@@kris8742 I think I read somewhere that it was around 250miles, but I might be wrong. No idea if there's any performance limitations to achieve that range or not. I haven't taken much notice of the Evija tbh.
@@davidorama6690 The two come with the other. If you have enough batteries for the range and you have the systems to put power into them quickly under regenerative braking then defacto the motors (which are used "in reverse" for regenerative charge) are powerful enough and your power architecture supports enough current to achieve good acceleration figures. I.e. They're not focused on acceleration, it's a side-effect of everything else.
@@davidorama6690 Actually in the case of the Evija specifically I think Lotus would have been better going for a lower range, to enable a substantially lighter and thus better handling car. If you've got enough money to buy an Evija, it's not your only car, why does a supercar like this need 250 miles range? it's not like you would want to use it for long distance driving , you would use your top of the range BMW/Audi/Aston Martin to waft you along motorway drives. The Evija is for taking to the track, or on short forays into twisty roads and 100 mile range is fine for that, reducing the battery weight by 3/5ths and making a much more exciting drive. The range thing is relevant for cars like the Tesla , which are designed to be useable as your only car, and should be able to do all the stuff IC engined cars can do, but in the case of a specialist niche car like the Evija, why compromise the design by making it so heavy with all those batteries?
Yeah, I wish that Shmee150 man would learn and use a proper mic instead of relying on the integrated one. He’s so rich and popular yet the technical quality of his videos is so low!
Another fantastic video from the car expert and proper enthusiast Harry - what an absolute pleasure to listen to his words of wisdom and commentary and watch his cars and his expert driving - many thanks Harry, keep up the great work. Oh, and as per your previous video on this car - we love the Elan.
yes, love listening to Harry's views: "Lotus always was a hero brand. You could always afford a Lotus. You might desire the ultimate Porsche but you could actually buy the Lotus, and then it would dynamically punch above its weight. That's what I love about Lotus. That's what I love about this little Elan." Classic Harry.
I have no idea who you are or what you do but you have made my morning. I always played with tuning street cars (600ish whp B5S4 and the like) and sport bikes. A few years ago I left the car tuning world to make an intelligent financial decision. Recently I have become involved in an Austin Healey Sprite. The Sprite has changed my perception of what a sports car can be and given me a better all encompassing view on the evolution of performance. I have the upmost respect for your attention to detail with the little Lotus. Its gorgeous!
I used to work on the assembly line at Hethel in 1969/1970 with my brother next to these beauties. I was was on the P5 Europa line. The more experienced workers were on the Elan/Elan 2+2 line. Ah, takes me back.
I loved watching and listening to Harry pilot around in that little yellow Lotus Elan Sprint and I swear I could do just that for hours and hours. Thank you once again for an enjoyable escape sir, please keep them coming.
Another sublime video Harry (and team) - thank you! As an ex-Elise owner, I still adore the brand and super excited with what the Evija will bring - not just the car itself, but hopefully the return on investment and the trickle-down effect for the next generation of Elises and Alpine-rivals. So for those of you hung up on the why? of the Evija, let's stay positive and rejoice Lotus is making healthy moves again.
Harry's channel: Cars first, UA-cam second. Most other UA-cam car channels: UA-cam first, cars second. Another very enjoyable video - as a Londoner who left the UK 16 years ago I really enjoyed the scenes of London on a sunny day. Now get back to harvesting that barley!
We need Netflix to bankroll a high production value road-trip series with Harry, Chris Harris and Henry Catchpole. A classy, British alternative to TGT. Great video Harry; I remember that Lotus 340R when Peter Tomlinson had it parked on his drive literally 100 yards from my house in Cambridge
Very special to see you drive your beautiful tiny Elan on the twisty and jammed roads of London. Impressive looking Evija but agree with your sentiments with regards to electric hypercars.
Thought I'd watch this again a year later and how things have changed except Harry's amazing capability to do a piece to camera that is engaging and informative while AT THE SAME TIME negotiating through busy London traffic. Legend
My dad and two of his mates built one in our driveway in Croydon in around 1967.It arrived on a flat bed truck with wooden crate.Dad,Brian and the owner Keith Solsbie built it over one weekend.It was red and white with Embassy cigarette logos.Happy days.
Watching you driving about London casually chatting to the camera I have to take my hat off to you. I'd be double parked somewhere having a panic attack 😂 😂 (I live 50 miles north of Inverness so to meet 5 cars in a day is considered busy)
So reminiscent of my old Elan Sprint - yellow over white - bought in 1976 from the first owner at 18k miles and sold to put down the deposit on our first house in 1979 with 44k miles behind it and it only frightened me once and never let me down. I miss it so much!
Just that little "stream of consciousness" about hypercars, emotions and EVs it's a valid explanation of why Harry is an off the scale automotive expert. Always sharp, focused, honest and savvy.
I'd have an Elan Sprint over that Evija thing any day, everyday. I've had a couple of _fast_ saloon cars (ok nowhere near _that_ fast of course) but for A and B road scratching they're dull, genuinely dull. Something light, nimble and talkative with enough power to shove you down the straights at a decent speed is far more fun.
