Neal H

Another upside - no problems with track noise limits! Given the EU rule that electric vehicles have to make a noise, will you be able to choose the sountrack - V6, V8, V12

Yep, worth the wait. I love it

I took a friends 12 year old son out for his first Lotus ride on Sunday. It will be a few years before he can get one of his own, but we have a new convert

I always wear my motorcycle helmet on track days. As mentioned above, the visor aperture is wider so better vision. I know that car helmets and bike helmets are designed to withstand different types of impact, but in reality if you crash *THAT* spectacularly then you're in big trouble anyway!

That video makes me want to rush out and buy one

The two I can recall on my 400 were the creaky seat and repositioning the MAF sensor (engine stutter). If you take your car to a Lotus dealer they should be able check if there's any outstanding warranty recalls on your car. I don't recall anything about seat movement, but that may be just because mine didn't have that problem.

I did wonder why you specified an expensive carbon wing if you were then buying an after-market one, but if you're swapping them between road and track then that makes sense! It will be interesting to hear if the big wing makes a noticeable difference on track. I'm not a fan of the big wing look on the Elise. I do love that carbon engine cover though, the look of the bare engine is disappointing to say the least.

I think buying a new factory ordered Lotus is a bit special. If you go that route get your dealer to arrange a factory visit which is well worth while. Choice between a new 220 or a used 250, I'd go for the new 220 as you can spec it as you want it, and as James mentions above there isn't a world of difference between the two unless you particularly like the more aggressive look of the 250.

Reason I switched to an Elise 250 Cup was that I found the V6 Exige too fast to exploit on the road. I only do two or three track days per year, so on road is more important to me than on track.

I think this is all largely irrelevant in the context of the T130. Anyone who is serious is going to be dealing direct with the factory. Regarding Silverstone. Their new facility is really nice, so I think they’re being unfairly maligned here. The quality of the people and the service has always been top class.

Yeah, that looks great. Love the colour Next job is figuring out how to remove the hard top.

We need pictures now!

In the past two or three years haven’t Lotus moved into profit for the first time in several decades? That would suggest that the new strategy is working. The new models may look expensive compared to their predecessors, but not so much against their competitors. Sadly I probably won't be able to afford another new one, but that’s okay, I love what I already have.

I do wonder how BBC researchers find some of the people who's stories they print. Friends of friends I assume, as some (most?) of them are somewhat bizarre and largely irrelevant.