Australia's Eflin debuts Type 5 Clubman in Sydney
Click above for high-res gallery of the Elfin Type 5 Clubman
Fans of the original Lotus 7 will undoubtedly be familiar with Elfin. Others who, like Lotus itself, have come to realize that automotive development has advanced in the past few decades, may be less so. The Australian sportscar-maker is right up there with the likes of Caterham and Westfield, only from the land of reverse-flushing toilettes and leaf-eating marsupials. The company is under the care of Tom Walkinshaw, a legend in the motorsports and tuning communities who has leveraged his close ties with GM's Holden subsidiary for the vehicle you see here, called the Type 5 Clubman. Replacing the discontinued Type 3, the new Type 5 joins the line-up alongside the MS8 Streamliner and was recently unveiled at the ongoing Sydney Motor Show.
The new roadster features the same 260-hp turbo four from the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Redline, only in a much lighter frame of just 750kg (about 1,650 lbs). The combination of generous power and low weight means the Type 5 is pegged to hit 100 km/h (62mph) in a rapid 3.7 seconds while commanding a sticker price comparable Down Under to a Nissan 350Z or Mazda RX-8, only without frivolities like a roof or doors.
Gallery: Elfin Type 5 Clubman
[Source: Elfin]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jcar302 7:29PM (10/11/2008)
I'm liking this thing.
Too bad it's not available with the an LS engine out of a new corvette.
I know, i know, it would mess us the balance, but i'm just a v8 type of guy.
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turbo-quattro 7:38PM (10/11/2008)
sure, "you can never have too much power" but im certain you could still figure out a way to have a blast cruising around the track in one of these bad boys.
Franz 7:58PM (10/11/2008)
This thing looks sick!
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hidden_hunter 8:29PM (10/11/2008)
I've seen a couple on the road and they look pretty good for a track car :0
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Mitchttj 8:32PM (10/11/2008)
The older clubmans had ls1's in them, i wonder why they decided to go with the turbo 4.
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Cardude 8:48PM (10/11/2008)
That's a neat little car, has that cool home built look about it. Driving that around town would be a real gas!
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rodan32 9:45PM (10/11/2008)
I love it, and want one in my garage. Once I get a garage.
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Gungosa 10:40PM (10/11/2008)
Interesting the way the wheel covers move with the suspension, makes for a tidy look.
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Matt 1:17AM (10/12/2008)
they handle better without the heavy v8. apparently will still do about the same lap times thanks to better handling.
typo in the title btw
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naggs 5:04PM (10/12/2008)
i bet if you actually drove the thing the speed limit, it would get 40+ mpg. if the laws wern't so restrictive in this country, you would be able to buy something like this...
its no less dangerous than a motorcycle, and in many ways its more practical.
G-Meister 9:25AM (10/12/2008)
I'd like to see how all these ultralight track cars stack up against each other. not just for track performance, but also for reliability, parts, build quality, etc. That stuff DOES matter, so you don't end up sidelined on a track weekend with electrical gremlins.
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hidden_hunter 5:34PM (10/12/2008)
Elfin is backed by the same guys behind HSV
Paul 10:48AM (10/13/2008)
Just to let you know. That whole toilet flushing backwards thing is a myth...
http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp
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