Eclat

Introduced in 1975, this Lotus nameplate marked the brand’s move toward more practical grand touring cars while still keeping the lightweight, wedge-shaped character associated with its road cars. It was developed alongside the related Elite and shared the company’s steel backbone chassis and glass-reinforced composite body construction, with the fastback coupé shape drawn by in-house designer Oliver Winterbottom. The early version ran from 1975 to 1980, while the later S2.2 carried the line through 1982 with updates to the body, equipment, and powertrain. Lotus also offered notable special editions, including the Sprint and the Riviera, which added a bit of extra distinction to the lineup. Although it never became a high-volume model, it remains an important part of Lotus history for showing the company’s push into more refined 2+2 GT territory in the 1970s and early 1980s.