Mods and Consequences Lotus Elite/ Eclat/ Excel

Hethel’s front-engined 2+2 range is fantastic value compared to the more famous Esprit, and a few careful modifications can turn one into something just as accomplished at B-road thrills

Lotus took a big step upmarket with the Elite in 1974, and it was soon joined by the fastback Eclat, offering trademark Lotus dynamics in a more refined package.

The only significant change to the Elite/Eclat was the enlargement of the engine to 2.2 litres in 1980. The difference isn’t usually considered large enough to bother swapping engines though, with only a 20lb ft increase in torque and identical bhp figures.

Major changes came in 1982, Lotus’ partnership with Toyota inspiring a large update as both cars were replaced by the Excel. A galvanised chassis, Toyota-sourced transmission and a host of electrical components were the highlights. Retro-fitting these components to earlier cars is a popular modification today. The 2.2-litre Lotus engine remained unchanged, though the SE model provided a useful 20bhp

increase.

Many owners feel that the chassis is capable of handling far more than the 160bhp or 180bhp they came with. All variants have fairly wide engine bays, so V8 swaps are common. Rover units are the obvious candidate because their compact size negates the need for bulkhead modifications, but you’ll need a custom manifold, exhaust, bellhousing and engine mounts. For this reason, improving the Lotus unit is often more economical, particularly

if you’re not doing the work yourself, with as much as 270bhp reliably achievable from units stroked to 2.5 litres. You don’t have to be quite so radical, of course; a sports exhaust and manifold can easily increase output by at least 10bhp for little outlay.