We are delighted to offer this great little roadster for a bargain price due solely to the mileage, despite the fact that the car is in great condition!

Unbreakable isuzu engine gives this car a real sporting experience and the man doing of the M100 is just legendary.

Call us fast - it will sell quickly!

The Lotus M100 Elan is one of the most unusual cars ever produced by Lotus — and arguably one of the most misunderstood. Built between 1989 and 1996, it revived the famous Elan name but broke with Lotus tradition in a big way: it was front-wheel drive.

Today it’s widely regarded as an engineering masterpiece that failed commercially but aged extremely well.

Background & Development

The M100 was created during a turbulent period for Lotus ownership, when the company was backed by General Motors. Lotus invested about £35 million into development — the most expensive project in its history at the time. 

Key goals:

• Build a modern global roadster (especially for the US market)
• Compete with cars like the Mazda MX-5
• Deliver Lotus handling with everyday usability

It relaunched the Elan name after a 14-year gap following the classic 1960s model. 

Engineering & Layout — Why It Was So Different

The shocking part: Front-wheel drive

Lotus had built its reputation on lightweight, rear-drive sports cars — yet the M100 used FWD.

Why?

• Better stability and safety for mass-market buyers
• Easier performance in poor weather
• More predictable handling for US customers

Lotus engineers reportedly spent huge effort making it handle like a proper sports car — and many reviewers later said they succeeded.

Chassis highlights

• Steel backbone chassis + fiberglass body
• Independent suspension all around
• Power steering tuned by Lotus engineers
• Weight around 1,000–1,020 kg

Engine & Performance

The engine came from Isuzu, heavily tuned by Lotus.

1.6-litre DOHC inline-four

• Turbocharged (most famous version)
• 1588 cc
• ~160–165 bhp
• 0–100 km/h: ~7.2 seconds
• Top speed: ~220 km/h 

For the late 1980s, that made it genuinely quick — especially given the car’s light weight.

Driving Experience (Why Enthusiasts Love It)

Despite skepticism about FWD, journalists and owners consistently praise:

✅ Exceptional steering feel
✅ Huge front-end grip
✅ Minimal torque steer (rare for FWD turbo cars)
✅ Everyday comfort + practicality
✅ Surprisingly large boot for a roadster

Many enthusiasts call it one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars ever made — a reputation echoed in enthusiast discussions online. 

• The Big Picture
• The Lotus M100 Elan is fascinating because it answers a “what if?” question:
• What happens when Lotus applies its chassis genius to a front-wheel-drive car?
• The result:
• commercially unsuccessful
• dynamically brilliant
• historically unique
• And that’s exactly why enthusiasts now consider it a cult classic.
• If you want, I can also tell you:
• ✅ what it’s like to own one today (reliability & costs)
• ✅ common problems to watch for
• ✅ how it compares to the Mazda MX-5 NA or Lotus Elise
• ✅ whether it’s a good investment classic in 2026
• tus
• Commercial disappointment

Now:

• Underappreciated modern classic
• Engineering showcase
• Practical analogue sports car
• Rare compared to MX-5s

Collectors increasingly value it because it represents a unique engineering experiment Lotus never repeated.

The Big Picture

The Lotus M100 Elan is fascinating because it answers a “what if?” question:

What happens when Lotus applies its chassis genius to a front-wheel-drive car?

The result:

• commercially unsuccessful
• dynamically brilliant
• historically unique

And that’s exactly why enthusiasts now consider it a cult classic.

If you want, I can also tell you:

• ✅ what it’s like to own one today (reliability & costs)
• ✅ common problems to watch for
• ✅ how it compares to the Mazda MX-5 NA or Lotus Elise

••✅ whether it’s a good investment classic in 2026