Chapman was well known and often quoted for his “Simplify, then add lightness” approach to car building. On the track, his cars were thought of as fast but fragile. On the road, they were revered for their delicate handling characteristics. Two cars that were key in supporting Lotus’s success were the Elan and Cortina. They were different […] The post Same Theory, Different Canvas: Two Lotus Lightweights appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

I say ‘surprisingly’, because Tommykaira – who I recently met the two founders of -  is of course a Japanese manufacturer, and we all know the Japanese have a pretty decent reputation when it comes to making sports cars and people movers alike. So why turn to the Brits? Surely the Germans or the Swiss would […] The post The Tommykaira ZZ Is A British-Built Japanese Lightweight Masterpiece appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

It’s always interesting to see feature cars resurface years after they were posted on Speedhunters, especially when they’ve evolved in some way. Frank Profera’s Lotus Elise was featured twice – first in 2012, after Larry randomly happened across it (it went on to become Speedhunters’ ‘Street Car of the Year’ that year) – and then again […] The post Whatever Happened To The Ronin RS211 Lotus? appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

The Radford Type 62-2 road car is loosely based on the Lotus Exige. It utilises the Exige’s long block motor and chassis, but that’s where similarities pretty much end. With up to 600 horsepower and featuring carbon fibre bodywork and numerous coach-built touches, the 62-2 road car could hardly be called meek. The design draws inspiration from 1960s […] The post Rapid Ascent: The Radford Type 62-2 Track Edition appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

After seeing a Lotus 2-Eleven with its body removed, Areg Balayan was immediately hooked on the idea of getting his own. However, you can’t really get 2-Elevens in the United States, and you definitely couldn’t drive one on the street. The Lotus Elise, though… well, that’s a different story. Can you see where this is going? Areg decided to start there, purchasing a […] The post Sometimes You Just Have to Build Your Own Lotus 2-Eleven appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

Through all of its iterations since the year 2000, the British car maintained its same basic configuration: lightweight two-door coupe (and roadster) with a manually-shifted, rear mid-mount engine and rear-wheel drive. It’s been a recipe for a whole lot of fun, something only amplified by the Exige’s ultra-low seating position and low-slung roofline. For most Exige […] The post Ferrari 488 Meets Lotus Exige appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

As disappointing as it was, soon enough everyone just got on with things. Whatever cars and products were bring prepared for a Tokyo Auto Salon debut were either soft-launched online, or put back under the knife. And this extra year to play with was exactly what some needed. Many of the people I caught up with on Thursday night […] The post Return Of The Tokyo Auto Salon appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

When Tsuchida-san was in the first grade, he was such a good boy that Santa flew all the way to Japan to drop off a supercar encyclopedia to him. Say what you will about the fat bloke in the red jump suit, but he’s responsible for shaping many a child’s destiny. Flicking through that encyclopedia of […] The post Living Out A Childhood Dream With A Slammed Lotus Esprit appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

There won’t be all the horror tropes that come with the tale of a low-volume fibreglass car builder. You know the clichés I mean. There’s the one where the company starts making kit cars but then gets desperately close to bankruptcy, there’s the bit where the manufacturer sees huge sales successes until a financial cirrus […] The post Preserving History For Future Generations: Inside Classic Team Lotus appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more

The Radford Type 62-2 road car is loosely based on the Lotus Exige. It utilises the Exige’s long block motor and chassis, but that’s where similarities pretty much end. With up to 600 horsepower and featuring carbon fibre bodywork and numerous coach-built touches, the 62-2 road car could hardly be called meek. The design draws inspiration from 1960s […] The post Rapid Ascent: The Radford Type 62-2 Track Edition appeared first on Speedhunters ..read more