Kia Elan Sport 1.8 1997

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Fernando_DSF

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According to Hagerty, Lotus sold the production rights and toolings to Kia in 1995, but i am not sure which brand owns the licensing rights to this specific version. The mechanical differences related to the Lotus model produced until 1995 are that the Kia model used in-house engine and transmission, and has a higher ride height than the Lotus produced models. Total production estimations vary from 800 to 1000 units built by Kia.

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It was sold in Japan as the Vigato
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This model has appeared in GT2 as a Lotus
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Considering Lotus is off the table as of now, this is an acceptable substitute.
 
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Fernando_DSF
It was sold in Japan as the Vigato
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Kia also brought one example to the UK before electing not to sell it (though I'm sure I've got a 1997 What Car around here somewhere with its price listed). That would have been called...

🥁

... the Kia Sports Car.

The press car, weirdly, was registered as a "Kia Convertible" and it seems to have been allowed to drop off the roads with its last MOT being in August 2018 (five years and 300 miles since its previous one).
 
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