The 15 Best Lotus Cars Of All Time

In 1957, Lotus launched the Seven model to replace the Mark VI, the company's first production automobile. Similar in appearance, the Seven boasted a new steel tubular spaceframe chassis and aluminum bodywork, which later featured a fiberglass nose and fenders. The Lotus Seven is easily recognized by its semi-exposed wheels and individual wheel covers. The shape became popular with dozens of replica kit car companies due to the low cost of production, and the kits are still available for purchase today.

During its sixteen years of production (1957-1973), the Seven employed a variety of engines. The most common engine used in the Series 1 Seven models was the English Ford sidevalve (flathead or L head), producing 49 horsepower. However, Lotus also used the single overhead cam FWA Coventry Climax engine or the BMC series A. Lotus offered the car with a three- or four-speed transmission sending power sent to the rear wheels.

Although the Seven weighed only 896-924lb (406-419kg), the underpowered engine accelerated the sports car to 60 mph in a sluggish 19.2 seconds and reached a top speed of 78-104mph. However, the sports car featured a front independent suspension with lower wishbones, upper links, an anti-roll bar rear live axle with twin trailing arms and diagonal links, coil springs, and telescopic dampers that gave the Seven handling characteristics found only race cars of the period.

After the high cost of production and financially disappointing Elite, Lotus designed and manufactured the Elan with cost-cutting as a priority. The company replaced the expensive monocoque body shell with a fiberglass body mounted on steel subframe chassis and managed to keep the weight to a minimum, less than 700kg on the early models. The light weight allowed the moderately powerful Ford-supplied engines to produce excellent performance by contemporary standards. Car and Driver claimed the Elan represented a state-of-the-art performance automobile that mimicked a Formula car for ordinary street use, and "...it fits like a Sprite, goes like a Corvette, and handles like a Formula Junior."

Some enthusiasts argue that the Elan was the first modern sports car (other than perhaps the Jaguar E Type). Contemporaries from Triumph and MG were old technology cars by comparison. The 1964 Elan 1600 boasted a DOHC inline-4, cast iron block 1558 cc engine producing 105 hp at 5500 rpm and 108 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. The lightweight, nimble sports car reached 60 mph in a mere 7.1 seconds, the standing quarter-mile in 15.7 seconds at 87 mph, and achieved a top speed of 112 mph.

The best performing Lotus Elan was the Sprint trim, marketed between 1971 and 1973. The roadster generated 126 horsepower giving it a power/weight ratio of 12.21 lb/hp and helping it accelerate to 62 mph in a blistering 6.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 121 mph.

One of the most intriguing sports cars ever made is the original Lotus Europe. Produced between 1966 and 1975, the awkward-styled vehicle was Lotus' first mid-engine production car and the first ever British mid-engine production automobile. The low-slung coupé demonstrated unparalleled handling and road holding capability for a road vehicle that motorcar journalists described as the nearest thing to a Formula car.

Lotus designed the Europa with Colin Chapman's philosophy of "simplify, then add lightness." The automaker installed the lightweight and economical 1.5-liter four-cylinder 82 horsepower Renault engine coupled to a four-speed transaxle, the same powertrain employed by the front-wheel-drive Renault 16 sedan. Lotus rotated the powertrain 180 degrees and placed it behind the passenger compartment in the Europa. Independent tests showed the sports car accelerated to 60 mph in just under 10 seconds with a quarter-mile time of 17.8 seconds at 78 mph.

The unique fiberglass body design is the most controversial feature of the Europa. The unusual high rear deck, tall sail panels, and minimal rear vision inspired the nickname "bread van." Inside the Series 1, the spartan cabin offered fixed side windows and non-adjustable seats.

In 1972, Lotus introduced the Europa Special featuring the "Big Valve" version of the Lotus Twin Cam engine, producing 126 bhp. The last model made, the Special, is the fastest and the most sought-after version of the car, with acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 123 mph.

Lotus' founder, Colin Chapman, had accumulated an impressive list of racing achievements by the early '80s, winning six Formula One world drivers' championships, seven constructors' titles, and even the Indy 500. The engineer's remarkable success on the track using lightweight, technologically advanced racing cars influenced the design and manufacturing of Lotus road cars resulting in high-performance production sports cars with flawless handling. The highly successful Lotus 7, Elite, and Elan were all developed using the same design ethos.

Lotus built many outstanding Espirit models between 1976 to 2004, and some would argue the S1 is the best of the lot. However, not satisfied with the performance of either the S1 or S2 models, Chapman introduced the Essex Commemorative Edition Esprit in 1980, boosting performance to a level on par with the current Lotus track cars. Lotus installed a 2.2-liter twin-cam four-cylinder featuring a Garrett turbocharger driving twin Dell'Orto carburetors. The engine produced 210 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 200 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm pushing the supercar to 60 mph in a mere 5.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 140 mph.

Lotus improved handling with a redesigned backbone chassis for the Turbo Esprit, coupling it to a wider front box section and a new rear space-frame engine and transmission section. The change increased rigidity by 50 percent over previous models. An independent upper-wishbone with lower-transverse-link suspension up front and the unequal-length transverse links in the back gave the Esprit racecar handling characteristics.

