A THOROUGHLY PRACTICAL AND USABLE LOTUS – SURELY NOT?
LOTUS EXCEL SE ENGINE 2174cc/4-cyl/DOHC POWER 180bhp@6500rpm TORQUE 165lb ft@5000rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 135mph 0-60MPH 6.8sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 16-23mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, 5-sp man ENGINE OIL Castrol CLassic XL20w/50 5 litres TRANSMISSION OIL Castrol EP80 2.5 litres AXLE OIL Castrol Axle Z 1.1 litres
Launched in 1982 and based on the 1975-launched Eclat it replaced, the Excel was popular with buyers who wanted a Lotus, but wanted something more practical than a stark two-seater.
Following on not only from the Eclat but the Elite too (which was launched in 1974), the Excel was seen to have ironed-out the production-line faults and design limitations of the earlier cars because here, at last, was a Lotus that had company car-buyer appeal – so much so that automatic transmission was an option.
With those buyer expectations came a need to remove all those ‘characterful’ traits that often made Lotus ownership more of a frustration than a joy, but with that sophistication came (perhaps) some wiping clean of those recurring issues.
Or perhaps not: it had few real rivals other than the Reliant Scimitar, and today both remain under-valued and sometimes underappreciated by the market, the Lotus more so than the Tamworth product.
Powered by a 2.2-litre Type 912 engine, the Excel was, in effect, a seriously worked-over Eclat. The body was revised, the chassis galvanised and a Toyota five-speed gearbox got the power down. The interior was an improvement over the Eclat’s and there were facelifts inside and out in 1986, but the exterior remained essentially a Lotus – the 130mph top speed was a useful attribute.
The Excel represents first class value-for-money for someone who wants a Lotus, but also likes a more comfortable ride and a roof over their head, whether because it lacks the rawness of an Elan or even a Europa, or because it fits into neither the use nor ornament segment.
Lotus dealers largely had this sporting saloon segment to themselves in the showroom wars, bar the aforementioned Scimitar and the Ford Capri, which, in V6 form, was cheaper to buy and run, arguably more reliable and supported by a massive dealer network. The good-looking Capri MkIII also had a hatchback, something the Excel lacked. The value tables have turned today, so the Capri is more expensive to buy today than the Excel, and that means that a non-crowd-follower will have something cheaper and rarer than a Capri sitting in their garage with a little patience and searching. Similarly, the Porsche 944 was expensive when new, but today is far more aligned to the Excel in terms of prices (though it still commands a hefty premium).
Blame it on contemporary market receptiveness, but enthusiasts are not really going out of their way to buy Excels, and this translates into sensible prices. Late cars, including the 1991 limited edition Celebration, saw improvements in build quality and those late cars were potentially less likely to be run on a shoestring – Lotus’ more sophisticated image saw cars being bought by the more better-off towards the end of its production run.
Today a dark metallic green Excel is a thing of understated elegance, and its relatively sophisticated mechanicals – a Lotus inevitability – add to the model’s appeal. Add in the comparatively low prices and the Excel is one heck of an off-theradar bargain.