Did JAPAN Build The Perfect BRITISH Sports Car? Mazda MX5 Vs Lotus Elan

The Lotus Elan is the undisputed king of handling and it is said the Mazda MX5 is heavily inspired by it. Today I drive both and find out if the Mazda is a worthy successor to one of the best British Sports Cars of all time.
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[@Number27]

If you can/want to support the channel I now have a Patreon account. I am resisting having those pesky 🥴informercial style product placements so any contribution helps me keep them at bay! Additionally I send a monthly update to Patreon members with extra insider information. 😋www.patreon.com/number27

[@Niamato_inc]

“ Oh my god, the Elan has not let me down. This car has the reputation for been the best driver car in the world and absolutely, totally and utterly agree . This is an absolute weapon. I mean the grip is just incredible. For what it is. What a car…”

[@jmsjms296]

Both are great cars and the Miata definitely deserves a special mention in car history. No other modern car surpasses the sum of its achievements: fun, balance, design, reliability, affordability and... the Miata ignited the renaissance of a dormant car style. No small feat! I'll keep mine forever.

[@MrMairu555]

The Elan's lovely, and sounds fantastic on carbs, but the Mk1 MX-5 NA is nothing short of outstanding. The Mazda is one of the last few cars you can really work on yourself too. Just the right combination of more modern tech (engine management, fuel injection, distributorless ignition etc.) and manufacturing processes/tolerances, but old school mechanicals and simplicity. One of the greatest gear shifts ever too!

[@gordonipock9385]

I have a '96 Miata. My only upgrades have been going to 15x7 inch wheels with 205-50-15 high performance tires and installing the Flying Miata Stage III performance suspension package, which is basically stiffer sway bars, springs and shocks. This made a dramatic increase in cornering power over the stock 14x6 wheels and suspension. The car has incredibly high limits, and when it does start to let go it is a totally neutral and balanced drift. Very easy to control. My car has the 1.8 liter with 135 hp. It is easy to work on and so reliable. I once owned a '77 MGB, and the Miata is infinitely better in performance and reliability. I also once owned a full-race 1966 Shelby GT-350, and overall the Miata is a better car. It is light, precise and has all the power you need. Great gear shifter and transmission. Easy to drive fast on difficult roads. I would love to drive an Elan. When the Miata first came out I immediately recognized that it was inspired by the Lostus. My Miata is 26 years old and is still reliable and runs and handles flawlessly. It is easy to work on. The only repairs I have made have been new plugs and wires and a new radiator, new timing belt and front seals, and I replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders. I did all the work on the car myself. Plus the suspension package upgrade. Miatas are the best selling and most raced sports cars of all time because the basic design is so good.

[@MrMairu555]

I can't disagree with any of that, @@gordonipock9385! And as you say, it's not always about power. However, once the roads open up a little (bearing in mind, it's primary development environment were the Japanese mountain switchbacks), the car does tend to crave just a bit more oomph! UK "B-roads" are awesome for the MX-5, but many A-roads are just too open, and makes the car feel like it needs another 50hp, just to eat up a bit of distance before the next set of corners. But ultimately, it's a proper driver's car, and for those who appreciate that, and don't just want to play the numbers game in the pub, it's an awesome little car. Those who bleat on about 300hp turbos are completely missing the point of the MX-5. They're great fun for point and squirt, but it takes all the skill out of hustling a 115hp 1.6 NA through the twisties.

[@gordonipock9385]

I live in western North Carolina. The mountains and foothills here are similar to those in Japan. It's a great place for a Miata. One of the best things about the car is you can put the top down and enjoy it on these roads without having to significantly violate the local speed limits. I got to drive a C7 Corvette here once, and you simply cannot use that kind of power on a lot of these roads. Light weight and a balanced suspension are most important. Like a Lotus, the Miata carries a lot of speed through the twisties, and you rarely get long open straights.

[@fortsonre]

@@MrMairu555 Primarily developed in the California canyons, but otherwise spot on.

[@mysterytour5983]

I had few british roadster tr6, mgb a mini and then a miata 1994! Nothing before is that reliable than the miata and the drive is more fun knowing you dont need the towing following you🤣

[@VirtualGuth]

It was obvious from watching you as you drove the Elan just how special it is and how much you enjoyed it. All of the other great qualities aside, the real beauty of the MX-5 is that Mazda has managed to produce enough of these oh-so-reliable cars to ensure that anyone wanting to enjoy a roadster without spending a lot of money will always be able to do so as long as the petrol era lasts.

[@WellingtonIronman]

I’ve owned my 1990 mk1 mx5 for 14 years now. Manual steering, but otherwise unaltered. I’ll never sell it. In the time I’ve owned it I’ve never had to replace or repair a single thing on it outside of consumables. A remarkable car, and a guaranteed future classic.

[@tonycox5625]

Exactly the same with my 92 MK1, had it 12 years, it's never let me down and I've only replaced consumables, brilliant little cars! 👍😊

[@johntimken9842]

I'm blessed in that I owned three Elans back in the day, and now own two MX5's. Can't disagree with much on the video, but I would emphasise a few points. Reliability, no comparison, the MX5's just run and run, and if you tune them up (one of mine is 170bhp) then the performance gap is closed too. I paid £800 for my MX5NA seven years ago, worth around £3000 today, and the cheapest Elan in comparable condition would now set you back around £25000+, again no comparison. So it has to be the MX5 as the top dog for me.