I used to drive my Elan Sprint in London :) Admittedly it was not great across the centre of town, so I tried to avoid getting snarled up, but it was a great town car - its nippy, easily out paces most traffic, people love it and generally let you into spaces - like the original mini, but so much more of a great car :)
What Gent this chap is... I adored the passionate speech about Lotus at the end.... You are dead right about Lotus.... I have had 2 Elise cars and more smiles per pound than any other car I have driven!
Any new Harry's Garage video is a cause for celebration but this one plucked my heartstrings. So good to see the Elan motoring around London and your insightful comments about the new Evija.
Thanks Harry. Brought back some great memories. I bought my (ex) Elan Sprint ('73 Drophead Gold Leaf) from Mick Miller in '86. At the time you rang him up with a budget, he would source the car and then restore it, full Miller style, which took a while :). I would periodically take it back for service and repair (electrics, repaint), and one of the mods he did was a "triple" layer radiator, which was great as it aided the cooling in traffic. I lived in Wimbledon at the time, and periodically took it into London, (you obviously missed me), but it also went to Scotland, to Le Mans, Silverstone, Snetterton (on track), and it revelled in anything you could throw at it apart from the motorway (needed another gear or overdrive really). Only pain was getting the roof on quick in a sudden downpour. Wet grip was hilarious, albeit progressive. Performance through lightness, plus to think of all the great and the good that had driven Elans, the latest on my mind being Diana Rigg, RIP.
Thanks Harry, you're a natural. Loved the vid, you could just drive around interesting places and share what comes to your mind and I'd watch. Lotus Lotus Lotus!
Wonderful production again and always nice to hear how real enthusiasts understand sports and supercars, the computer game generation needs to learn a little bit about emotion. All car news channels seem to be as obsessed with electric hypercars, Headlines of power and the reality is its all ´fake progress´, for those who love what great design, engineering and automotive emotion is all about!
The Elan Sprint is an exceptional car, and I wouldn't worry about overheating. My pal at university had one (early 70's). We drove it down to the South of France (Montpelier). No problems at all over 2,000 miles. And it was hot. And we got stuck in a four-hour jam near Leon, as this was before the Autoroute extended from north to south. Quite an adventure. Harry, perhaps a similar trip might be interesting!
I had a 64 Elan back when I was way too young and sold it when I was on my way to Vietnam. In the late 80's I had a chance ti buy a Sprint same color as yours. Didn't buy it and I've been kicking myself ever since. Now in my 80's, I can only dream.😊
Harry your comments from around 16 minutes on are those of a true motoring enthusiast and so obviously come from the heart. You are as usual spot on but Lotus are trying to sell the majority of their new cars not to enthusiasts but people to whom having the 'coolest' car is the main thing. To them a cars image is all not whether it gets into your heart and soul.
Thanks once again for bringing the rest of us along for the ride. I would love to see more videos featuring the little Lotus in the future. I really enjoy watching all of your videos featuring the wide array of vehicles that you've managed to collect (including the motorcycles!). But for me it is the smaller, simpler, vintage cars like the Elan Sprint, the Duetto, and the Fulvia Sport Zagato that really capture my heart and attention. These are inevitably the cars where I've most enjoyed my time as a virtual passenger.
What an exquisite, sublime machine you own. Thank you for taking us along. I'd much prefer driving your Elan, where you have the pleasure of using all the power of that engine versus the 2000hp of the Evija EV hypercar. It's an extraordinary thing to see your Elan Sprint ambling round London. The only other Lotus Elan photographed in London I recall was the one owned by poor old Tara Browne who famously "blew his mind out in a car" from A Day in the Life.
Back in around '73, when your car was registered, I left the Midlands and travelled down to Exeter to start my new job. I met a guy with a Lotus Elan, who for some reason , sort of took me under his wing. Always wanted one , could never find one at my price . So I bought a Mk5 Davrian instead (a wreck) stripped and rebuilt it , and Loved it :)
Harry nailed it regarding the Evija; the more we hear about it the more of a joke it sounds like. Amazing design but who really wants a hypercar with a 35-minute duration between charges? The design really deserved a better car. And regarding "What's the future of Lotus" predictably it turned out to be an SUV...
Harry. Despite the fact that this is an older episode, I'm glad to hear you provide a level-headed commentary on the Electric Hysteria. We are bound to fossil fuels for at least another 30 years and even Mercedes, BMW and various other brands are still developing new clean and efficient fuel engines.
My favourite UA-camr , I just love your road trips, and your collection of new and old cars is absolutely stunning. My Sundays are usually spent doing “the Harry catch-up “. I look forward to the next video.
I like re-watching this video Harry. Your Lotus videos really convey a sense of the excellent / joyous fast road handling. I've never owned, or even driven, one myself but really like the look of the Evora 410GT and 430GT. Please do some more Lotus videos
Absolutely agree, Harry. I'd be quite happy to have an EV as a daily driver but can't see the point in having an EV as a 'fun' car - there is no fun! Yes, they have amazing acceleration but cars are getting so fast now that it is utterly pointless and besides, I like the theatre and experience of driving when I do it for pleasure.