Rumor has it the Lotus Carlton was so fast the British government tried to pass legislation making the car illegal after some criminals used one as their escape vehicle and embarrassed the police chasing it, who could not keep up.

The high-performance Lotus Carlton (or Omega) began its production process when Lotus engineers disassembled an Opel/Vauxhall large sedate family sedan and started replacing or modifying components acquired from other GM suppliers and manufacturers.

Opel/Vauxhall sent a standard 3.0-liter, 24-valve engine to Lotus for upgrades before installation in the new car. The Lotus team increased the capacity of the straight-six to 3.6 liters, added a water-cooled intercooler, and installed two Garrett T25 turbochargers. Lotus also adapted the engine management system and changed the ignition to an AC Delco type (from the Lotus Esprit). The upgraded engine produced a whopping 377 bhp at 5200rpm and 419 lb-ft of torque at 4200rpm.

To convert the original family sedan to a vehicle with handling characteristics worthy of a Lotus, the company installed a Lotus-tuned chassis, reworked the suspension and aerodynamics, upgraded the brakes, and added performance tires. Lotus claimed acceleration of 0-to-60 in 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.6 seconds at 109 mph. The Lotus Carlton reached an unrestricted top speed of 175 mph, the vehicle becoming the fastest four-door saloon on the market, even beating out the competition from the BMW M5 (too fast for the police to catch!).

The 2020 Lotus Evora GT, made for the North American market, replaced the Evora 400 and 410 models providing more power, improved aerodynamics, and a characteristic typical of every new Lotus, "added lightness." The company offered the GT in a two-seat or a 2+2 seat configuration. The Toyota-sourced mid-mounted, the supercharged 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine produced 416 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque (332 lb-ft of torque with the automatic) connected to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. A limited-slip differential added to the manual gearbox version improved rear-wheel traction. The powertrain pushed the exotic sports car to 60 mph in a blistering 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 188 mph.

Lotus augmented the usual outstanding handling by offering four selectable traction modes: Sport, Race, Drive, and Off. Both the Sport and Race modes increase throttle response permitting more traction slip before the system takes control, resulting in enhanced driver enjoyment without the risk of pushing things too far. The hydraulically boosted steering offers an exceptional feel and responsiveness that directs the car wherever the driver indicates.

Perhaps more significant to performance than the improvements in power are the subtle aerodynamic changes that maximize airflow resulting in a maximum downforce of 141 pounds, twice the downforce of the Evora 400. And, of course, Lotus' specialty, "lightness," also contributed. Extensive use of carbon fiber components throughout the car, including rear-wheel arch vents, front fender panels, and the rear bumper contribute to weight reduction.

Lotus founder Colin Chapman passed away in 1982, but he left a legacy of racecar engineering and innovation unmatched by other notable pioneers of the automobile industry. His steel backbone chassis and suspensions were unique, and his rear strut designs (the equivalent of MacPherson struts) are still called Chapman struts. In racing, Chapman popularized the monocoque chassis and spearheaded the use of aerodynamics for Formula 1. He was an innovator of "ground effects," but his most notable achievement was perhaps his "adding lightness" car design philosophy.

When Lotus engineers designed the 3-Eleven, they followed Chapman's ethos of simplicity and emphasis on weight reduction. The 3-Eleven produced from 2015 to 2018 weighs a mere 2,028 lbs. It generated power with a revised Toyota-sourced supercharged-and-tuned 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 450 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque from 3,500 rpm to 6,500 rpm. The power-to-weight ratio is a remarkable 467 horsepower per metric ton.

Lotus offered the 3-Eleven in two configurations: Road and Race. The Race version boasts paddle shifters, an oil cooler, a six-speed sequential transmission with a semi-dry-sump, and a limited-slip differential, while the Road variant features an oil cooler, six-speed manual transmission with a high-performance clutch assembly, and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

Both versions feature an open-cockpit design using resin infusion composite body panels that Lotus claims are 40% lighter than GRP (glass reinforced plastic). However, the Race roll cage uses more side impact protection than the Road version to meet motorsports rules.

With the introduction of the Lotus Evija, the high-performance British sports car company entered the era of hypercar electric vehicles. Lotus built the Evija model as a fully electric vehicle, including an ultrafast charging setup that requires only 12 minutes for an 80% charge and 18 minutes for a full charge.

The Evija exterior design was motivated by race car aerodynamics, including butterfly doors and a large rear wing. Consistent with the Lotus tradition of building lightweight cars, the company sourced the four electric motors featuring slim helical gear ground planetary gearboxes from Integral Powertrain Ltd. The gearbox and motor combination for each drive unit are compact and lightweight, helping reduce the total vehicle weight. Lotus claims the motors produce a total output of 1972 horsepower and 1254 lb-ft of instant torque, which is more power at each wheel than any other Lotus road car and just under double the horsepower generated by more expensive hypercars such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie at 1,160 horsepower. A single-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels.

The all-carbon-fiber Lotus Evija, with its 2,000-kW lithium-ion battery, weighs a mere 3,703 pounds. The suspension, featuring three adaptive spool-valve dampers at each axle, ensures the hypercar remains under control when cornering at excessive speeds. The Evija's estimated acceleration to 62 mph in under three seconds and the hypercar can reach a top speed of more than 200 mph. Lotus plans to build only 130 Evija models priced at just over $2 million.