[@henris8367]

Funnily enough you can find a decent elan for $10k in the US. Started to be cheaper than a Miata hahah

[@gmoroder]

Where can you find a decent Elan for that price? I'd be very interested in owning one for that price.

[@Laz_Arus]

I see an MX5 and I click watch...simply really! (Still the original owner of an NA and ND). Zoom zoom.

[@flannel2699]

Was half expecting to see Harry coming the other way in his Elan.. Clearly a popular stretch of road!

[@PaulLeitnerWise]

seeing the utter enjoyment of your face while driving the Elan made my day Jack. Love the awesome human quality you bring to your productions - more please, it's addictive!

[@andrewmic7038]

Absolutely Paul, the difference is one is very good and practical the other is JOY! unadulterated.

[@johnreep5798]

It was a cargasm!

[@steveberridge4648]

What a weapon that Elan is on a British B road even today when nearly 60 years old! Most cars from the 60s would be left for dead by a modern but that lotus looks like it would give most new cars a hard time on those tight bumpy back roads. I can only imagine what one must have been like in the 1960s compared with Morris minors and the like. Mx5 was great too. Two guaranteed entries in my top 10 dream garage!! Just love cars like this that you can really drive hard on English b roads.

[@gordonipock9385]

You have hit on the key element: the type of roads the car will be driven on. For narrow roads with tight curves and a lot of dips and bumps, a supple suspension works best. American roads are almost always far better than this, which makes a car with a tighter suspension, less body roll and wider tires, all designed for maximum lateral grip, the better option.

[@sholehan]

I'm still waiting for the monent when Jack driving an old British classic films Harry Metcalfe filming a a brand new supercar going the other way on the same road, whilst filimng Jack driving an old British classic, whilst....

[@user-vj2wt7jh7j]

I have a 99 Miata that was built for racing. It has the factory racing suspension and a Thorsen limited slip differential, and no factory air. The engine has been souped up some which has surprised a few VW GTI's but sill nowhere near as quick as the super light Elan. My favorite Elan's were the white S2 and Blue S3 Elans driven by Emma Peel/Diana Rigg on the Avengers, from what I understand she tripled sales of the original Elan's. It sounds like she wrecked one of hers because she mentioned that she was shocked at the fiberglass scattered all around afterward. Race drivers have commented that the Elan was the best handling car ever built.

[@malcolmlane-ley2044]

It's a great testimony to the MX5 that it is loved by so many track day drivers due to its handling but in my mind it's hard to say the 2 cars don't have some serious differences like being 30 years apart from inception and only just over 12000 units produced by Lotus compared to now more than 1 million MX5's, the Elan, after all, was a hand built car. I remember seeing the launch of the Miata in the US. and fell in love with it as it was about the closest you could get in spirit and looks to the original; at 6'4" tall unfortunately it remained as inaccessible to me as the original.

[@Jerry-tg2lj]

i like to think of the mx5 as a modern version of the elan, like the mx5 is what the elan would have been if lotus kept making it. (obvious difference being reliability, cost and livability) and honestly if anyone is upset that lotus isn't making an elan, I'd just point them to the mx5 (even the current one), and if they don't like it they have some serious badge snobbery going on

[@gsk5161]

I'm 6'4" also and your correct so I went with the MR2 Spyder

[@pnkrally]

I am 6'3", have a friend who is 6'4". We both drive miatas, simple mods like steering wheel extender (keeping the original one), or just a hub and a custom wheel, foatomy (taking out some foam from the chair) helps a ton. The most important thing though are your proportions, I have longer legs and had to take off the inside door handle for my knee, but I do not struggle putting the helmet on for a trackday!

[@LateNightCable]

I am 6’6” - but thin, and drive my NB Miata daily, even with the top up. When I first sat in the car, I was immediately disappointed because I wasn’t sure it was going to work for me safely. What with my knees pinned to the dash. But I wanted it! And where there is a will there is a way. And really it doesn’t feel as small these days, you adjust to grow into it. Or shrink into it rather.

[@chriskappert1365]

Unfortunately the Mazda is ! Its outstandingly reliable and does'nt cost a fortune . Their gearbox is the best shifter in the world , no clonky shit here ! So YES , Mazda built the perfect Brittish sportscar .

[@freespeech3673]

I had a 91 VSpec. It saved my life when, at 100kph, a car pulled out in front of me. The MX5 performed beautifully, going into a controlled slide before straightening up.

[@mattrooke3210]

I’ve driven an Elan 130+ 2 and a Mk 1 MX5 I was impressed by both, the Elan had just amazing steering and throttle response and the MX5 was very responsive and comfortable and so enjoyable. They both score very high on fun for different reasons.

[@vonwesty3544]

I owned MGBs and Fiat 124's, and traded my last 124 in on a 1993 NA Miata. Best decision ever! Such a reliable and fun car compared to the others. Mazda certainly did their homework and made a proper sports car. The only issue I had was with a failed spark plug wire. The clutch had 170K miles and still worked fine, just started to have some noise with the throw-out bearing.

