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The kit car scene offers few 2 +2s; fewer still that are as good looking as this. Adam Wilkins tries out Spyder Engineerings's Elan +2 - a genuine Lotus you can build yourself.
Difficult one to pigeon-hole, Spyder Engineering's Elan +2. Is it a kit, or is it a classic? On the one hand, you can build it at home starting with a brand new chassis; on the other hand it's still very much a 1970's Lotus, albeit one with a modern engine and new suspension. Legally, things are much more clear-cut: it remains a Lotus on the log book and doesn't have to pass an SVA test.
Kit, classic, whatever. Let's backtrack a little and examine exactly what does make up this machine. Beneath the Lotus GRP bodywork is a replacement chassis made by Spyder Engineering. Spyder has 30 years experience making Lotus chassis and can supply units for other models such as the Europa, two seater Elan, Elite and Eclat. This one is a chassis with a difference, though, for it accommodates a Ford Zetec engine, MT75 gearbox and a Ford XR4x4 limited slip differential. The double wishbone suspension (all-round) is still largely as Lotus intended, except with detail geometry changes. Brakes are Ford-sourced discs all round, 260mm vented at the the front and 255mm solids at the rear. So despite its classic appearance, the Spyder Elan is thoroughly modern beneath.
The conversion has been cleaverly designed to work within the confines of the Lotus bodywork, Meaning there's no cutting or bodging of the GRP at all. Starts to sound like a very straight forward kit car build, Doesn't it?
If you're wondering how it avoids SVA when it has a new chassis, there's a simple answer. It's identity is related to the body, which you keep, and the backbone chassis is regarded as a subframe in law.
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No aesthetic clues to what lies beneath that original Lotus Bobywork. Visually, it's every inch a 1970's Lotus Elan +2 |
First impressions are very good. Spyder headman Andy Widnall uses the demonstrator regularly, so it's typical of a used but well-cared for example. A decent paint-job and refreshed chrome are the only way to go, but inside things differ more according to personal taste.
