Most drivers have in mind a pure British roadster from the early 1990s, the Lotus Elan, but only a small group of fans are aware of the strange story of the Kia Vigato that followed. After the original Elan M100 run ended in 1995, Kia bought the whole production tooling from Lotus. The company then assembled the car in Korea and shipped examples to Japan under the Vigato name.
It’s a strange footnote in Kia history, and one of the decade’s most underappreciated sports cars. The Lotus Elan M100 was built around a lightweight front-wheel-drive chassis with double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, giving it the crisp, confident handling that we all enjoy. When Kia took over the molds, the chassis remained almost unchanged. The end result was a car that still seemed perfectly balanced and drove smoothly, but with a few adjustments to suit their new owner.
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The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, a naturally aspirated beast, produces 151 horsepower and delivers it to the front wheels via a five-speed manual. It accomplishes the job well, with sprightly acceleration that never goes overboard. Drivers can simply shift easily and experience a direct connection between pedal and road. Brakes are discs all around, and the suspension absorbs bumps while remaining rooted even when making abrupt direction changes. In terms of fuel economy, it’s quite decent for a convertible with a hint of sportiness.
Visually, the car retains the original Elan lines, with a low wedge shape, clean surfaces… you get the idea. Pop-up headlights are a nice feature because they sit flush when switched off and spring up nicely when you turn the switch. The rear spoiler is small, and the fenders are filled with nice16-inch OZ Racing wheels. The current example features a sleek white paint job, a black soft top that folds over by hand, and Yokohama tires to keep everything in place on the road. Oh, and one more thing: previous owners had some fun with the badges, replacing them with Lotus emblems… despite the fact that the chassis plate still proudly states that it is a genuine Kia Vigato from 1997.
Inside the cabin, colorful textile inserts that match the door panels add a splash of color to the black vinyl seats. A Mitsubishi head unit handles the audio, and a wonderful old-fashioned analog clock sits to the side of the gauges. Standard features include power windows and mirrors, as well as air conditioning to keep you comfortable. The instrument cluster displays a speedometer with a maximum speed of 240km/h and a tachometer with a maxes out at 6500rpm. An upgraded wood-rimmed steering wheel with a cool MOMO horn button gives it a nice personal touch. Even with two adults in the car, space isn’t a problem on longer excursions, and there’s still room behind the seats for a few items.
It appears that practically all of the Vigatos that rolled off the assembly line never made it out of Japan, where they just blended in with the traffic. A few made their way to North America via private imports, no less. The 1997 Vigato now offered for auction on Bring a Trailer has only 53,000 kilometers on the clock. This Canadian import arrived in late 2022, complete with an Ontario registration and a clean history report. Some of the underbody pieces show rust, but the main body and all mechanicals appear to be in fine condition. Bidding began modestly and will continue through April 9th.
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