Lotus Elite: Which Version Should You Choose?
The Lotus Elite listed here was produced from 1974 to 1982 as an Estate 3-door and belongs to a single recorded generation, named “2 generation.” Buyers have four versions to compare: 2.0 MT, 2.0 AT, 2.2 MT, and 2.2 AT. Every version has 162 hp, rear-wheel drive, a naturally aspirated Gasoline engine, and a Carburetor fuel system.
The Lotus Elite listed here was produced from 1974 to 1982 as an Estate 3-door and belongs to a single recorded generation, named “2 generation.” Buyers have four versions to compare: 2.0 MT, 2.0 AT, 2.2 MT, and 2.2 AT. Every version has 162 hp, rear-wheel drive, a naturally aspirated Gasoline engine, and a Carburetor fuel system. The central choice is therefore between the 1973 cc and 2174 cc engines and between the 5-speed Manual and 4-speed Automatic transmissions. The 2.2 versions do not add power, but their 217 Nm output is 27 Nm higher than the 190 Nm produced by the 2.0 versions.
Lotus Elite generations and versions
The catalogue records one Lotus Elite generation: 2 generation, produced from 1974 to 1982. It uses an Estate 3-door body and contains four versions. There is no separate restyling or additional generation in the supplied data, so comparisons are entirely between the four powertrain configurations within this generation.
The engine choice divides the range into two pairs. 2.0 MT and 2.0 AT use a 1973 cc engine producing 162 hp at 6200 rpm and 190 Nm at 4900 rpm. 2.2 MT and 2.2 AT use a 2174 cc engine with the same 162 hp, reached at 6500 rpm, plus 217 Nm at 5000 rpm. The 2.2 engine adds 201 cc and 27 Nm, an increase of about 14.2% in torque, while peak power remains unchanged.
Lotus Elite engine specs
| Version | Power | Torque | Displacement | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 MT | 162 hp at 6200 rpm | 190 Nm at 4900 rpm | 1973 cc | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | 5-speed Manual | RWD |
| 2.0 AT | 162 hp at 6200 rpm | 190 Nm at 4900 rpm | 1973 cc | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | 4-speed Automatic | RWD |
| 2.2 MT | 162 hp at 6500 rpm | 217 Nm at 5000 rpm | 2174 cc | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | 5-speed Manual | RWD |
| 2.2 AT | 162 hp at 6500 rpm | 217 Nm at 5000 rpm | 2174 cc | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | 4-speed Automatic | RWD |
All four engines have four valves per cylinder and use a Carburetor. The 2.0 MT and 2.0 AT have a 95.2 × 69.3 bore-and-stroke measurement; their compression ratio is not measured. The 2.2 MT and 2.2 AT have a 95.3 × 76.2 measurement and a 9.5 compression ratio.
Displacement-specific output favors the smaller engine. The 1973 cc unit delivers approximately 82.1 hp per litre, while the 2174 cc unit produces approximately 74.5 hp per litre. That does not make the 2.0 more powerful in absolute terms—both engines deliver 162 hp—but it shows that the smaller unit obtains the same peak power from 201 cc less displacement.
Torque per litre is very close: approximately 96.3 Nm per litre for the 2.0 engine and 99.8 Nm per litre for the 2.2 engine. The meaningful numerical advantage of the 2.2 is its 217 Nm peak, compared with 190 Nm for the 2.0. Peak torque arrives at 5000 rpm in the 2.2 and 4900 rpm in the 2.0, while peak power arrives 300 rpm later in the 2.2.
Lotus Elite performance and mpg
Only the 2.0 MT has measured performance figures in the supplied data. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h. At a recorded kerb weight of 1060 kg, it carries approximately 6.54 kg per horsepower.
For the 2.0 AT, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is not measured and top speed is not measured. The 2.2 MT also has no measured 0–100 km/h time or top speed, and those two figures are not measured for the 2.2 AT either. The additional torque of the 2.2 versions cannot be converted into a performance claim without measured results.
City, highway, and combined fuel consumption are not measured for 2.0 MT, 2.0 AT, 2.2 MT, or 2.2 AT. Consequently, there is no supplied mpg figure with which to rank the Manual and Automatic versions for economy. CO₂ output and environmental class are also not measured for every version.
Lotus Elite dimensions, weight, and chassis specs
The 2.0 MT has a measured kerb weight of 1060 kg. Kerb weight is not measured for 2.0 AT, 2.2 MT, or 2.2 AT. Gross weight is not measured for any of the four versions.
Ground clearance is 140 mm across 2.0 MT, 2.0 AT, 2.2 MT, and 2.2 AT. Fuel-tank capacity and wheel sizes are not measured for any version.
Every version has Independent, spring front suspension and Independent, spring rear suspension. The listed braking arrangement is Disc at the front and Drum at the rear for all four versions. Because the recorded suspension, brakes, ground clearance, and RWD layout are common throughout the range, the supplied specifications do not identify a chassis advantage for either engine or transmission.
Which Lotus Elite version should you buy?
Choose 2.0 MT if measured performance matters most. It is the only version with a recorded 7.8-second 0–100 km/h time, a 200 km/h top speed, and a 1060 kg kerb weight. Its 5-speed Manual transmission also provides one more forward gear than either Automatic. Among the four choices, it has the most complete numerical case and the highest calculated specific output at approximately 82.1 hp per litre.
Choose 2.0 AT if the required combination is the 1973 cc engine and a 4-speed Automatic. Its engine output exactly matches 2.0 MT at 162 hp and 190 Nm, but acceleration, top speed, kerb weight, and fuel consumption are not measured. The data therefore supports a transmission-preference decision, not a claim that 2.0 AT matches the Manual’s measured road performance.
Choose 2.2 MT if maximum recorded torque and a Manual gearbox are the priorities. Compared with 2.0 MT, it adds 201 cc and 27 Nm while retaining 162 hp and the 5-speed Manual. What the larger engine buys on paper is about 14.2% more peak torque, not more horsepower. Its acceleration, top speed, kerb weight, and fuel consumption are not measured, so the catalogue cannot quantify how that torque difference changes speed or economy.
Choose 2.2 AT if you want the range’s maximum 217 Nm together with the 4-speed Automatic. It shares the 2.2 MT engine specification—2174 cc, 162 hp, and 217 Nm—but combines it with Automatic rather than Manual transmission. No measured performance, economy, or weight figures establish an advantage over 2.0 AT beyond the additional 201 cc and 27 Nm.
The clearest evidence-based choice is 2.0 MT because it alone comes with measured acceleration, top speed, and kerb weight. The strongest torque-led choice is 2.2 MT, which preserves the 5-speed Manual while adding 27 Nm. Between the Automatic versions, 2.2 AT offers the higher torque figure, whereas 2.0 AT achieves the same 162 hp from the smaller displacement. Reliability, common problems, purchase price, and repair costs are not measured in the supplied data, so none of the four versions can be ranked on those grounds.