carburated, 4 speed.. I guess I like the KISS cars..The feel of the combination I suggested set up right is sooooo awesome..
It is rather difficult to get a sense of achievement and functional beauty from making lines of code and binary pulses of electrons racing along a wire or a circuit board. The satisfaction to guys of our generation is one of imagining a physical medium, like air squeezing and swirling through a manifold, mixing with fuel and detonating in a perfectly formed chamber. Little things that fit together and go snick, snick like the proverbial rifle bolt stir the loins of those that live more through the touch of their fingers than through pure theory.
Oh how I envy you for waxing such automobile poetry lol. Your comment is one of THE best comments on UA-cam and you definitely are a purist petrolhead. Hats off, sir.
trefod
Very nice description sir..Your literary use of the language would suggest you are an author of some sort..If not may i suggest a change in career..Just superb..I agree wholeheartedly with 647killas' statement..Bravo..
I love the dash, how they put they used the wood in a way that located the grain in the center arching out.
Most people if not otherwise informed will look at this car and think "Oh, look, Jay has the car in that poster."
This episode was the one I liked the most, I even got emotional. Colin Chapman may have been a great killer of pilots with his suicide machines (“with a Lotus you earn or a Grand Prix or Heaven”, they used to say), but he and his team embodied that quality that names the model: Elan, that sense of audacity, just for the satisfaction of knowing you defied the odds pressing to the limit to know first hand, and not be told by other. Great show... Thanks...
That sounds amazing. You two look almost as good as Emma Peel did in her Lotus Elan back in the 60s Avengers series. Okay, not really. That racing stripe just seems to glow.
Well done guys, thanks for letting us share the journey,
What a beautiful car. Man i want a dashboard like that in a car i own one day
Vintage automotive perfection. I'm 65 and I lusted after a car like this in my youth but it didn't really exist at the time. My buddies were into muscle but I wanted a driver. All I could afford was a Cosworth twin cam Vega that I improved with a nice engine rebuild. I want your Lotus!
Lovely Car guys. Just a note to say Caterham was a Lotus agent till Mr. Graham Nearn bought the rights to build the Super 7 from Mr. Colin Chapmen around 1975. That means they are licensed and not copying the Super 7. Everyone else copied.
Jim I think your little LElan (Lotus Elan) as I like to call it is absolutely wonderful. If I could I would love to see Her first hand and I wouldn't mind wondering around Jay's shop taking in the cars, posters, and everything laying about. Very very nice job Sir, and the safety wiring was an absolute must for that build.
Now for a canyon carving video (hint, hint)... :>))
Tom - Vista, CA
I worked in a high quality auto shop and this is better than the best work we ever did. I went to school with a guy who drove an amateur "restored" Lotus that made me sad. The paint job looked like it had been done with a vacuum cleaner. Proper restoration of a car of this caliber and quality is not an amateur project and this resto is in keeping with what this little car is.
NEW WEIGHT MEASUREMENT. THE JAY LENO
"My car weights 3 Jay Lenos."
brin3535 You're a fucking idiot then.
This thread, for the win.
Ohh as if no one has made a spelling mistake before. Im glad that you have solved all the worlds problems now you can get down to stopping the horror of minor grammar mistakes.
brin3535 *is quite vast.
Also *They don't even sound the same.
If you're going to complain about other people's grammar, at least get it right yourself.
You captured the original spirit and brought it over to modern era in a way no other car manufacturer could. The enthusiasm is contagious. Well done.