Lotus 18 was the first mid-engined car built by Lotus and was a marked improvement over Chapman's early and only moderately successful front-engined formula cars, the 12 and 16.
O Lotus 18 foi o primeiro coche de motor central construído por Lotus e foi unha gran mellora sobre os primeiros coches de motor frontal medianamente exitosos de Chapman, o 12 e o 16.