[@tvaatakt1]

I did try a 124 spider before buying my -94 MX5 back in 2001, I think the 124 look better but the MX5 is a much better car all over. Well, I also tried 2 Porsche 914. The engine - gearbox feel of the 914 is lightyears behind both the Mazda and the Fiat. Having grown up in cars like Alfa Romeo Gulietta Quadrafoglio and Alfasud, engine characteristics and roadholding matters. The MX5 does a great job although the injected engine sound is a bit behind an italian engine with double Dellorto carburetors.

[@tvaatakt1]

...so, maybe the new 124 spider is the ultimate light roadster?

[@vonwesty3544]

@@tvaatakt1 It is based on the new MX5 chassis, but you can get it with Fiat/Abarth suspension, drivetrain, and trim. Time will tell if the Fiat variant holds up the same as the standard issue MX5.

[@tvaatakt1]

@@vonwesty3544 Right, its a Miata styled as a Fiat. Pretty cool. Its like the inverse of the Alfa Arna, Japanese styling with an italian drivetrain.

[@davidnelson7149]

My MK1 MX-5 has a manual steering. That iteration is definitely touch responsive steering. Just come back from a weekend at the Lake District, and it was sublime along those wonderful twisty's, with such fantastic views. Then on the way home today, came back to Derbyshire along the 'snake-pass' past the Cat and Fiddle (the highest pub in England). It was just like Switzerland with steep drops on either side of the road. Really had to concentrate, but the MX-5 never let me down once. I was sweating like a pregnant Nun from the adrenaline rush!

[@Retrobeemer]

*As a young 20 something I was lucky enough to look after the Mazda UK press fleet when the launched the MX5, so I spent many happy hours running around the UK in brand new examples. I also got to enjoy the first BBR turbo version, when we had it to test and gain Mazda's seal of approval. I also drove an Elan around the same time, thanks to Henry at Eagle E-type (as it was then) who was always incredibly kind and would let me have test drives, although I'm certain he knew I didn't have 2 brass farthings to rub together! He just saw my enthusiasm I guess? He wasn't far from Mazda's workshop in Staplehurst, Kent and thanks to his generosity I got to sample an Esprit and a '71 911 sport, which was dream come true stuff for me. I still enjoy MX5's and for the money I think they're great cars. I've owned a new NA and NB versions and have literally just bought an NC, with the bulging arches and Duratec 2.0 power. It's only just been MOT'd and is ready to be enjoyed on the lanes here in Cornwall. All for the princely sum of £1350! I can't think of a more fun drive for the money. Anyway, sorry to ramble on and thanks for another great video. Mark*

[@juliancross2156]

Great review! The thrill you experience in the Elan is the same I get every week when I drive my 1969 Elan +2, quite simply the most magnificent driving experience possible.

[@heinzr9734]

Thank you Jack for the entertaining video. The most exciting part was when you wanted to compare the Elan with your Elise S1 at 10:20. But you didn't finish it. It remained with the positive similarities but I was waiting for you to name what makes your S1 Elise better or worse? Anyway, again a very good video!

[@ryanmccormick2150]

I absolutely love both of those cars!. The MX5 is in my perfect spec, it's a really nice example.... To be honest I love the Elan but I'd Take the MX5 just for the reliability and price point difference because the look on your face Jack you had fun in both cars so I'd save some money and mechanical problems and have my fun in the MX5 buddy 😃👍

[@christophergreasley9300]

I had an Elan DHC for nearly 14 years back in the 70’s and 80’s. Today I have a MX5 ND soft top. Both great cars. I had a quick steering rack mounted in solid alloy blocks in my Lotus and the steering was incredibly reactive. I let a friend drive it and after a mile he stopped and said he couldn’t drive any further because it frightened him because it was so responsive to the driver’s inputs. If you looked after the Elan properly it didn’t let you down but it certainly required constant care. It used to break the drive input shafts into the diff until I put on special hardened steel shafts which solved that issue. Truly great car deserving of it’s iconic status.

[@barry7608]

Your enthusiasm is awesome and I’ve not driven to many cars that would be deemed sports cars, but driving on our local ‘twisties’ has me in a similar frame of mind. My first car and auto passion was a 1275 Australian Cooper S. still got a few original bits, badges bonnet boot lid block head with the big valves. Sadly the body let me down and I was to young to realise how easy it is to get rid of rust. Anyway I bought an absolutely original Australian Clubman GT, a very rare car, but if I could exchange for the original shape I would. Love you vids, love your enthusiasm and what a buzz to drive an Elan on our local twisties, I know every corner by heart. Take care

[@cva1122]

I really enjoy your enthusiasm. You put me right behind the wheel. Good production.

[@Number27]

Thank you!!

[@dmn23]

I have a '99 NB in the exact same green/tan combination. I couldn't love it more.

[@martinda7446]

Magnificent review. I love the whole philosophy behind Chapman's Lotus road cars. The Europa is one of my faves as a kid, and overlooked, yet the performance is in some ways better than the Elan (on paper, I have not been lucky enough to drive an Elan). I'll have to look through your vids to see if you have tried one..! This is now my favourite car channel, and that is saying something. What a brilliant idea to compare these two greats. You did it perfectly.

[@PetrolheadTours]

Never heard of your channel before but know the owners of both cars so thought I’d watch. Good stuff! Now subscribed and looking through your back catalogue 👍😁

[@simonelliott5956]

I remember the first MX-5 I drove, when they first came out here. Back then we were doing car alarms for a many main dealers and one local Mazda dealer sent one over. I remember thinking how much it reminded me of an Elan, in its concept, drove a good few of them and was very surprised how good it was. Great comparison of two iconic cars.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Awesome cars. Very nice video. Keep up the good work.

