1993 Lotus Esprit With V8 Body Upgrades on 2040-cars

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Jay Leno goes old school with 1966 Lotus Elan 26R

On the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage the guest's are both from inside the garage: the man they call Professor Jim Hall, Leno's master fabricator, and the 1966 Lotus 26R that he spent 18 months building. The Elan 26R was the racing version of the Elan that Lotus founder Colin Chapman began building after watching privateer teams prep their roadgoing Elans for competition duty all over Europe. Built by the factory from 1964-1966, drivers like Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart won silverware in the roadster called "the giant killer."
Hall, a veteran Lotus wrench, started with the 1966 Elan street car and turned it into a 26R that's arguably better than the factory original. Except for the engine block and head, original 26R body and Elan chassis, just about everything is custom built, highly modified or special order, from the fabricated oil pan, brake lines, safety wiring and oval exhaust tubing to the six-speed sequential transmission.
The episode is an unusually-long 21 minutes because, as an in-house build, Leno can go through the process of putting the whole roadster together. When he takes it for a drive and keeps going on about how it sings, you can hear it, too. It's worth the time to check out Mr. Hall's Opus in the video below.

Lotus introduces Exclusive customization program

Lotus doesn't sell much beyond the Evora 400 in the US, but the announcement of a new personalization program won't be limited to just that model. The Lotus Exclusive program will be applicable to every model that Lotus makes, including the Elise and Exige in all their many iterations, the new 3-Eleven, and the Evora – which remains, for the time being, the only model currently certified for use on American roads. The company will even apply its new range of customization options to pre-owned models. Hethel is currently rolling out the Lotus Exclusive program in Europe, but plans to expand its availability later this year. Buyers will be able to pick from an expanded range of exterior colors – or have a custom hue mixed up specially – in matte, gloss, metallic, or pearlescent finishes. Custom graphics can be applied to the roof and mirror caps, and various exterior components (from spoilers to add-on decals) can be ordered in one of four colors, as can the three available styles of racing stripes. The interior will be available to order with five colors of leather and four colors of stitching thread to give the cockpit a unique touch. Of course Lotus isn't the first manufacturer to offer such a personalization service, which is fast becoming standard fare among exotic and luxury automakers – particularly in Europe. In the UK alone you'll find McLaren Special Operations, Q by Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce Bespoke, and Bentley's Mulliner division. Other examples include Ferrari Tailor Made, Lamborghini Ad Personam, and Porsche Exclusive. Dodge even offers the "1 of 1" program for the Viper GTC. At the very pinnacle of the exotic supercar market, however, manufacturers like Bugatti, Pagani, and Koenigsegg build every one of their supercars to order, according to the customer's specifications, so personalization comes part and parcel with the bragging rights. Related Video: X MAKE YOUR MARK WITH LOTUS EXCLUSIVE - Tailor made Lotus cars to individual customer requirements - Created by the Lotus Design team & available for both new and pre-owned cars - Exciting interior and exterior options, from subtle details to extensive personalisation Letting Lotus owners set the tone, the new personalisation service Lotus Exclusive offers sports car fans a unique ownership proposition.

Watch the Lotus 3-Eleven run down Porsches and destroy the Nurburgring

The Lotus 3-Eleven is the automaker's most powerful production machine to date. Roughly a year ago, Lotus set out to show just how capable the 3-Eleven is by sending the open-top track-focused machine to the Nurburgring. Lotus claims the car set a blistering time of 7:06 around the track. Now in a belated celebration, automaker released two new, short clips of the vehicle sprinting around the Green Hell. There's no questioning just how capable the 3-Eleven is. In both videos, which are shot from the driver's seat, the track car chases down various Porsches at an impressive rate. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. While there's some controversy over how Lotus set the time, the 3-Eleven's claimed Nurburgring pace is quicker than a Nissan GT-R Nismo and is just four seconds slower than a Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV. Earlier this year, Germany's Sport Auto magazine took the 3-Eleven to the Hockenheimring where the track car managed to set a new record, besting the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder. With a claimed dry weight of just 1,962 pounds, the 3-Eleven focuses emphasizes lightweight structure over massive power. Still, it's Lotus' most powerful production car with a 3.5-liter supercharged V6. In the right hands, the 3-Eleven can sprint to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and managed to lap the automaker's test track 10 seconds quicker than the Evora 400. Marc Basseng, the racecar driver piloting the 3-Eleven, claimed the 3-Eleven could go even faster around the Nurburgring with less traffic. After watching these new clips, we would have to agree. Related Video: