Lotus Glory Blooms Again

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday October 15, 2008

Brent Davison

LOW-volume Australian sports car maker Elfin has added to its range, unveiling its stylish Type 5 Clubman at this year's Australian International Motor Show.

The crisply styled two-seater is a 21st-century take on Colin Chapman's original Lotus Six from 1954 and shows that, if nothing else, 54 years of evolution has not changed the basics.

Short and squat, with outrigger wheels covered by vestigal mudguards, minimal bodywork and only the basics in terms of creature comforts the new Elfin stablemate to the MS8 Streamliner and Clubman pair bridges the gap between road and track to give new owners relatively cheap (about $56,000) thrills.

A no-compromise car, the Type 5 is powered by a turbocharged GM 2.0-litre Ecotec engine borrowed from the American Pontiac Solstice and tuned to develop 194 kilowatts and 351 Newton metres of torque with power channelled to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.

The fully independent suspension (wishbones front and rear) is fully rose-jointed, the disc brakes are big enough to pull down the 780 kilogram car from decent speeds and the 17x7-inch front and 17x8-inch rear wheels are shod with enough rubber (215/45 front, 245/40 rear) to make it a capable car.

Company manager John Clark said research showed buyers in this category wanted involvement and accessibility to top-spirited track and road driving.

"The final product has been designed for 50 per cent road driving and 50 per cent track work," Clark said.

GOLF PIRELLI OZ BOUND PAGE 56

Hop aboard as we put the Honda Accord Euro to the test in Saturday Drive

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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