Lotus Excel: Hethel's best-kept secret, and still the cheapest real Lotus (1982–1992) The Lotus Excel took the Elite and Eclat's wedge four-seater idea and rebuilt it with Toyota running gear into the most usable classic Lotus of all, then depreciated into the marque's great bargain. A guide to the Excel and the Eclat before it, the Toyota partnership, what to check when buying, and why it costs so little.
