This small British sports car nameplate first appeared in 1989 as Lotus’s modern front-wheel-drive reinterpretation of the classic Elan idea. Internally developed as Type 100, it was intended to broaden the brand’s appeal with a contemporary layout, cab-forward styling, and an advanced suspension concept that preserved the sharp handling character expected from the marque. The original production run ended in 1992, making it an unusual chapter in the company’s history because it departed from the traditional rear-drive Lotus formula.
The nameplate returned in 1994 as the revised S2, using the remaining engines and a more limited production strategy. That later run was brief and ended in 1995, so the model is best understood as having two separate production periods rather than one continuous lifecycle. Enthusiasts often remember it as the only front-wheel-drive road car Lotus ever built, and as an important bridge between the company’s classic lightweight era and the later Elise generation.