TimSportsTourer

I took a friend to the Rebellion brewery in my Esprit a few months ago. Admittedly, it was daytime, but amongst all the Chelsea ultra-tractors, M5s and shiny Audis, I don't remember anyone batting an eyelid. Perhaps it was you that turned the heads? Or your mate? Or both? Or maybe it's because I didn't turn on the headlights…

Nah. What he really wants is a Lotus!

A few years ago, I visited a lot of Normandy graveyards, with coachloads of veterans (https://d-dayrevisited.co.uk), my Dad among them. Just incredibly moving. Every one of the veterans had an amazing story. My dad was wounded in the chest, so but for an inch or two of accuracy from a German Schmeiser, I would never have been here. It's quite serious. And the acres of graves are frankly terrifying to me. WW1 was so much worse still. It's really hard to comprehend. I don't think there's a right way to prepare for such visits, mentally. But don't expect it to be easy. I did drive there once in my Elise, though. That was a complete joy. And it wasn't broken into, luckily.

That's bloody classic! Lots has been said (most of it on this thread!), but that's just bloody classic! Love it. That's what I drive now – a Maserati, but for someone with money. I'm going to be telling that one for weeks…

Martyn - Esprit SE Chris (Esprit22) - Esprit Turbo ChrisJ - Excel SE or Turbo Esprit - hopefully not both like last year Chipp-M100S2 Nr2k - s1 elise Owen - Esprit GT3 Phil Flash - probably M100 could be Elan+2 Markw996 - S4 Esprit Loose Cannon - EspritGT3 Mark Hur - Elise S1 Steve A - M100 Bibs - Elise S1 111s Choppa - Esprit S3 Neal H - Evora 400 Sparky - Esprit GT3 Pete - Elise S1 111s Neil P - Exige S Paul F - The Mighty Esprit V8 StuartM - Something Lotus Dave N Elise 111R Dave - Elise S Cup Baz - Elise 250 Cup Steve S3 - Elan+2 or Excel Steve1 (Evora or M100) or both Paul M100 S2 (LEC) Craig - Evora Dan - Evora 400 Jimbo - Evora (or the Brabus if it's sunny ) Rupert - Elise SC Wayne - Evora S Ade & Gina, GT3 & Evora Nigel - Esprit V8 Nigel - Europa S Paul Saunders - Elise S2 Type 72 (Email) Dave - Excel Dave Eds - Evora Richard Cooper - Elan JayEmm - Evora 400 I suspect Stuart - elan +2s 130/5 Nigelsd - Esprit S2 Junks - Europa (If I can get the LHD headlamps changed in time!) Charlied - Esprit S4 Rizla603104 - Esprit S4 - The Purple Nasty Phil - Exige S240 jaydubya (Jon wilton) - Turbo Esprit Kathryn - M100 S2 elise 147 - Elise S Club Racer Dave and Megan - black esprit - see you there Dave.G - Exige S320 Simon (Sizona) Evora GTE or maybe Esprit mpse14 - M100 or Elite 501 huggy617 - freshly waxed Elise 220 TimSportsTourer – Esprit S4

Not said about my Esprit but about my old Nissan 350Z, at the petrol pump: "Leave some for us!". I do feel a bit that way with the Esprit. Actually, I feel that way every 200 miles!

You make me feel young again!

I was once at a car-rental place that had a Ferrari to rent out. They changed the tyres every 3k miles and the clutch every 6k. If you spend that much on a car (with a cost of ownership that makes my eyes come out on stalks), and replace the engine every 20 mins or so, you'd hope it wouldn't break down that often. And they still do fail every now and again, just like ours. You are making me want to go out for a drive!

Yep – that'll do it. I still have etched in my memory the first time I ever drove a Lotus. Don't think I'll ever forget it, and here I still am, all these years later. You did a good job there, C8RKH!

I think the most likely explanation is that the guy in the Q5 TDI was a prick and a complete knob. He had bought a Q5 TDI, after all!

As a long-time MLOCer, I too recommend this. It's a great day. The thing I love about it is that pretty much everyone there loves pretty much every car there. Most people would happily consider swapping for pretty much anything else. No-one wants rid of their own cars – they'd have to think about it, but everyone just loves a Lotus. And there are PLENTY of them! Great cars, lovely people, and Dean and his team do a stunning job. (I know I've not booked quite yet Dean, but there's still a glimmer of hope I'll be able to make a weekend of it with the family.) You won't regret it. Really.

Love that colour combination. One of my favourites. Enjoy!

Cambridge car parks – pretty bad, but I have survived them. On the other hand, I had to visit a Liverpool hospital to see my Dad who was ill, and their multi-story was nigh on impossible. Either you cut the corner enough to avoid breaking the Esprit splitter off and risk curbing the rims on the ridiculously high curbs on the inside, or you take it more straight on, and leave a scrape of black plastic on the floor, if you are lucky. Boy, I hated that car park. I had to go down the ramps at inches per hour, not miles. All the people in the car park saw this amazing supercar thing creeping along, the followers getting increasingly annoyed, and then they heard the graunching sound of splitter destruction. Not the rims, though .