1997 Kia Vigato

Description

The 1997 Kia Vigato occupies an improbable niche in modern automotive history, emerging from Lotus’s transition away from independence and Kia’s ambition to enter the sports car arena during the 1990s. The car traces its origins to the Lotus Elan M100, a front‑wheel‑drive roadster introduced in 1989. When Lotus ended Elan production in 1995, Kia acquired the complete tooling, intellectual property, and manufacturing rights, effectively assuming full ownership of the design.

Kia relaunched the model under different names by market. It was built and sold in South Korea as the Kia Elan, while Japanese buyers received the Kia Vigato designation. Much of the Lotus engineering remained intact, including the bonded steel backbone chassis and fully independent double‑wishbone suspension. Power came from a Kia‑sourced naturally aspirated 1.8L DOHC inline-four producing approximately 151 hp when new, paired with a five‑speed manual transmission driving the front wheels. To date, the Vigato remains Kia’s only true production roadster.

This example was originally sold in Japan before it was imported to Canada in 2022. It shows under 53,300 kilometers (just over 33,000 miles) and is finished in White with a black soft top, 16” OZ Racing wheels with Yokohama tires, and a black interior featuring a Mitsubishi‑branded Japanese-market stereo and wood‑rim MOMO steering wheel.

This 1997 Kia Vigato is now offered by the selling dealer in Canada with a clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report and Ontario registration.

Highlights

• Less than 1,000 produced between 1996–1999

• Japanese-market, Kia-built version of the Lotus Elan M100

• 1.8‑liter naturally aspirated DOHC inline‑four (Kia T8D)

• Five‑speed manual transaxle

• Finished in White (SW)

• Standard black bucket seats with cloth inserts

• Black convertible soft top

Factory Equipment

• Front‑engine, front‑wheel‑drive layout

• Fully independent double‑wishbone suspension

• Four‑wheel disc brakes

• Pop‑up headlights

• Integrated rear spoiler

• Factory 16” OZ Racing alloy wheels

• Power windows and power mirrors

• Japanese‑market Mitsubishi audio system

• Air conditioning

Modifications

• Lotus badges

Servicing & Documentation

• Clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report

Known Imperfections

• Tires are more than 10 years old

Ownership History

The accompanying CARFAX Vehicle History Report places this 1997 Kia Vigato in Ontario, Canada after importation in 2022.

Additional Information

• This vehicle is offered by the selling dealer in Canada with an Ontario registration.

• Bidders are responsible for verifying importation and registration compliance in their location, and applicable tariffs/duties, before placing a bid.

• Note that bids are placed and shown in United States dollars.