The car that launched thousands of mx5 and miatas or however the h..l yu spell it .....mid 60s.. green.. dayglo orange bumpers.. hear every gearchange..elan😙. passing our farm sent me into the world of petrol headyness... .. cheers from dave
I worked at a Lotus dealership in 70-71 in Ramstein. We sold a lot of Europas and quite a number of Elans. They were huge fun to drive until we got the American Version with the strange intake manifold. Often parts were missing from the factory, and I even repaired a Europa where they apparently couldn't pay for fiber mat and they used London Newpapers instead. Could still read the headlines in the engine compartment.
@12:37 and there's one with it's bonnet up, the sign of a true British car club outing! You're brave - in my 20s (in the 2000s) an SUV went into the back of me on the Auckland motorway, that was the end of my 1977 Triumph 2500 and the policeman said I was lucky to walk away from it. Changed my perception of city driving and motorway driving - and that car was a solid steel tank compared to any Lotus of this period!
Great content, I do have a sweet point for Lotus. Man, love the sound of that car, the clang clang gear shift, the exhaust, pops and bangs. So healthy 4 pot! I hope you´ve noticed, how many people are looking at her! I am in love!
I have a Sprint, +2 and Europa Special and live in London.So long as your fan cuts in they are perfectly usable. The smaller Elan is actually ideal for nipping in and out of traffic. It's the speed humps the suspension doesn't like.
Really? The Elan is 46 years old, It'll likely be in the same condition in another 46 years. So will many many many many other cars. And as Harry points out, the hyper cars are not the problem, not even slightly. It's the same story with any older or specialist car. We have ice living alongside EV (and whatever human invention brings) for the next 100years and the rest.
100% agreed with your comments on performance cars, particularly hyper/super cars. It’s all ridiculous. Politics has infringed upon artful engineering and it shouldn’t be there. Never. Absolutely adore your Elan! The only time I have ever seen one in person is at Barbers museum, they are really beautiful machines.
The original elan for me any day of the week. An absolute masterpiece of a car in my opinion. I love it! Always makes me wonder how Lotus themselves got the 'recreation' so wrong whereas Mazda got it spot on!
The Elan2 was based on a drive-train (Isuzu) available within GM (Lotus owners at the time). Mazda could create a drive-train to suit what the engineers came up with. The Miata / MX5 was laid out by British engineers.... who had a close look at the Elan1
I love your little Elan, what a cracking little motor, the reason your speedo is probably more accurate is maybe down to the fact that most manufacturers have different size wheels & tyre profiles & probably don't calibrate the speedo for every one. I was told years ago that if you increase the wheels on your car as a modification your supposed to have your speedo re calibrated.
Your Elan is a lovely example. Lovely intake noise.. I used to do hilclimbs in an era when Malcolm Eaves used to hilclimb a heavenly modified white one. Great shape on new car not sure about the rest of it though
This is how to do a car video, hope the young pretenders are paying attention! Great job Harry, love your little Elan you should get a Europa to keep it company!
Just Class. You made me want an Esprit Harry and that Yellow one here in London just looks so special and has somehow worn the years so well with its shameless hard edge looks.
17:00: "..but supercars are not the reason there's global warming." I completely agree with you. Apart from _some_ torque and acceleration advantages in PHEVs, the battery tech is not sufficient for 100% BEV supercars--yet.
Thanks Harry, I haven't been down to Horticultural Halls since they held Motorcycle shows there in the late 70's!! The Elan is a beautiful British sports car and my mate thinks his Mazda MX5 is light lol! Keep em coming Harry, your enthusiasm is infectious
I 100% agree with your comments on 2000 hp E-Hypercars. Where's the emotion, the smells, the sounds? I love driving my Caterham and V8 TVR for just those things. The feel of the road, the light weight sensations.....I also have an I-Pace, wonderful vehicle, quicker, more comfortable, low carbon...but my heart is elsewhere. Keep up the excellent video's.
Loved your video as usual Harry-your knowledge and enthusiasm are a joy to listen too-especially when discussing my favorite car-the Lotus Elan. Having grown up driving my Dad's 71 S4 FHC -in Lotus Yellow, I have waited 30 plus years for my own which I now have-69 S4 DHC in French Blue for the last 2 years. I am chuffed everytime I see it and love the spannering/wrenching required as well as the driving when I can, about 800-1000 miles/year. It was raining today so I watched your video instead! There is not a classic that I would rather own than this one-thanks Harry.
I’ve become addicted t Harry’s videos whilst in serious lock-down in Spain ( now day 58 ). Every video is interesting, brings a smile, and proper enthusiast talk with no bull..., brilliant. In our house Harry is known as my new best mate ! Whilst the car videos are great, I just love the travelogues, been on many of the roads and agree wholeheartedly with the comments. As we will all be ravelling by car in future ( planes are a thing of the past ) Can we have more trips and more details of where you stay and why. Thanks for keeping me sane during lockdown, I think I must have Castro’s R running in my veins again. Brilliant 10:10
Hi, A great day trip to London with a choir ,Harry singing, the noise of the wind and the burble of the twin cam . A tribute to LOTUS vision in the past and now into the future ,2000 HP ?Yes if it comes out of England , but I would settle for his Elan and yes in Yellow .Thank for the ride Harry A prince of Petrol Heads
Just wanted to say mate this channel is better than anything and is my go to before Discovery or Netflix or anything else. A proper journalist telling a story not some entertainer carrying on trying to be funny.