[@stewkeene]

My father owned a brand new 66 Lotus Elan S2 in the states he bought from the dealer in Oregon. It was a beautiful British racing green and black interior. He would take me for rides in it and I could barely see over the passenger door. He sold it in 69 to a hair dresser in California for 1500 bucks who painted it gold 😂 Dad has passed on but the memories of that beautiful sports car still live on. I was so fortunate. Great episode 👍🏻😁 ~Stew P.S. you really can’t appreciate the cars true ability unless you do some tight corners in a drift, you just got a taste.

[@bobmizen1]

Great video Jack, the ride you describe in the Lotus reminds me of the feeling you get riding a motorbike, think it and it does it (I used to have a Suzuki Bandit 1200). I believe the Lotus also came as a kit-car that you would assemble yourself, which got around paying purchase tax. It would basically come on a trailer of chassis, body and parts. Keep on doing what you do Jack, I even watch the dumb adverts, and I'm sure your channel will grow. Best wishes, Bob M. South Wales

[@Number27]

Yes.. the Elan did come as a kit to save on tax! Thanks for watching Bob!

[@michaeltb1358]

I owned an S3 Elan for 17 years and it was used every day for most of that time. I had the Weber carbs while the one you tested looks like an S4 with Strombergs as it has the bulge in the bonnet. Mine timed 0-100 mph quicker than an E-type. It was so well balanced it would just go very gently sideways if you pushed it hard enough. From what I remember the biggest job I did was replace the piston rings when it started burning oil. Clutch was replaced around 50,000 miles. The CI exhaust manifold was replaced by an SS fabricated one. Original shocks were only good for around 10,000 miles but I ended up with Konis which made the ride and handling even better. The gear change was a problem with the original doughnuts as they wound and unwound, but I fitted a UJ conversion which made the gearchange super sharp and also helped the ride. By the way, I just checked and it is still on the road.

[@richardhunt809]

You’re clearly having lots of fun there, Jack. These little revvy two-seaters are just my favourite type of car. My MR2 is a similar type of thing. Not really that quick by modern standards but the handling and styling are a joy. I’d love to drive an MX-5 for the comparison. Keep up the brilliant videos!

[@Number27]

Thank you Richard!!

[@Laz_Arus]

I had a Europa back in the early 70's so can imagine your first thoughts when jumping into the Elan. The Europa was so direct in its steering that it was uncanny. Passengers used to almost scream in terror when experiencing the G forces it was capable of. My reason for selling was that it was too fragile for Australian roads. It was always breaking something. Love to have one again though! See if you can borrow one Jack. It would make a great video. 👍

[@philkershaw5011]

From 1984 to 2005 I had 4 Europa's of the Twin Cam / Special versions. Not all at the same time! But yes I agree, if you can find one Jack, would make a great video.

[@gazzafloss]

I had a friend here in Australia who had a French Racing Blue Europa, (not sure what year model), powered by the Renault 16 engine/transaxle combo in the early '70's, he came to exactly the same conclusion as you, an extraordinary little car but absolutely fragile, especially the suspension components and interior. He used to say it was the only car that you could travel at 100mph plus and still get 40 mpg. I came across a motor dealership when in Japan a few years back that specialized in Lotus restoration, they had about 5 or 6 Europa's in various stages of rebuild there, plus a couple of Super Sevens and Elan's.

[@Laz_Arus]

@@gazzafloss MIne also had the Renault 16TS motor. My doors were always sagging even after constant adjustment. The suspension never stayed tight for more than a month at a time. I can still visualise the contortions need to get in and out. 😁A truly enjoyable drive though when things were all working correctly. 😊

[@gazzafloss]

@@Laz_Arus absolutely, and yes I remember the saggy doors the hinges were a funny arrangement with what looked like abrasive paper washers between the fibre glass door frame and the metal parts of the hinge, I was the apprentice mechanic my mate came to to fix the Lotus foibles. And I could only afford a '59 VW beetle at the time, so loved playing with the Europa.

[@peterbonnez]

Another Europa Renault owner here. Fragile and underpowered, but that didn't matter, it's superb chassis made it a wonderful car and quick in the twisties. MX-5's are my love now, an NA with BBR turbo. An everyday Elan inspired car that is so much fun.

[@hugocass8381]

Someone once said (and I think it might have been John Surtees) that the Elan was the only car that could be driven over winding country roads, at an average of 70mph, without once exceeding 71mph.

[@T16MGJ]

Respect the late, great John Surtees. Still the only one ever to be World Champion on both two and four wheels. To see him in action on both those Italian Red Fire engines, the Grand Prix MV Agusta or the Prancing Horse Grand Prix four wheelers, is something the then much younger me was privileged to observe.

[@timwilkes2110]

It was Denis Jenkinson in one of his road tests for MotorSport.

[@hugocass8381]

@@timwilkes2110 Thanks for that! Memory corrected!

[@michaelcogswell9294]

Jack, I loved the review of the Elan. Well done, an excellent channel. Is there any chance you might do a similar exercise on a twin cam Europa and Elan Plus 2. I've owned an Elan and a couple of Caterhams but wondered how the Europa stacks up these days as I'd love to invest in one!

