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A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars
A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:25

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Do you ever wonder what happens to a concept car after it’s done touring shows? Many meet the crusher while luckier ones get shuffled into a warehouse. The luckiest get to spend time in a museum. Some, like this 335 HP V8 Lotus Etna and this Lotus M200 Speedster, are yours for the taking.

Both cars are offered up by a dealership in the Netherlands, andboth are going for the same price.

Image for article titled A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars

The Lotus Etna rolled out onto the floor of the 1984 British Motor Show. As its design suggests, it was supposed to be a successor to the Esprit. And it had everything you would want from a punch of power to design by Giorgetto Giugiaro.

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We wrote about it :

says it incorporated a new active suspension system from the company’s Formula One cars, plus traction control, anti-lock brakes, active noise canceling, and a 4.0-liter “Type 909" V8 engine derived from one of their racing motors. It was said to have 335 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, impressive numbers for its time.

Image for article titled A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars

Image for article titled A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars

Sadly, in a story all too common with Lotus, the project for a successor to the Esprit got shuttered. And the concept you see here? It wasn’t even a working prototype. It was a model of clay, wood and fiberglass.

In 2001, the concept was picked up by a Lotus fan who found one of the two Type 909 engines inside of the model. And using an Esprit chassis he finished what Lotus didn’t, making this a real, working car.

Image for article titled A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars

So this Etna is a one-off concept turned into a real car. The dealership, Metropole Classics, .

The other car available to hook your peepers onto is this .

Image for article titled A Dealership Is Selling Two Incredible One-Off Lotus Concept Cars

It’s based on one of Lotus more unpopular cars, the front-wheel-drive Elan M100. The drivetrain in this one is a 1.6-liter Isuzu turbo four making 162 HP and 148 lb-ft torque, transmitted through a manual transmission.

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It’s also a one-off and made its debut at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show. An old Bonhams describes what’s going visually with this car:

In the M200 offered here, designer/stylist Julian Thompson – whose subsequent Lotus Elise model would become a true best seller – produced a most exciting prospect with a simple airstream deflector instead of true windscreen, individual driver and passenger cockpit openings, a large rear wing and fared-in headlight positions replacing the retractable style of the baseline production model.

Julian Thompson fashioned this engaging little concept car as a niche special “for real enthusiasts” but his intention was as much “to show management how we could move on from the Elan”.

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And yes, that interior was inspired by swimsuits.

This one is up for . The car was also said to promote rear-wheel steering and Lotus Variable Valve Actuation engine technology. The Bonhams ad also describes how the car was initially put together so poorly that the brakes fell off.

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Thankfully, that should have long been fixed.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, because I dig the Speedster’s looks — it reminds me a little of a Smart Crossblade — but that Etna sounds like a real ball of fun. If you’re the kind of person who could afford these, give in the Netherlands a shout. If not, feel free to stare at them and dream like I am.

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