Given the choice, as a 42 year old man I would rather have the Elan then the Evija. I'm not saying I don't like the new car, it looks amazing but for the pure "fun" aspect of driving, the Elan has to be No: 1.
the germans and japanese have stolen the market for a reasonble priced small light sports cars, lotus had to change the market they were in and it makes sense to be first EV hypercar. good times for british car firms.
Great to get a guided open top tour around a lovely verdant green London. It's a cool winters day ( 12degrees)here in Melbourne Australia. 27 degrees !!!! . Have they imposed water restrictions yet.
Lovely video!! Brought back old memories!! Just love the Elans,, had four of them and worked a lot on them as well,,, LOL, before leaving Englnd, back in 1973!!!
As always a realsuperb Harry Video. You are so right about this Evija Lotus, weird as its name. The beautiful Elan pictures bring theAvengers back to my mind. A lovely yellow Lotus. Thanks for uploading.
I love how tiny these little Elans are, and they look so right. Car design definitely hit a peak in the 60s. As a kiddie, I loved watching reruns of the old Avengers series. I think seeing Dianna Rigg charging around in that little silver grey Lotus Elan is what got me interested in cars in the first place, though I'm not sure which I fancied the most. Dianna Rigg or the Lotus. I'd have happily settled for either.
Great content as usual, Thanks Harry. Very pertinent points at the end. Hyper / supercars are emotive purchases for 'occasional' use and you do want the sound and all that goes with it. Its like buying a digital watch compared to a hand made mechanical watch. I don't see the craftsmanship and value in the digital / electric watch or car. An engine has been designed, machined, crafted. An electric motor is just an electric motor, it could be from an Indesit washing machine, who knows? It does nothing for me. I love Lotus cars and am on my 4th. I am hoping this is just a statement of intent of what is possible. I seriously hope they haven't lost their way and forgot to 'add lightness'. I am waiting for their SUV and hoping its a stripped out, manual gearbox, 4 bucket seat, lightweight like no-one else makes. If so I will be writing a cheque and at last I can have a lightweight daily to go with my 430 CUP.
"I wanted a lightweight body" - Don't we all Harry.
i wish i was lighter than 700 kilos
In 36 24 36 measurement colour Yellow?
Finally! A common sense view about the Evija looking beyond the 2000hp headlines. Would much rather the Elan.
Wonder what the range is ??
@@kris8742 I think I read somewhere that it was around 250miles, but I might be wrong. No idea if there's any performance limitations to achieve that range or not. I haven't taken much notice of the Evija tbh.
I wish EV designers would eschew acceleration for range and charging time.
@@davidorama6690 The two come with the other. If you have enough batteries for the range and you have the systems to put power into them quickly under regenerative braking then defacto the motors (which are used "in reverse" for regenerative charge) are powerful enough and your power architecture supports enough current to achieve good acceleration figures. I.e. They're not focused on acceleration, it's a side-effect of everything else.
@@davidorama6690 Actually in the case of the Evija specifically I think Lotus would have been better going for a lower range, to enable a substantially lighter and thus better handling car.
If you've got enough money to buy an Evija, it's not your only car, why does a supercar like this need 250 miles range? it's not like you would want to use it for long distance driving , you would use your top of the range BMW/Audi/Aston Martin to waft you along motorway drives.
The Evija is for taking to the track, or on short forays into twisty roads and 100 mile range is fine for that, reducing the battery weight by 3/5ths and making a much more exciting drive.
The range thing is relevant for cars like the Tesla , which are designed to be useable as your only car, and should be able to do all the stuff IC engined cars can do, but in the case of a specialist niche car like the Evija, why compromise the design by making it so heavy with all those batteries?
What an impressive mic, hear Harry clear as day with the roof off!
I thought that!
Indeed, the magic going on needs to be shared...
Lovely clear sound that picks up not just Harry's voice but the click of the Elan's gear changes and it's great exhaust note. Top quality
Yeah, I wish that Shmee150 man would learn and use a proper mic instead of relying on the integrated one. He’s so rich and popular yet the technical quality of his videos is so low!
people were very loud in the comments about the audio being trash early on, Harry or someone helping him were no doubt aware it needed doing well.
Another fantastic video from the car expert and proper enthusiast Harry - what an absolute pleasure to listen to his words of wisdom and commentary and watch his cars and his expert driving - many thanks Harry, keep up the great work. Oh, and as per your previous video on this car - we love the Elan.
yes, love listening to Harry's views: "Lotus always was a hero brand. You could always afford a Lotus. You might desire the ultimate Porsche but you could actually buy the Lotus, and then it would dynamically punch above its weight. That's what I love about Lotus. That's what I love about this little Elan." Classic Harry.
ok
sounds sarcastic
@m ty - Harrys words are the best. And his original Lotus Elan Sprint video was one of my favorites. Cheers.
Diana Rigg drove her Elan through London with . . . well, elan.
