@@Tyresome yep i picked it up as a project car 5 years ago after it had a blown head gasket and just needed bits of body work doing but for 2k i was not going to say no as not any other way i would get to own a lotus but been a great car and taken it to Nurburgring 2 times over them 5 years as well
These cars are very underrated mainly because of the motoring press at the time who turned their noses up at the front wheel drive saying it was not a Lotus…… A very silly assumption to make before you even turn the key. Then they rowed back…a lot on that blunderous statement. It was the best cover wrong and handling sports or hot hatch car on the road and Lotus had got it right. The M100 is almost square, that’s to say as wide as it is long which make the cockpit feel very big. Horsepower via the Isuzu 1600 twin cam was good at around 125 for the normally aspirated engine and 160 for the turbo intercooler unit. When Bugatti owners bought and restarted production with larger 16” BBS wheels steering and suspension modifications and some dreadful alterations to the centre console, (quality issue rather than design issues) and a catalytic converter to the exhaust the S2 is much sort after. They are numbered on the dash board 1 to 800 and are east to spot by the style of the BBS wheels. The catalytic converter reduced HP to 150. It can be removed and PNM to a stainless steel exhaust which sounds right for the car. A great car to drive on a reasonable road or as track day car which is great fun. Yes the hood leaks which can cause rust to the frame in the footwell and parts can be a bit pricey if you can find them. Is the M100 worth it? You’ll never know until you try one.
Thanks for the comment John! I love these little things! People call them a Kia due to their Korean counterparts but the Lotus variant is quite different. This is an older model that pre dates the catalytic coverter so that's always a bonus! No leaks either despite the VERY dodgy seals! More M100 content coming soon.
To answer the titular question... HELL YEAH I could live with that car... I have always wanted one since the first time I saw one in 1992. Appears to have been built off of the Isuzu Impulse of the time. Which is another car I wanted... I did end up with the Geo Storm GSi (not turbo sadly).
Yeah man, Izuzu and Kia both had lots of stuff to do with this model but only the Lotus got the handling AND engine! :) I really love the look of the Geo Storm with the back back end! So unique!
Nice video and well done Dad for getting the Elan on the road again :) Having has one of these for close on 30 years I would not really recommend as a sole daily driver, possibly fine over the summer but they will leak when the weather is bad and the car will deteriorate quickly. They are too good to leave out in the elements and more parts are increasingly difficult or expensive to obtain. Agree, it's still a great car on a sunny day, roof down buzzing along country B roads - it can even take you comfortably long distances if you want to do some touring. There is also a knowledgable online Lotus Elan M100 community to help you when you need advice and assistance. Note: SE was 165 bhp from factory - if the door is locked and the window/roof is down you can just pull the button up to unlock - no need to use the key ;) Good luck with the Scimitar!
Thanks very much man! We have a different Elan M100 now but this one was loads of fun whilst we had it. I’m glad we saved it! Scimitar is coming along well! Videos incoming!
having owned a Elan for the last 5 years i love it and been great so far and done 52k miles in them 5 years and trouble free motoring
Lovely stuff! Super reliable really. They did so much stuff right with the M100
@@Tyresome yep i picked it up as a project car 5 years ago after it had a blown head gasket and just needed bits of body work doing but for 2k i was not going to say no as not any other way i would get to own a lotus but been a great car and taken it to Nurburgring 2 times over them 5 years as well
@@mrchilled85 so good! Lots of boot space for camping gear too!
These cars are very underrated mainly because of the motoring press at the time who turned their noses up at the front wheel drive saying it was not a Lotus…… A very silly assumption to make before you even turn the key. Then they rowed back…a lot on that blunderous statement. It was the best cover wrong and handling sports or hot hatch car on the road and Lotus had got it right. The M100 is almost square, that’s to say as wide as it is long which make the cockpit feel very big. Horsepower via the Isuzu 1600 twin cam was good at around 125 for the normally aspirated engine and 160 for the turbo intercooler unit. When Bugatti owners bought and restarted production with larger 16” BBS wheels steering and suspension modifications and some dreadful alterations to the centre console, (quality issue rather than design issues) and a catalytic converter to the exhaust the S2 is much sort after. They are numbered on the dash board 1 to 800 and are east to spot by the style of the BBS wheels. The catalytic converter reduced HP to 150. It can be removed and PNM to a stainless steel exhaust which sounds right for the car. A great car to drive on a reasonable road or as track day car which is great fun. Yes the hood leaks which can cause rust to the frame in the footwell and parts can be a bit pricey if you can find them. Is the M100 worth it? You’ll never know until you try one.
Thanks for the comment John!
I love these little things! People call them a Kia due to their Korean counterparts but the Lotus variant is quite different. This is an older model that pre dates the catalytic coverter so that's always a bonus! No leaks either despite the VERY dodgy seals! More M100 content coming soon.
To answer the titular question... HELL YEAH I could live with that car... I have always wanted one since the first time I saw one in 1992.
Appears to have been built off of the Isuzu Impulse of the time. Which is another car I wanted... I did end up with the Geo Storm GSi (not turbo sadly).
Yeah man, Izuzu and Kia both had lots of stuff to do with this model but only the Lotus got the handling AND engine! :)
I really love the look of the Geo Storm with the back back end! So unique!
My Storm was black and that cool metallic red back was awesome. I changed the color to Viper Red, and it was sweet.@@Tyresome
@@adonian Ooohh! Viper red! Very fancy!
Nice video and well done Dad for getting the Elan on the road again :)
Having has one of these for close on 30 years I would not really recommend as a sole daily driver, possibly fine over the summer but they will leak when the weather is bad and the car will deteriorate quickly. They are too good to leave out in the elements and more parts are increasingly difficult or expensive to obtain. Agree, it's still a great car on a sunny day, roof down buzzing along country B roads - it can even take you comfortably long distances if you want to do some touring. There is also a knowledgable online Lotus Elan M100 community to help you when you need advice and assistance.
Note: SE was 165 bhp from factory - if the door is locked and the window/roof is down you can just pull the button up to unlock - no need to use the key ;) Good luck with the Scimitar!
Thanks very much man!
We have a different Elan M100 now but this one was loads of fun whilst we had it. I’m glad we saved it!
Scimitar is coming along well! Videos incoming!
I get 18 mpg with mine, not much highway driving and I love accelerating quickly and making turbo sounds
I had to change out my gear change cables because the factory ones snapped a bit of plastic
I think there's an upgrade available isn't there!? May be worth looking into if you haven't already done it! :)
I would have to play the Lotus 3 (Amiga game) sound track while having a blast in an Elan. That would be awesome.
Oohh yes! That would be amazing!
Mx5 is rubbish compared to a M100
Factory turbo is so good! That being said, rear wheel drive is so nice too!
@@Tyresomel hate rwd, had both, elan far better, faster, corners better, different class, mx rot