LOTUSEuropa 1965 - 1975

　　It was a strange-looking coupe that really stood out from the crowd in its days, but not necessarily in a good way due to its weird-looking rear side.

　　The idea of mid-engined cars was not new, and it was already established as a successful combination in the motorsport arena, especially in the Formula 1 cars. Lotus noticed that and quickly adapted to introducing the Europa in 1965. In the following year, Lamborghini unveiled the Jalpa, which was also a mid-engine supercar.

　　The Europa featured a sharp front fascia with exposed, round headlights. Its very raked windshield was followed on the sides by fiber-glass panels that surrounded the engine compartment. From the back, it looked like a shooting brake with its engine cover flanked by taller side panels and a narrow rear windscreen placed behind the cockpit, in front of the engine bay. The Europa sported chromed metallic bumpers front and rear.

　　Inside, it was a no-nonsense sports car of the '60s, with bolstered seats and a tall center console. It was a very cramped cabin, with no room for six-footers (over 1.82 m heigh people). The instrument panel was extended over the center stack, with only the tachometer and speedometer placed in front of the driver.

　　Behind the cockpit, Lotus installed a Renault 16 engine with a 1.5-liter displacement. Later on, the British carmaker introduced the Renault 12 Gordini engine that developed 128 hp from a 1.6-liter unit and was paired to a five-speed manual. Earlier models featured only four-speed manuals.

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