Nice one Harry, always a pleasure to watch your videos.
I have no idea who you are or what you do but you have made my morning. I always played with tuning street cars (600ish whp B5S4 and the like) and sport bikes. A few years ago I left the car tuning world to make an intelligent financial decision. Recently I have become involved in an Austin Healey Sprite. The Sprite has changed my perception of what a sports car can be and given me a better all encompassing view on the evolution of performance. I have the upmost respect for your attention to detail with the little Lotus. Its gorgeous!
"Actually what I should be doing is Barley harvest... but I'm in this!" Priorities man!
I used to work on the assembly line at Hethel in 1969/1970 with my brother next to these beauties.
I was was on the P5 Europa line.
The more experienced workers were on the Elan/Elan 2+2 line.
Ah, takes me back.
Best motoring journalist alive.
Luv and Peace.
Yes he is! The man is an icon! From Evo to his you tube channel, we are fortunate to have him sharing with us.
Absolutely!
I loved watching and listening to Harry pilot around in that little yellow Lotus Elan Sprint and I swear I could do just that for hours and hours. Thank you once again for an enjoyable escape sir, please keep them coming.
Another sublime video Harry (and team) - thank you!
As an ex-Elise owner, I still adore the brand and super excited with what the Evija will bring - not just the car itself, but hopefully the return on investment and the trickle-down effect for the next generation of Elises and Alpine-rivals. So for those of you hung up on the why? of the Evija, let's stay positive and rejoice Lotus is making healthy moves again.
Loved hearing that twin cam and the snick-snick gearchange. Ace as ever Mr H. The rear end of that Eve thing is fantastic.
Those gearshift sounds!! Pure pleasure!
Harry's channel: Cars first, UA-cam second. Most other UA-cam car channels: UA-cam first, cars second. Another very enjoyable video - as a Londoner who left the UK 16 years ago I really enjoyed the scenes of London on a sunny day. Now get back to harvesting that barley!
We need Netflix to bankroll a high production value road-trip series with Harry, Chris Harris and Henry Catchpole. A classy, British alternative to TGT. Great video Harry; I remember that Lotus 340R when Peter Tomlinson had it parked on his drive literally 100 yards from my house in Cambridge
Henry Catchpole is fantastic.. they would all be great together
That's a beautiful thought, the absolute best British auto journo from each generation. I wouldn't just watch that show; I'd evangelize for it.
I can hear the gearshifts on the rocket-box like a rifle bolt. Wonderful, wonderful cars.
Very special to see you drive your beautiful tiny Elan on the twisty and jammed roads of London.
Impressive looking Evija but agree with your sentiments with regards to electric hypercars.
The upside of driving an Elan in central London is that it's narrow - so will slip through gaps which a modern car can not
Thought I'd watch this again a year later and how things have changed except Harry's amazing capability to do a piece to camera that is engaging and informative while AT THE SAME TIME negotiating through busy London traffic. Legend
"expert and proper" that pretty well sums up Harry. Lotus knew the secret of performance, loose weight. Not necessary for huge displacement.
My dad and two of his mates built one in our driveway in Croydon in around 1967.It arrived on a flat bed truck with wooden crate.Dad,Brian and the owner Keith Solsbie built it over one weekend.It was red and white with Embassy cigarette logos.Happy days.
Watching you driving about London casually chatting to the camera I have to take my hat off to you. I'd be double parked somewhere having a panic attack 😂 😂 (I live 50 miles north of Inverness so to meet 5 cars in a day is considered busy)
Your videos are always delightful and portray an honest love of motoring, which I share.
Can't ever beat the Driving experience and smile on your face,when you drive the Lotus Elan Sprint.
So reminiscent of my old Elan Sprint - yellow over white - bought in 1976 from the first owner at 18k miles and sold to put down the deposit on our first house in 1979 with 44k miles behind it and it only frightened me once and never let me down. I miss it so much!
Just that little "stream of consciousness" about hypercars, emotions and EVs it's a valid explanation of why Harry is an off the scale automotive expert. Always sharp, focused, honest and savvy.
I'd have an Elan Sprint over that Evija thing any day, everyday. I've had a couple of _fast_ saloon cars (ok nowhere near _that_ fast of course) but for A and B road scratching they're dull, genuinely dull. Something light, nimble and talkative with enough power to shove you down the straights at a decent speed is far more fun.
I used to drive my Elan Sprint in London :) Admittedly it was not great across the centre of town, so I tried to avoid getting snarled up, but it was a great town car - its nippy, easily out paces most traffic, people love it and generally let you into spaces - like the original mini, but so much more of a great car :)
What Gent this chap is... I adored the passionate speech about Lotus at the end.... You are dead right about Lotus.... I have had 2 Elise cars and more smiles per pound than any other car I have driven!
This is why I love Harry's Garage. Keep 'em coming!
Any new Harry's Garage video is a cause for celebration but this one plucked my heartstrings. So good to see the Elan motoring around London and your insightful comments about the new Evija.
That little outro as the tunnel came into the light was a cool editing idea in a spot that most wouldn't even notice. tops.
