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Looks like UK will be bring these combined camera / sound senescing devices into certain trial areas in country ? whilst there’s a load of cars motorbikes that have stupid exhaust or lack of I would have thought bigger priority was vehicles which belch out smoke was better use of public money ?

Looks like a break in the rain today, so going to get out into the Dales. Anyone else still out there over winter?

Probably a Lotus....but what was your favourite driving moment in 2022 and in which car? I borrowed a few interesting motors during the year but they all ended up reaffirming my preference for Lotus. My favourite is usually the last one I drove. So today, Excel. Justin

I’m wanting to apply some heat shield material to the chassis tubes on my esprit that run quite close to the exhaust manifold. There are so many different products available that I’m looking for suggestions as to what is best? Is self adhesive adequate or should it be tied on with stainless ties.

I'll start a new thread for this as I expect there will be plenty more news to come... Established in 1948, Lotus celebrates 75 years in 2023 Distinctive and striking 75th anniversary branding unveiled Global events and initiatives planned Looking back on 75 years of heritage, and looking forward as Lotus enters fourth quarter of first century In 1948 a passionate young British designer and engineer called Colin Chapman built his first car, a modified Austin 7. Work was carried out in his spare time in the lock-up garage belonging to his girlfriend Hazel’s parents, behind their house in Hornsey, London. He called his car the Mark I and ente…

Has anyone successfully used an airbrush for carrying out small paint repairs on their vehicle. I need to do a little “touching up” and a normal body shop spray gun or even an aerosol can would just throw out too much paint.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/porsche-begins-producing-synthetic-fuels-at-new-facility-in-chile/276813 Porsche has officially commenced production of synthetic fuels in a programme which could help to secure the long-term future of internal combustion engined cars. The project, at a newly created site in Punta Arenas, Chile, was launched this week by Porsche executive board members Barbara Frenkel and Michael Steiner. The pair took part in a ceremonial fuelling of a Porsche 911 with the first synthetic fuel produced at the site.

Looks like Mercedes are going to use the same sales model as Lotus Cars from January 2023, well done Lotus Cars ahead of the opposition. On 7 Dec 2022, at 16:16, Mercedes-Benz <[email protected]> wrote: View Online …

Has anybody had to deal with these people. They are putting in a claim against me for almost £4000 for an accident I had over 2 years ago.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/porsche-named-uks-least-reliable-car-brand-in-list-dominated-by-premium-marques/276009 Porsche has been named as the least reliable car brand in the UK in a list dominated by premium manufacturers. Data compiled by Warrantywise, analysed over 131,000 extended car warranty plans to compile a list of the least reliable makes on British roads.

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Worth reading if you do your own maintenance

Scott Walker’s 50,50,50 challenge – Sunday, October 9th, 2022 – Lotus Test Track, Hethel. In the summer of 2013, Scott Walker, Head of Retail Operations at Lotus Cars, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After 6 months of extremely intensive chemotherapy, Scott made a complete recovery and has been fortunate to remain in good health since receiving an all clear in 2019. He now wishes to raise some money for two charities to whom he has strong links. Sunday 09 October 2022, Scott will cycle 50 miles around the famous Lotus test track on his bike, to raise money for Lymphoma Action, and The Care for Life at Home Fund, in association with the Priscilla Bacon L…

Peter Stevens gave an interesting talk at Brooklands this week. He showed images of a couple of Lotus mid-engined projects, which he referred to as “M200” and “M300”. The silver “M200” (which is also used for an Elan M100 project) was a proposed Esprit successor which used “all the underpinnings of the Esprit”. I’d not seen that styling before (riding on Elan M100-like wheels). According to Peter, the black “M300” dates from 1987 as was a 200mph project to sit above the Esprit. It would have a carbon/aluminium chassis, carbonfibre body and a mid-mounted Cadillac ‘North Star’ V8, most likely fitted with a Lotus-designed four-valve cylinder head. When as…

How times change

Top Gear article, worth reading as it features a video of a Maserati VS Turbo Esprit

Variety of info re fuels, engines and a chunk on motorsport. Perhaps bits of interest to individuals. New to me re Audi and Porsche was: Instead, the sport’s [F1's] governing body decided that the cars will run on 100 per cent renewable fuels as of 2026. This has convinced auto giants Audi and Porsche, two Volkswagen subsidiaries, to join the series with full factory entries by that date. https://tinyurl.com/54shb6ak

EVO interview in 10 Nov email: https://www.evo.co.uk/lotus/205415/my-life-cars-gavan-kershaw-attributes-director-lotus

I see the protesters are back on the M25, they have climbed up on the gantries. So what have the police done,closed the motorway and caused grid lock all round,exactly what the protesters wanted. They are are high up above the motorway,ignore them and let the traffic through

Some thoughts: As SD car introduction looks inevitable, but will be gradual, apart from the obvious limits put on SD mode use, for the sake of other traffic “mixing in” I believe SD mode should display a high-level exterior light, front and rear, to inform the nearby traffic. It need not be bright but should be lensed to be visible from wide angles across all lanes. Brightness adjusting automatically to ambient of course. And as “instant readyness to re-take control” is, of course, nonsense, the non-drivers should be reminded of their responsibilities frequently by a 10(?) minute maximum SD-engaged duration before re-engagement is needed to continue use. And re…

Sounds like this could be be beneficial? https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/local-council/hethel-roundabout-cash-new-jobs-lotus-expansion-9352658

Hi all! Calling all lotus owners who’s cars were originally supplied by Hammonds & Oakwoods in Kent back in the day…. My grandfather owned a successful lotus franchise, and as a family, we’d like to buy a handful of originally Hammonds supplied lotus back. I’m incredibly proud of my grandfathers motor trading heritage, and in particular the time he spent owning a lotus franchise. As we look to re enter the trade, it would bring me an immense amount of please to own some of the cars that my grandfather supplied many moons ago. It doesn’t matter what car it is, be it an Elan, Esprit - any thing! But I’d love to hear from you, even if your not interested i…

Who wants to know? The car (UAH272W) has had a recent engine rebuild and cosmetic restoration, and is still residing in the UK. It was actually given a different numberplate (VUR84W) for several years, but the current owner managed to persaude the DVLA to give the car its original numberplate back. Should anyone have any questions, please post here.