US
16" wheels with different design
GS Tyres
Longer front with increased crash protection
Drivers wheel air bag
Different boot (trunk) lid
One colour seats
Closed loop system (lambda sensor) and cat
Side bumper reflectors
Different sized rear license plate area and not perspex covered
Rest of the world
15" wheels
NA version available
Open loop system up to Jan 92
Contrasting coloured stripe to seats and door inserts
Early versions had the rear license plate covered by moulded perspex
UK Only
As Rest of World except SE Badge on boot (trunk) lid to turbo versions
Series 2 - Not available to USA
16" wheels, different design to USA 16"
NA not available, all turbo's
Limited edition number on dash
Galvanized rear lower wishbones
Modified center console mouldings and handbrake mechanism
All closed loop cat'd (-10bhp)
S2 transfer on boot (trunk)
101 Things to look for when buying an M100:
FSH not essential but shows whether the previous owners have cared about the upkeep, check all receipts for repairs and servicing. Check MOT’s for mileage between them.
Check that the chassis Dinol treatment has been performed every 2 years without this the 8 year guarantee is void.
Check that the 60,000 mile or 5 year cam belt change has happened.
Check the condition of the hood seals, these are the car's week point and can be expensive to change, the front header seal is in excess of £125. Even on pampered cars the seals can deteriorate.
Check the condition of the hood on the inside just above your right hand ear, if there is a silvery arc mark on the material feel how thin it is at that point. If you buy the car stick a patch on both sides straight away. New hoods cost in excess of £1000 + fitting.
Check whether gear shift cables have been changed or which type of ends they are. Don’t force the gear shift or it will pop the cable ends.
Tyres can be expensive at over £125 each, as can the wheels. The Front camber is set so that tyres wear on the inside edges, turn the wheels to lock to see.
Check the make of tyres fitted. The non US originals are Michelin MXX-2 205/55 15" ZR rated and the only Lotus approved replacement is the Michelin MXX-3 at around £110 each.
Check the roundness of the wheels as they are "soft" and easily damaged, replacement around £125.
Check the condition of the front and back wishbones as they can be prone to rusting as the Dinol (if it has been applied) tends to wash away and is only first applied 2 years after delivery and not before delivery (not very clever).
If the engine seems lumpy above 4000 revs this can indicate "cam angle sensor" failure.
Check what oil has been used, Lotus recommend Mobil 1.
The undercoat/gel coat is white so any stone chips on any colour other than white will show up.
Check that the drivers seat hasn't collapsed, the base is held in place by wire clips just like a cheap sun lounger and these can break. They can be replaced by bent bits of a metal coat hanger.
Check the condition of the exhaust at the back box to pipe joint – life is usually about 6-7 years.
Other than the above points the M100 is a very reliable car.
Hood Care
When opening the hood always drop both windows about 1"/25mm so that when you open the door to get to the hood cover catch the window glass doesn’t stress the side window top seals.
Never erect the hood with the side windows up as this may break the side windows.
Always leave the hood erected, if left down the side window top seals do not seal together and they will develop a "set" on them.
Never coat the seals with Vasaline as this rots the top surface and weakens the seal edges. Use a silicone grease instead like Dow Corning MS4, Unipart BAU 5812 or similar.
Coat all joints with Silicone grease especially those between the side window top seals.
The rear plastic glass is easily damaged so take care when wiping that the plastic is clean and grit free.
Reinforce the areas where the metal mechanism rubs the material.
Both the side window and the side window top seals can be adjusted to get a closer fit.
Make sure that the seal that contacts the hood cover is clean and grit free as it will damage the hood cover paint finish.