Thanks Harry. Brought back some great memories. I bought my (ex) Elan Sprint ('73 Drophead Gold Leaf) from Mick Miller in '86. At the time you rang him up with a budget, he would source the car and then restore it, full Miller style, which took a while :). I would periodically take it back for service and repair (electrics, repaint), and one of the mods he did was a "triple" layer radiator, which was great as it aided the cooling in traffic. I lived in Wimbledon at the time, and periodically took it into London, (you obviously missed me), but it also went to Scotland, to Le Mans, Silverstone, Snetterton (on track), and it revelled in anything you could throw at it apart from the motorway (needed another gear or overdrive really). Only pain was getting the roof on quick in a sudden downpour. Wet grip was hilarious, albeit progressive. Performance through lightness, plus to think of all the great and the good that had driven Elans, the latest on my mind being Diana Rigg, RIP.
Thanks Harry, you're a natural. Loved the vid, you could just drive around interesting places and share what comes to your mind and I'd watch. Lotus Lotus Lotus!
The batteries in the Evija probably weigh as much as your Elan! Both great cars I'm sure, but it's the Elan for me
@Rodolfo Ramos Probably more tbh!
Nope its "only" a 70kwh battery about 2/3 of an Elan. Still very heavy.
It's a beautiful Elan, Harry. My '73 Elan +2S 130/5 was yellow with a silver metaflake roof - it was good to see a monochrome yellow +2 in the convoy!
Wonderful production again and always nice to hear how real enthusiasts understand sports and supercars, the computer game generation needs to learn a little bit about emotion. All car news channels seem to be as obsessed with electric hypercars, Headlines of power and the reality is its all ´fake progress´, for those who love what great design, engineering and automotive emotion is all about!
I couldn't agree more, I'd take that gorgeous little Elan any day over the new Evija. It has soul and, dare I say it, elan.
Nice to see London in good weather, if a little hot. A joy just to listen to that lovely gearchange sound!
The Elan Sprint is an exceptional car, and I wouldn't worry about overheating. My pal at university had one (early 70's). We drove it down to the South of France (Montpelier). No problems at all over 2,000 miles. And it was hot. And we got stuck in a four-hour jam near Leon, as this was before the Autoroute extended from north to south. Quite an adventure. Harry, perhaps a similar trip might be interesting!
EVERY TIME you drive your Lotus it makes me long for the simplistic beauty of driving one! Now I’ve gotta start looking again.
I had a 64 Elan back when I was way too young and sold it when I was on my way to Vietnam. In the late 80's I had a chance ti buy a Sprint same color as yours. Didn't buy it and I've been kicking myself ever since. Now in my 80's, I can only dream.😊
Harry your comments from around 16 minutes on are those of a true motoring enthusiast and so obviously come from the heart. You are as usual spot on but Lotus are trying to sell the majority of their new cars not to enthusiasts but people to whom having the 'coolest' car is the main thing. To them a cars image is all not whether it gets into your heart and soul.
Harry I enjoy your uploads all the way in Las Vegas Nevada so keep them coming
I only ever travelled to London by train, I wouldn't want to drive in London. So I'm happy watching you driving through it.
Yes, really enjoyed it. Loved seeing the views of London, listening to the carby sounds and the sense of being in the car. Great!
Thanks once again for bringing the rest of us along for the ride. I would love to see more videos featuring the little Lotus in the future. I really enjoy watching all of your videos featuring the wide array of vehicles that you've managed to collect (including the motorcycles!). But for me it is the smaller, simpler, vintage cars like the Elan Sprint, the Duetto, and the Fulvia Sport Zagato that really capture my heart and attention. These are inevitably the cars where I've most enjoyed my time as a virtual passenger.
What an exquisite, sublime machine you own. Thank you for taking us along. I'd much prefer driving your Elan, where you have the pleasure of using all the power of that engine versus the 2000hp of the Evija EV hypercar. It's an extraordinary thing to see your Elan Sprint ambling round London. The only other Lotus Elan photographed in London I recall was the one owned by poor old Tara Browne who famously "blew his mind out in a car" from A Day in the Life.
Back in around '73, when your car was registered, I left the Midlands and travelled down to Exeter to start my new job. I met a guy with a Lotus Elan, who for some reason , sort of took me under his wing. Always wanted one , could never find one at my price . So I bought a Mk5 Davrian instead (a wreck) stripped and rebuilt it , and Loved it :)
Yes another video. Get in. Keep them coming Harry.
Harry nailed it regarding the Evija; the more we hear about it the more of a joke it sounds like. Amazing design but who really wants a hypercar with a 35-minute duration between charges?
The design really deserved a better car.
And regarding "What's the future of Lotus" predictably it turned out to be an SUV...
Fantastic video, Harry! Thank you for taking your viewers along for the ride!
Love your enthusiasm Harry and I always learn something new every time I watch
Harry. Despite the fact that this is an older episode, I'm glad to hear you provide a level-headed commentary on the Electric Hysteria. We are bound to fossil fuels for at least another 30 years and even Mercedes, BMW and various other brands are still developing new clean and efficient fuel engines.
My favourite UA-camr , I just love your road trips, and your collection of new and old cars is absolutely stunning. My Sundays are usually spent doing “the Harry catch-up “. I look forward to the next video.