[@leebuckles2364]

Another good vid Jack both good cars however I think you had a bit more fun in the Elan you seemed to have bigger smiles in it

[@justaddafan]

Great video! Thank you. It would be interesting to see a comparison between the Elan and something similarly light and small (and old) like a 550 Spyder (Beck, I suppose, not Porsche) or an X1-9.

[@mikemccarthy1398]

I have been following Ollie rebuilding the Elan i was shocked when i see someone else driving it...but it was only a lend 😁. Great comparison 👍

[@alexmalcolm5577]

Thanks for that MX5 review. I have owned a Mk2A for 17 years here in Phuket Thailand. 1800 cc. Such a fun car to drive. On hilly twisty road be careful back end kicks right when boot it., Such fun and I am age 73. Spare parts an issue as few Mx5 in Thailand, Takes about 9 weeks import from Japan or much same get my son in UK to post out from the spares web site. Had a Triumph Mk3 when I was 17, such fun. Than MG Midget, boring. Then MGB GT, more interesting. A stupid impractical Bond Bug 3 wheeler, such fun.

[@iansmeath8674]

Oh the memory of an Elan, I was taken out for spin in Elan sprint back in the 80s. The owner scared the shit out of me!! I had no idea a car could go round bends so fast. Great comparison of the two cars Jack!

[@julianowens4071]

Superb video- thank you,really love these lovely little drivers cars,without doubt proper drivers cars

[@philipdubuque9596]

Brilliant comparison video. The Elan was the genius template that set the standard for the power-to-weight equation in sports car design and the MX5 was the perfect strategic marketing response for its time. From the Datsun/Nissan 300ZX, right through to the Acura NSX, Japanese manufacturers have known how to recognize a great idea and run with it. Your comparison in this episode is just right!

[@gordonipock9385]

Don't forget the Toyota 2000GT which was built in about 1968 and was an amazing sports car for that time and is still an amazingly good sports car for today. The Japanese make high-quality stuff, whether we are talking about motor vehicles, motorcycles or musical instruments.

[@andrewpolasek5524]

Yes, and the Datsun 240Z, which modeled elements of the 2000GT and Jaguar E type. I had 3 of them, and wish I had held onto one of them.

[@bobmcl2406]

I sometimes do strategy work for a local race team that has a fleet of Miatas. The team principal has tried every generation, and still prefers the purity of the original ("NA") 1600. We mostly race NB 1800s. Those cars will stand an entire season of racing with only basic maintenance. I can tell you that is something you NEVER could have done with a Lotus Elan back in the day. What Mazda accomplished with the Miata was simply astounding, having created a modern useable car that retained so much of the Elan's spirit.

[@1183newman]

But the Elan was a performance powerhouse for its day, like he said, faster 0-60 time than a Lamborghini Miura. The MX5 performance is fine but nothing spectacular even when it released. What im trying to say is the Elan was essentially a race car for the road, where as the MX5 was a roadster for everyday driving. For its day and against the competition the Elan was very reliable back in the 1960s.

[@VirtualGuth]

@@1183newman This is exactly how the video came across to me. One of the great things about the MX5 is that even the earliest examples have remained incredibly reliable.

[@vice4134]

A great video & review. I enjoyed this video! 👍👍👍

[@Number27]

Thank you! 👍

[@Ashfielder]

This is the video I’ve been after since I got my MX5, a head to head comparison of the two icons. Very interested to see what your made of it.

[@beauthestdane]

My 1993 Miata has been my daily driver since I bought it new in 1993. Still love driving it.

[@beauthestdane]

That being said, I have always lusted after several of the Lotuses.

[@bobphillips2188]

Dude, you are SO excited! Love it, and you!!

[@Number27]

Ha!! Thanks 🙏 Bob..

[@rhettcorcoran2879]

Great review, I've always loved the Elan.

[@3ducs]

I started my car buying with Alfa Romeos in 1967. Along the way my English wife got a '67 MGB, it was crude compared to the Alfas. Now I drive a '16 MX-5, it is everything the Alfas and the MGB were trying to be without the rust and mechanical weaknesses. In other words, the perfect British sports car.

[@coltr7561]

Alfa was not rusty or ddint have mechanical weaknesses. MX otherwise was rusty. Alfa is mechanically bulltproof.- Very easy technically and reliable simply technics.

[@3ducs]

@@coltr7561 I've lost count of how many Alfas I've had, they all rusted badly. I learned how to weld and beat panels on Alfas, had to. My oldest Alfas were from 1959, the newest was a Milano, another rust bucket. The mechanicals were better than the MG's were, but bulletproof, no. I only have 86,000 miles on my MX-5, it's driven year round in New Hampshire, USA, it sees plenty of salt in the winter, so far no rust. But that is all just my personal experience over many years, your experience may be different.

[@3ducs]

@@coltr7561 Your experience with Alfas was far different from mine. Is there snow where you are? I had Alfas in the Washington DC area, salt was used on the roads there, Alfas rusted very badly. I did several rotisserie restorations on them, Alfas were very prone to rust.

