1981 Lincoln Town Car vs. 1998 Lotus Elise
To start off, 1998 Lotus Elise is newer by 17 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1981 Lincoln Town Car. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1981 Lincoln Town Car would be higher. At 4,942 cc (8 cylinders), 1981 Lincoln Town Car is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1998 Lotus Elise (187 HP @ 7000 RPM) has 58 more horse power than 1981 Lincoln Town Car. (129 HP @ 3400 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 1998 Lotus Elise should accelerate faster than 1981 Lincoln Town Car. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1981 Lincoln Town Car weights approximately 1106 kg more than 1998 Lotus Elise.
Both vehicles are rear wheel drive (RWD) - it offers better handling in dry conditions; in addition, if you are looking to drift, both vehicles do the job better than front wheel drive vehicles. With that said, do keep in mind that many other factors such as speed and the wear on your tires can also have significant impact on traction and control. Let's talk about torque, 1981 Lincoln Town Car (310 Nm @ 1800 RPM) has 117 more torque (in Nm) than 1998 Lotus Elise. (193 Nm @ 5600 RPM). This means 1981 Lincoln Town Car will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1998 Lotus Elise. 1981 Lincoln Town Car has automatic transmission and 1998 Lotus Elise has manual transmission. 1998 Lotus Elise will offer better control over acceleration and deceleration in addition to better fuel efficiency overall. 1981 Lincoln Town Car will be easier to drive especially in heavy traffic.
Compare all specifications:
| 1981 Lincoln Town Car | 1998 Lotus Elise | |
| Make | Lincoln | Lotus |
| Model | Town Car | Elise |
| Year Released | 1981 | 1998 |
| Body Type | Sedan | Roadster |
| Engine Position | Front | Middle |
| Engine Size | 4942 cc | 1796 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 4 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Valves per Cylinder | 2 valves | 4 valves |
| Horse Power | 129 HP | 187 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 7000 RPM |
| Torque | 310 Nm | 193 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1800 RPM | 5600 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Automatic | Manual |
| Number of Seats | 5 seats | 2 seats |
| Number of Doors | 4 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1820 kg | 714 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5570 mm | 3740 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1990 mm | 1710 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1440 mm | 1210 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2990 mm | 2310 mm |