So eloquently spoken! Driving pleasure is so much more than acceleration.
I like re-watching this video Harry. Your Lotus videos really convey a sense of the excellent / joyous fast road handling. I've never owned, or even driven, one myself but really like the look of the Evora 410GT and 430GT. Please do some more Lotus videos
Absolutely agree, Harry. I'd be quite happy to have an EV as a daily driver but can't see the point in having an EV as a 'fun' car - there is no fun! Yes, they have amazing acceleration but cars are getting so fast now that it is utterly pointless and besides, I like the theatre and experience of driving when I do it for pleasure.
The car that launched thousands of mx5 and miatas or however the h..l yu spell it .....mid 60s.. green.. dayglo orange bumpers.. hear every gearchange..elan😙. passing our farm sent me into the world of petrol headyness... .. cheers from dave
Just that fact alone holds it in esteem, that little hairdressers mazda is genuinelly with so many positives
I worked at a Lotus dealership in 70-71 in Ramstein. We sold a lot of Europas and quite a number of Elans. They were huge fun to drive until we got the American Version with the strange intake manifold. Often parts were missing from the factory, and I even repaired a Europa where they apparently couldn't pay for fiber mat and they used London Newpapers instead. Could still read the headlines in the engine compartment.
Harry, I like your videos. I like the down to earth attitude and that you know what you talk about.
Thank you. I love the Lotus brand, and thanks for your thoughts on the Evija. I love that you get out and do things with your cars.
The Lotus Elan is one of the best looking sports cars ever made imo, it's bloody gorgeous 👍
@12:37 and there's one with it's bonnet up, the sign of a true British car club outing!
You're brave - in my 20s (in the 2000s) an SUV went into the back of me on the Auckland motorway, that was the end of my 1977 Triumph 2500 and the policeman said I was lucky to walk away from it. Changed my perception of city driving and motorway driving - and that car was a solid steel tank compared to any Lotus of this period!
Great content, I do have a sweet point for Lotus. Man, love the sound of that car, the clang clang gear shift, the exhaust, pops and bangs. So healthy 4 pot! I hope you´ve noticed, how many people are looking at her! I am in love!
I have a Sprint, +2 and Europa Special and live in London.So long as your fan cuts in they are perfectly usable. The smaller Elan is actually ideal for nipping in and out of traffic. It's the speed humps the suspension doesn't like.
Good show Harry..The end of the piston is at hand.
Really? The Elan is 46 years old, It'll likely be in the same condition in another 46 years. So will many many many many other cars. And as Harry points out, the hyper cars are not the problem, not even slightly. It's the same story with any older or specialist car. We have ice living alongside EV (and whatever human invention brings) for the next 100years and the rest.
100% agreed with your comments on performance cars, particularly hyper/super cars. It’s all ridiculous. Politics has infringed upon artful engineering and it shouldn’t be there. Never.
Absolutely adore your Elan! The only time I have ever seen one in person is at Barbers museum, they are really beautiful machines.
The original elan for me any day of the week. An absolute masterpiece of a car in my opinion. I love it!
Always makes me wonder how Lotus themselves got the 'recreation' so wrong whereas Mazda got it spot on!
The Elan2 was based on a drive-train (Isuzu) available within GM (Lotus owners at the time). Mazda could create a drive-train to suit what the engineers came up with. The Miata / MX5 was laid out by British engineers.... who had a close look at the Elan1
That was fun being driven around London. I can't get over how many bicycles there are there now!
Fantastic content as always. Very good viewing as always. A car presenter who talks cars, and not his ego. A rare model to put it mildly.
Thanks Harry for the vids and having the guts to drive the Elan through the streets of London cheers from oz.
I love your little Elan, what a cracking little motor, the reason your speedo is probably more accurate is maybe down to the fact that most manufacturers have different size wheels & tyre profiles & probably don't calibrate the speedo for every one. I was told years ago that if you increase the wheels on your car as a modification your supposed to have your speedo re calibrated.
Been waiting for An upload so glad you are doing the lotus really want to hear your views.
Your Elan is a lovely example. Lovely intake noise.. I used to do hilclimbs in an era when Malcolm Eaves used to hilclimb a heavenly modified white one. Great shape on new car not sure about the rest of it though
This is how to do a car video, hope the young pretenders are paying attention! Great job Harry, love your little Elan you should get a Europa to keep it company!
More of the Elan and Lotus yes please, a great video as always
Just Class. You made me want an Esprit Harry and that Yellow one here in London just looks so special and has somehow worn the years so well with its shameless hard edge looks.
In the early 1980s my friend drove us round london and up the kings rd in his Lotus Europa we were so young.
17:00: "..but supercars are not the reason there's global warming."
I completely agree with you. Apart from _some_ torque and acceleration advantages in PHEVs, the battery tech is not sufficient for 100% BEV supercars--yet.
Oh love the sound of side draughts!!!
Thanks Harry for showing off this beauty. I really enjoyed it.
I meant your Elan.
Great video.
Lovely images of London. Take there your historical cars whenever you can, please.