[@coltr7561]

@@3ducs yes lots of snow and salt in north europe

[@triumphnz1]

On the MX5 reliability, I drove one for 100,000 Km, thrashed it to 280,000KM redlining it very often. a Clutch and a Alternator was about the total of my maintenance and of course 10,000KM oil changes

[@MrManBuzz]

Just been out for a spin in my own MX5, it never fails to put a smile on my face. Mine is far from stock so I can't say its 'pure' to the original point of the MX5 but still, hearing that turbo spool just adds to the fun. If you're ever in Ireland, I'd be more than thrilled to let you have a Drive in it Jack. (I don't think you've driven one turbocharged yet have you?)

[@Laz_Arus]

@MrManBuzz ... agreed. Once you have driven an NA with 152KW at the wheels (which mine has), it gives you a different perspective of the little roadster. 😉

[@peterbonnez]

@@Laz_Arus BBR 150bhp, for me it's perfection.

[@paulsmith3057]

Dunno what was more fun, watching these cars in action or seeing your grin driving them. Thanks

[@Number27]

Glad you enjoyed the video Paul, thanks for watching!!

[@Brannigan777]

Great vid Jack! I would love to see you do a similar review / comparison with a Europa.

[@william-131]

As an Europa S1 owner I would say Yes Please! But what would be its contemporairy opponent?

[@Brannigan777]

@@william-131 Contemporary? That's a tough one, just on weight alone. My best friend had a JPS, which I had the joy of driving. A remarkable vehicle! One comparison that comes to mind is perhaps a 914 or even a 914/6, depending on the Europa model.

[@parrotraiser6541]

The Mazda doesn't have the self-dismantling feature of the Elan.

[@timlocke8588]

Nor the need to retighten the cam cover bolts every trip!

[@parrotraiser6541]

@@timlocke8588 Part of the SDF. (Self Dismantling Feature.)

[@jase6370]

But they can rot horrendously and an elan won't!

[@brendanmccabe8769]

Very interesting test Jack. I've never driven an Elan but was in a convoy from Scotland about 10 years ago with one of them and a Lotus Cortina (the Lotus boys wanted to visit Duns). I was in my MK2 MR2 and was well impressed by the handling of both of those cars over the lanes in Yorkshire coming home on a nice sunny day. Less impressed on the way there in typical cold Apil weather when the Elan owner kept having to stop to add/remmove some heat sheilding under the bonnet to prevent the carb's icing up. I kept up but no better than that! Mazda did a really great job on the 5, I really would like one of these but most are in a bad way here in the UK with rust. They did really well to kee the car as light as they did considering that most buyers take things like safety a bit more seriously than they did in the Elan's days when being killed to death in a bit of a 'prang' was much more common. Even today they couldn't get quite as low as that but every credit to them for making the ND lighter than the NC model which is still a really good car or I wouldn't have bought one 17 years ago or another last year.

[@Rockinbiker1946]

We owned a first gen Mazda Mx5 (Miata). One big plus for the Mazda over the Brits was it didn't leak in the rain.😀

[@chrisrader8547]

Had two Triumph TR’s and a MGB that I played with, years ago. They were old when I owned them, so they were always little maintenance headaches. Ive owned two Miatas in the past 7 years. Fun little cars. I supercharged the most recent one. But now I’m selling it because I went back to motorcycles…. And bought a Triumph. Lol

[@Huskrrrr]

Love your critique. I own a 2016 MX-5 and absolutely love it. I've always wanted someone to do a head to head comparison with the Elan, thank you. I would have been disappointed had the Elan not beaten the MX-5 in driver thrills. The Elan is a legend.

[@Number27]

That’s great to hear thank you.. but I have to say it was EXTREMELY close.. o was incredibly impressed with this old and quite worn MX5. If you haven’t check out the two bids I did recently on the modified MX5s.. they were incredible. One V6 and the other compressor.

[@Ballterra]

I just realised I have seen plenty of Elans at car shows but never really heard one at full song, what a beautiful sounding car and though it may sound strange I can almost smell the interior of it as well.

[@jon8xty1]

I had an S4 Elan and it drove so well. I did manage to get it to slide sideways on a sharp bend when I hit the throttle instead of the brake.

[@H-Zazoo]

With the Elan you carry a toolbox, with the Miata, just a cup of coffee. I think that says it all. 😀

[@jjjdynamo4362]

Love your work ❤ keep it up!

[@marcryvon]

If Lotus had produced an Elan in 1989, with the same safety requirements, they would have built a Miata…. Btw, you’re using the same roads as Harry ! 🤗

[@robertlloyd7493]

Great comparison road test 👍

[@jfisher2370]

I've loved British sports cars since my childhood in the 1970s. I bought my MX5 new in 1992. In 2008 The U.S. Air Force sent me to UK for 4 yrs & I took my faithful MX5! Driving the English countryside was a blast. ~ As a daily driver, today my MX5 has 150K miles (240K Km) on the odometer. ~ One additional thing the Lotus Elan had over the MX5 was Emma Peel :)

[@throwback19841]

17:08 gearchange slop - quite surprising actually - I suspect it may just need a new shift bushing at the base of the shifter - shifter rebuild kits are easy to obtain and cheap, a one hour job for a home mechanic and restores gearchange feel and refreshes the lower shift boot and keeps the transmission fluid smell out of the interior :). If it smells a little of gearbox in there, and or the leather around the shifter gets too warm, big tell-tale sign that you need to do a shifter rebuild. Also the OEM gear shifter is actually two-piece with a rubber bushing in it - this provides a little big of "wiggle room" for inprecise shifts and eases wear on the synchros. For supreme precise gearbox feel, install a miatashifters short shift kit - its a single-piece machined gear shifter with a higher fulcrum point to reduce shift length and remove any slop - it feels like a rifle bolt now. It also increases wear on the synchros if you aren't shifting precisely and invites unnecessarily quick shifting lol. Most of the time there is no reason to hurry a gearchange.

