The Ultimate Lotus.(product information )

Byline: ERIC TEGLER

Surely the ultimate Lotus must be the new Exige, a featherweight, 21st century track-day terror. And yet this 1962 Elite is lighter. It has a monocoque chassis, a high-revving four-cylinder engine, independent suspension and disc brakes. From a looks standpoint, Exige cannot match the beauty of this still-modern machine.

The Elite is tiny, its roofline not four feet tall, a fitting dimension for a racing machine. Up until its 1957 debut, racing cars were chiefly what Lotus built. Then, as the story goes, Colin Chapman took a page from Enzo Ferrari, figuring a true all-weather road car could finance his racing endeavors.

Characteristically, Lotus Engineering lacked the financial resources to acquire new tooling to manufacture the car in metal. But Chapman recognized a less expensive alternative-fiberglass. The 1953 Corvette demonstrated the potential of a fiberglass body on a steel chassis, but Chapman took it a step further. The Elite would be entirely fiberglass, including its load-bearing structure. Suspension parts and the front subframe supporting the engine bolted directly to three box sections molded into the fiberglass body.

The car topped out just over 1400 pounds, pleasing the mass-obsessed Chapman. Pleasing everyone else was the Elite's sensuous shape, which caused a stir at its Earl's Court Motor Show debut. Penned by part-time designer/full-time accountant Peter Kirwan-Taylor and refined by Cosworth co-founder Frank Costin, the shape produced a drag coefficient of 0.29. The first 250 bodies were produced for Lotus by boat builder Maximar, but Chapman, dissatisfied with Maximar's work, turned to Bristol Aircraft for the remainder of production.

A 1216-cc aluminum Coventry Climax provided Elite's power. Initially designed for fire pumps, the overhead cammer with an SU carb making 75 hp was a favorite of cottage builders and racers. Front wishbones and a "Chapman strut'' rear ...