COMPARO: Jaguar XJS vs. MB 600SL vs. BMW 850CSi

[12sec. Civic]

Originally posted by HRT_Maloo
Werent those Elans suppose to take on the MX5/Miatas?
WTF were Lotus thinking

I think Lotus went downhill from there as a company. I still love the Lotus Esprit, and I'm sure the Elan is going to turn the odd head. But I really dont like the idea of an Isuzu engine under the hood of anything I drive!


When it came out, it was the price of a 911. Lotus lost money on each of them!

It has a 1.6L 16V DOHC Turbo/Intercooled Inline-4 with 162hp and 158ft-lbs. It weighs 2,249lbs and does 0-60 in 6.6 seconds which doesnt seem unreasonable.

It handles 0.90Gs on the skidpad. The drag coefficient is 0.33.

The brakes are apparently very poor for a car this weight. The weight dist. is 62/48 F/R Which is pretty bad, although I'm sure it has good traction. Top speed is 137mph or 220km/h

I guess its not that bad of a car. I hope the tranny is also made by Isuzu so we can get that repaired for cheap. I doubt it though because the guy we bought it from is a Cardiac Surgeon!


BTW: Ours is white its a 1991 5 Spd. It looks to be in perfect condition.

A pic of a black one (ours is white)

 

[HRT_Maloo]

Isuzu make very reliable trucks, SUV and 'mini pick-ups'
Just because they havent made it where you are, doesnt mean they are ****. I suppose you think the same thing about Opel as well?

 

[1X83Z]

I love the styling of Elans, but I love the Miata more. I remember when Elans came out a few years ago, I was unsure of what to look for. I ended up scoping out quite a few Mercury Capris before finally seeing an Elan.

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by 12sec. Civic
That may be true for the MG TF. But do you think that of the other cars I mentioned?

If you mean the "Hairdresser's Car" thread, then yes: I agree that they're all hairdresser's cars. Add to that every MG before 1980, too. Like Vegas showgirls fresh off the plane from Sweden: all tits, no [more] balls.

PS: Yesterday my dad bought a Lotus Elan from a guy down the street. I know its front wheel drive, but when we popped the hood the engine block says "ISUZU". My dad knows about this, but what the hell is going on. How can Lotus get away with that?

I think the Elan held the handling title for all of five minutes before the ITR came out. Leave it to Honda, king of FWD. As for it being a hairdresser's car, I'd say yes, but with one reservation: only by today's standards. Any Neon or RSX can make the Elan look like a hose-head these days.