[@rwelsh938]

Ace Jack I do enjoy your videos chap. Very Well done Sir (Si from bath )

[@Number27]

Thanks Si!

[@jayshimada6893]

Hi Jack, thanks for the video ! I’m very interested in getting an original elan in exchange for my s2000. It may be a bit upsetting for both aficionados of elan and s2000 because they probably say they are very different. But I am very curious about the handling of both cars and very curious how you gonna compare. How about making a video about the comparison between original elan and s2000 ? Thanks and regards

[@artmanjohn2]

I've had three Miatas all together I first had a 1990 red Miata and today I still have two Miatas, a 1993 LE and a 2004 LS Miata. Love Miatas, hopefully I'll always own one as a driver.

[@barry7608]

I would love to hear your opinion of a Mk1 Australian Cooper S, I know it’s terribly outdated but is still a serious fun car to drive, especially on twisties. Love your reviews.

[@astonmartin4360]

My dad built one from a kit on our driveway in 1967.A big wodden box arrived and two days later we had a car.😁😁😁😁

[@davedavey5]

Keep up the good work Jack.

[@MrGridgway]

Jack, you should try an Elan GTS or 26R spec racer, that is a most astonishing drive!

[@timlocke8588]

I had an Elan coupe +2s 130 in 1974. Could not bring it to Canada when I left the Uk. Still miss it 48 years later.

[@gazzafloss]

Life is good Jack, when you can drive two nice little sporties on what looks like a brilliant day. It has been said, "it doesn't get any better than this".

[@ricbrook7059]

Remember UK cars orginally didn't get power steering (or Air Con). Also remember that 1.6 engine was the power train in the 323 Turbo 4x4 obviously minus the turbo so is highly tuneable too.

[@bombakdik]

Oh yes I love the Elan. Miss my father’s Europa. He also had the Elan. Lovely sound.

[@global_nomad.]

great comparison, started a bit slowly but once we saw you driving and that excitiment in the Elan we were hooked. Almost felt sorry for the MX-5 becasue it was always going to come off second best..perhaps you should pitch it against something else to let it shine

[@Number27]

TBH the MX5 aquitted itself very well…

[@gemanscombe4985]

@@Number27 It's the best all-around sports car of the past 33 years. It saved the market and is THE sports car of our time. It's a splendid example of modern engineering, manufacturing, marketing and practicality ... but it was the Elan that had you giggling w/delight. Yes, you were. With 12K Elans made and fewer left, it's these videos that bring the experience to so many. Thank you, Mazda, Lotus ... and you, Number 27.

[@francescorochira773]

Another great video Jack. I have an early Mk1 MX-5, which I've owned for 12 years now. It's the best fun you can have in a car for the money. They're cheap to run, plenty of spares availability, reliable (I've taken mine to France and Belgium a couple of times). With the roof down, it's as close to riding a motorcycle as you can get in a car.

[@gordonipock9385]

A Miata is better than riding a motorcycle because you don't need to wrap yourself up with a helmet and riding leathers. I have gotten it on with crotch rockets and can often leave them behind in tight corners... but they catch up on the straights. Also, you never know what you are going to find in the road where I live: wild turkeys, dogs, deer, possums. Hit any of these things on a motorcycle at speed and you have had a bad day. Perhaps not so bad with the convertible.

[@keithlovelock8829]

😀nice video….I have owned many elans and mx5 here in NZ on roads just made for it… The elan,while fragile and delicate requiring smooth driving style,you didn’t drive it ..you wore it like a shoe..it just responded to your telepathic thoughts..the elan was the only car on the limit that both scared you but was safe. You could throw it sideways on gravel,wet or dry seal..it was so agile given low mass and 50/50 weight distribution. But the mx5 was everyday reliable ,safety regd ,thus 300kg heavier ,but still a nice drivers car..and doesn’t break down. If you haven’t perviously driven an elan on the limit …then the mx5 is the car for you👍

[@ilmaio]

"IF" - as the spartans once replied to their enemies.

[@josecruz-zd3iz]

Thank you for another great video. Consider replacing "Fred" with an Elan. It would make for some great watching. Cheers!

[@RobManser77]

The Elan is one of my dream cars. 😍 Are those roads the ones Harry Metcalfe uses on his channel? They look very familiar.

[@paulriggers1558]

i'm lucky to have drove both of them, i can still taste the unleaded petrol + hear those carbs, it was just an old car when i borrowed it, but miles ahead of anything of similar age i had to take the passenger seat out of the mx to replace the failed handbrake lever [reliable?] so do i go for my lovely weekday wife, or the weekend dirty mistress ? "sorry pet, i'm away golfing this weekend with the lads.... again..... keep up the good work young man

[@danf321]

Nice video! Just looking at the interior video, the Elan looks like it was put together with ill-fitting parts, while the Mazda looks very well assembled.

