Welcome to Sunday Matinee, where we highlight classic car reviews or other longer videos I find on YouTube. Kick back and enjoy this blast from the past.
Back in the 1980s, Lotus and their then-partner Toyota were working a small, lightweight, rear-wheel-drive roadster. But when GM bought Lotus in 1986, the plans changed a bit, and the result was a front-wheel-drive convertible powered by an Isuzu four-cylinder engine. They called it the Elan, paying homage to their famous roadster from the 60s and 70s.
But would a front-wheel-drive car ever really have the driving dynamics that made Lotus so famous? In this 1990 episode of Top Gear, presenter Chris Goffey aims to find out.
And it starts with a brief segment where William Woollard bitches about how the then-new Mazda Miata was so much longer, wider and taller than the original Elan, which is something I find hilarious. Makes you wonder how much bigger cars will be 20 years from now.
Take a gander to see if the revived Elan was worthy or wanting. Do you think the Elan has held up over time?