Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Andrew - note I said for the Evora. 3.5 litre!

I think you would be quite ok to make an Elan a FFV. but with the likes of an Evora, they want you to burn as much of the real thing as possible as it is beaucoup of tax revenue..

The garagiste who wants to fit a conversion kit to the Evora has been keeping me updated on some behind the scenes talk to allo E85 for larger cars, but I am not hopeful. Hard to argue a reduction in the coffers

Whilst it's OK to experiment with E85 on ancient vehicles from an OEM perspective you'd have to have rocks in your head to attempt to convert anything reasonably modern to E85 that wasn't designed for that fuel originally. Absolutely everything to to with the engine calibration and importantly the emission control systems is designed around the type of fuel being used. There is no way an aftermarket E85 system could meet these standards. They aren't simple standards these days that's for sure (or maybe they are simple to you if you work for Volkswagen!) For those trying to be green there's probably way more harmful stuff spewing out of the exhaust on an aftermarket converted E85 car than one running on the fuel it was originally designed for.

When the price of E85 is 60% cheaper, is widely available and conversions are cheap, then the technical and true green arguments against its use quickly go out of the window - such is the situation in France. The only pumps I ever see run dry at my local supermarket are the blue E85 ones

An endemic problem unfortunately. Things done and said on a whim for political reasons rather than true merit.
The manufacturers selling into France must be bracing themselves if fly by nighter's are doing E85 conversions on news cars.Then again it might work out well for them in terms of sales revenue on replacement parts as this is where most of the profit comes from!