Body style: Coupé (two-door)
Segment: Coupe
Production years: 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
There were not too many cars on the market with a mid-engine configuration when Lotus introduced the Europa in 1965, and this model surprised everyone since it came from the British car manufacturer.
When Lamborghini launched the Miura in 1966, the Europa was already a year old, and before it, the French automaker Matra made the Djet. The whole idea of a car with its engine placed behind the cockpit was new, but it proved successful on racetracks where it was used on Formula 1 race cars. Colin Chapman noticed the advantages resulting from the weight distribution of these vehicles and considered launching a model made for the streets. So, while in the U.S., the Mustang dominated the sports car segment with V8 engines, in the UK, Lotus made the Europa with a small-sized, inline-four engine made by Renault, albeit with Lotus cylinder heads. The new model followed Chapman’s “Simplify, then add lightness” principle, and it was a commercial success. Lotus made the Europa in a few series until 1974 when the model was withdrawn from the market and replaced by the Esprit.
The car’s exterior intrigued customers, especially the first series. At the front, the round headlights and orange turn signals were mounted above the chromed front bumper. Lower, the automaker didn’t consider installing a proper apron, but it made a sloped area. While the car wasn’t particularly beautiful, it wasn’t that much of a design disaster for those times.
It was Lotus’ first mid-engine production vehicle, and the automaker didn’t know exactly how to shape the rear side of the car. After the low nose, the car manufacturer installed a raked windshield with one wiper and a short roof. Behind it, the Europa featured side panels that flanked the engine compartment. Due to its unusual look, it was quickly nicknamed “the bread-wagon” car. Later, the automaker reshaped those panels, but it still didn’t look like any other vehicle on the road. Out back, the chromed metallic bumper was placed in an unusual way above the taillights, while underneath the rear apron, the automaker placed the exhaust pipe.
Inside, Lotus still considered that its customers deserved the best materials, so it placed a real wood panel on the dashboard and a pair of bucket seats. These were separated by a tall tunnel that housed the gear stick and the handbrake. Fronting the driver was a simple instrument cluster with round dials for the speedometer and tachometer, while the center stack housed several other gauges. None of the over 9,000 units made were fitted by the factory with an air-conditioning unit. Later models were equipped with power windows.
When Lotus introduced the vehicle, it powered it with a 1.5-liter engine from the Renault 16. However, the automaker considered improving the powerplant and upgraded it with a Lotus cylinder head. The only problem was fitting the engine and the transmission in the same limited space. Since the French vehicle had the gearbox placed in front of it, Lotus had to rotate it 180 degrees and then make some modifications. Most of the vehicles were fitted with a four-speed manual transmission. At the same time, later versions came with a five-speed one, carried over and adapted from the Renault 12 Gordini. After a while, Lotus inked a deal with Ford as an engine provider.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.5L 4MT RWD (79 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1470 cm3 |
Power: | 58 KW @ 6000 RPM 79 HP @ 6000 RPM 78 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 76 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM 103 Nm @ 4000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.6 gallons (43.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 155/80 R13 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 156.5 in (3975 mm) |
Width: | 64.5 in (1638 mm) |
Height: | 42 in (1067 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 53/53.3 in (1,346/1,354 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 91 in (2311 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6 in (152 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.3 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1455 lbs (660 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.6L 4MT RWD (107 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1558 cm3 |
Power: | 78 KW @ 5500 RPM 106 HP @ 5500 RPM 105 BHP @ 5500 RPM |
Torque: | 108 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM 146 Nm @ 4000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.6 gallons (43.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 121 mph (195 km/h) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 157.2 in (3993 mm) |
Width: | 64.5 in (1638 mm) |
Height: | 42 in (1067 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 53.5/53 in (1,359/1,346 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 91 in (2311 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6 in (152 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.3 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1625 lbs (737 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 1.6L 5MT RWD (128 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1558 cm3 |
Power: | 94 KW @ 6500 RPM 128 HP @ 6500 RPM 126 BHP @ 6500 RPM |
Torque: | 113 lb-ft @ 5500 RPM 153 Nm @ 5500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 11.6 gallons (43.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 127 mph (204 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 7.2 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 157.2 in (3993 mm) |
Width: | 64.5 in (1638 mm) |
Height: | 42 in (1067 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 53.5/53.5 in (1,359/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 91 in (2311 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6 in (152 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.3 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 1567 lbs (711 kg) |