Thanks Harry, I haven't been down to Horticultural Halls since they held Motorcycle shows there in the late 70's!! The Elan is a beautiful British sports car and my mate thinks his Mazda MX5 is light lol! Keep em coming Harry, your enthusiasm is infectious
I 100% agree with your comments on 2000 hp E-Hypercars. Where's the emotion, the smells, the sounds? I love driving my Caterham and V8 TVR for just those things. The feel of the road, the light weight sensations.....I also have an I-Pace, wonderful vehicle, quicker, more comfortable, low carbon...but my heart is elsewhere. Keep up the excellent video's.
Sounds like an excellent mix of toys, sorry cars..
@@harrysgarage don't tell my wife the Caterham is my "winter" car!
Loved your video as usual Harry-your knowledge and enthusiasm are a joy to listen too-especially when discussing my favorite car-the Lotus Elan. Having grown up driving my Dad's 71 S4 FHC -in Lotus Yellow, I have waited 30 plus years for my own which I now have-69 S4 DHC in French Blue for the last 2 years. I am chuffed everytime I see it and love the spannering/wrenching required as well as the driving when I can, about 800-1000 miles/year. It was raining today so I watched your video instead! There is not a classic that I would rather own than this one-thanks Harry.
I absolutly cant wait to finish my Elan, such a good looking car. Mine was originally this yellow minus the sprint striping.
Just love your presentations - so nice seeing London by convertible!
I’ve become addicted t Harry’s videos whilst in serious lock-down in Spain ( now day 58 ). Every video is interesting, brings a smile, and proper enthusiast talk with no bull..., brilliant. In our house Harry is known as my new best mate ! Whilst the car videos are great, I just love the travelogues, been on many of the roads and agree wholeheartedly with the comments. As we will all be ravelling by car in future ( planes are a thing of the past ) Can we have more trips and more details of where you stay and why. Thanks for keeping me sane during lockdown, I think I must have Castro’s R running in my veins again.
Brilliant 10:10
Hi, A great day trip to London with a choir ,Harry singing, the noise of the wind and the burble of the twin cam . A tribute to LOTUS vision in the past and now into the future ,2000 HP ?Yes if it comes out of England , but I would settle for his Elan and yes in Yellow .Thank for the ride Harry A prince of Petrol Heads
Just wanted to say mate this channel is better than anything and is my go to before Discovery or Netflix or anything else. A proper journalist telling a story not some entertainer carrying on trying to be funny.
Given the choice, as a 42 year old man I would rather have the Elan then the Evija.
I'm not saying I don't like the new car, it looks amazing but for the pure "fun" aspect of driving, the Elan has to be No: 1.
As a 28 yo, I agree!
As a 64 yr old I'd just like to be 42 again!
the germans and japanese have stolen the market for a reasonble priced small light sports cars, lotus had to change the market they were in and it makes sense to be first EV hypercar.
good times for british car firms.
Right right, like for that huge 2000hp EV hypercar market. That'll be a business money maker. And btw, they were not first. Not even close.
Great to get a guided open top tour around a lovely verdant green London. It's a cool winters day ( 12degrees)here in Melbourne Australia. 27 degrees !!!! . Have they imposed water restrictions yet.
Lovely video!! Brought back old memories!! Just love the Elans,, had four of them and worked a lot on them as well,,, LOL, before leaving Englnd, back in 1973!!!
Quality video as usual Harry! The Canary Convoy looked like fun! Exciting times ahead - I’m sure CABC would be proud the brand lives on.
As always a realsuperb Harry Video. You are so right about this Evija Lotus, weird as its name. The beautiful Elan pictures bring theAvengers back to my mind. A lovely yellow Lotus. Thanks for uploading.
About the same weight as a classic mini hey. Great video, great collection of Lotus's, especially in yellow! And the new Evija is next level! 😎
Harry, another day balling in a big way.
I love how tiny these little Elans are, and they look so right. Car design definitely hit a peak in the 60s. As a kiddie, I loved watching reruns of the old Avengers series. I think seeing Dianna Rigg charging around in that little silver grey Lotus Elan is what got me interested in cars in the first place, though I'm not sure which I fancied the most. Dianna Rigg or the Lotus. I'd have happily settled for either.
Great video Harry - the Sprint was always my dream car as a lad - not a Ferrari or Lamborghini - glad you’ve kept this one on the road! 👍😀
Great content as usual, Thanks Harry. Very pertinent points at the end. Hyper / supercars are emotive purchases for 'occasional' use and you do want the sound and all that goes with it. Its like buying a digital watch compared to a hand made mechanical watch. I don't see the craftsmanship and value in the digital / electric watch or car. An engine has been designed, machined, crafted. An electric motor is just an electric motor, it could be from an Indesit washing machine, who knows? It does nothing for me. I love Lotus cars and am on my 4th. I am hoping this is just a statement of intent of what is possible. I seriously hope they haven't lost their way and forgot to 'add lightness'. I am waiting for their SUV and hoping its a stripped out, manual gearbox, 4 bucket seat, lightweight like no-one else makes. If so I will be writing a cheque and at last I can have a lightweight daily to go with my 430 CUP.
Have you not seen the marvels that were Casio's early calculator watches?? Astonishing in their day.