[@gemanscombe4985]

An accurate observation. Mazda designed and built their sportscar 28 years later with vastly greater resources, and with the advantage of seeing how Lotuses were put together. Chapman and Friends started with a clean sheet of paper and, of financial necessity, hand-assembled with as many available existing parts as possible. 1990 Japan was much further from WW2 than 1962 Britain. MX5 and Elan are from vastly different eras and companies. The fit and finish standards for Brit sportscars of the time were atrocious by modern standards, and more so that of Lotus, even compared to contemporaries. Body and trim parts somewhat fit. Elan bodies weren't always squarely mounted to their chassis, so tire clearances to the wheel arches could vary. Right side doors were sometimes twisted and mismatched to the body opening b/c one of the factory door molds was inaccurate. Jay Leno's blue Elan video shows this clearly. Without considerable work by owners, early Lotus cars like the Elan are 20-footers, at least! They do drive nicely.

[@zedlicious]

The elan “about as good as any 4 cylinder can sound” - haven’t driven an Elise with a Honda k20a then. I love the sound of that with my big exhaust I’d have an Elan and an mx5 as well if I could. Always loved them.

[@fritz4345]

Miata's are great. I just had my 90,000 mile inspection. I still love my NC.

[@danielthomas8507]

Love my mx5 ...400k kms on the clock runs fantastic...would love an elan

[@evertdevries8814]

Regrettably, I can't lend you either of these but it would be really great to compare the Alfa Spider Duetta (boat tail) from the era of the Elan to these two and then add to the mix by throwing in the Fiat Barchetta as well which is more from the Mazda's era. They're both Italian, so should be right up your street too! I've been an Alfa afficionado since the sixties but do think the Elan will outclass the Alfa since the latter was never aimed at being a track star. I also wonder whether the Mazda will actually outshine the Barchetta?

[@SLYDIT]

Loooooove my turbod 1990 mx5.had it 21 years now.... Just haven't found anything more enjoyable to drive

[@Laz_Arus]

Mine is approaching its 33rd birthday. I bought it in Nov '89.

[@MrOvershoot]

It's funny I always think of the MX5 as the MG Midget replacement & then look at the dimensions and its bigger than a MGB!! I've owned a 1966 MG Midget and still own a 2001 MX5 and still think the genes are closer than the MGB? My 981 Boxster S kills them on performance but I'm not so sure on outright fun?

[@grahamnutt8958]

If 🇬🇧 classics had the reliability of (almost) any Japanese motor - it would be a cool combination. Enjoyable review there Jack.

[@T16MGJ]

A Lotus Elan and the late great Diana Rigg avenging in the TV Series. The stuff of dreams that combination for most warm blooded car enthusiasts.

[@brodiejones2028]

Have to agree with Jack. For an inline 4 it sounds very good. The mark 1 MX5 has the best gearbox I've experienced.

[@orenbarnea2841]

Just seeing your face when driving the Elan was enough to understand what you feel about it :) Shortly after the MX-5 was launched Paul Cockburn did this very comparison on an Australian magazine called Wheels. It's the best piece of motoring writing I ever read and the funniest by a country mile. I tried to find it online now, but I only found some quotes and that Cockburn died a few months ago :(

[@gemanscombe4985]

Found one readable page. farm6.staticflickr.com/5045/5380111444_645dc88061_b.jpg There were 3 more a while back and likely are still there, but I couldn't crack this URL to find them. One Google listing has all 4 but they aren't readable. Wheels, 3/90. [edit - link doesn't work, sorry. It did when I typed it on Google, yesterday]

[@gemanscombe4985]

I corrected the link and it works (12/27/2022). Try it again. Image enlarges to readable size.

[@orenbarnea2841]

@@gemanscombe4985 thanks!!!

[@orenbarnea2841]

@@gemanscombe4985 It's even better than I remembered

[@gemanscombe4985]

@@orenbarnea2841 Yes, Cockburn wrote with flair. That last page - 2 pages in the magazine - were the payoff, but the preceding ones were his set-up. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I'll post links here if I ever find them.

[@ralphaverill2001]

The Miata is all about cornering. 0 to 60 in a straight line? Who cares! Get a Corvette! A lot of cars inspired the Miata. In the history I read the Miata design team had owned hundreds of sports cars from bug-eye sprites to Porsches to Ferraris and Mazda had the good sense to let them start with a blank sheet of paper. They hit the bullseye with the most successful roadster ever built. Full disclosure; loving owner of a ‘97 NA Miata. My third.

[@cam3002]

One of secrets to a fantastic handling Miata is that the suspension is very adjustable and to get one of the base models with manual steering. Add more caster and camber and with good tires, really sharpens the steering. The Elan will always hold a special place but the Mk1 Miata is a reasonably priced close alternative that is also reliable and practical.

[@Number27]

Ha!! You watched… Miata’a are very very good cars!

[@vossler360]

Agreed, the Flyin' Miata alignment recommends +5.0 degrees of caster, -0.7 degrees of camber, and 0.5 inch in of toe at the front, -1.2 degrees of camber and 1/16 inch in of toe at the rear for a street car. In my experience, I've found that a slightly stiffer set of springs, shocks and antiroll bars really transforms the steering feel of the Miata.

[@kuutti121]

I believe the officially imported mx-5 cars arrived with a different ride height from JDM and maybe Miata/US cars.

[@anthonywebb4068]

loving the lotus content, that isnt about the Emira or modern Lotus, keep up the great content