jep

They used to be a good cheap tyre. Now they advertise and sponsor, their prices have increased substantially. Hopefully, some cash has also gone to R&D. Nankang seem to have filled the void for a cheap quality tyre. I have Vredstein all season on my Evora NA. Seem fine but I don't find the limit on the road. Never tracked. Justin

Sorry to hear this but hopefully we will see this Eclat on the road again one day. Justin

LotusBits have certainly done fuel injected Excels before...with great success I am told. I would chat to them first as they have years of experience with the 900 series engines. Justin

Ha, ha...….as Clint Eastwood said 'A man has to know his limitations'. Dirt under the fingernails has never been my style. I console myself with knowing I have done my bit to keep the British economy (and my car) in fine fettle. Justin

The Austin 1100 and 1300 were fine cars in their day. Cheap, simple, reliable. I bought a 1300GT version for £1,200 in 2003. When new, from factory they had the same spec as the Mini Cooper. Amazing suspension, revvy engine and comfy interior. It was a genuine 30,000 miler from new. I kept it for 5 years and sold it for £3,200. Probably worth £8K now. For £8K now, I would take an Excel but I think the running costs of the Excel would exceed a sorted 1300GT. My Excel has been brilliant but I suspect this years MOT/cambelt/water pump/service etc... will be £1K and most likely a tad more. Not that I mind at all. Justin

This is a very valid point. Especially as the steering feedback is so good and vivid, it can be a bit unnerving if you are not use to the Lotus way. There is nothing to actually worry about as the Elise is great in the wet but it is something to consider if it is your daily all year round. It would not stop me buying one to use 365 days. And if you buy and change your mind, you can get out with zip depreciation, so the risk is basically nil. Justin

It is a cruel, cruel world. We all need more than one Evora. Don't dismiss the 276bhp NA, just 'cos it is the 'entry level' model. I thought I would dip my toe with a NA and most likely move on to S or 400 quite quickly. I am certain the S and 400+ are brilliant, of course they are, but in the real world of UK motoring, 276bhp is more than enough and it don't feel slow, even when I switch out of much more powerful sport cars. I hope to keep my NA for a very long time; hopefully one day another Evora will join it but not replace it. Justin

I was in my 12c, which is just shy of 28,000 miles. It was too wet when I started out from Surrey to take the 340R. Great to see so many Lotus (Excel, plenty Esprit, Evora - yours was wow! - Elan 26, Elise) and some lovely Jaguars. Too many Porsche for my liking but the green 930 with matching green trim, circa 1980, appealed. Justin

I saw your stunning GTE at the Bicester Heritage Scramble yesterday. Fab that you use it so much and it was one of the stand-out cars on show, if not the stand-out. Not that many there knew what it was. Justin

Luckily, I live near Bell and Colvill, who discount labour rates by 40% for cars over 6 years old. They know the quirks of each Lotus, so I use them, even for the 25 year old M100. And they get the 340R through the MOT each year. It helps that I like the staff, as that tends to be critical for me when having a car serviced. I also do prefer to use mechanics who really know the cars. I find generic mechanics can spend more time trying to solve a problem that a more experienced chap or chapesse could have fixed quickly. For basic servicing, that may not be relevant but I feel happier that my car is looked at by experienced eyes. As for how it affects the value of your car, I think it marginal. The ideal is full main dealer or specialist mechanic history but most important is the car is serviced at the correct intervals, using the correct oil, plugs and parts. Justin

300 miles in poor weather on Monday in the M100, Cornwall to Surrey. I don't recall driving a more compliant or reassuring car in the wet. Simply stunning. I don't drive SUVs or many moderns but I have driven a fair few motors over the years, only a 5 GT Turbo stands out in the wet to compare with M100. And my tyres are old, 10 years, so all the more surprising. I will be changing the tyres once I have researched the options as 10 years old is probably too ageing. Currently Michelin and fab but under full load in 1st, they slip a bit. Justin

I would go manual NA to start with. I did, thinking I would soon upgrade (?) soon after, with v little depreciation. 16 months and 11k miles later, I will not be changing. Plenty quick enough for UK roads. Classic early Evora looks, special interior, revvy engine, reliable. If you start with an early one, you can switch later with little capital loss and having tried the 'base' model, you will not be wondering what it was like. Justin

Bell and colvill. They will do while you wait if you book first, obvs. Justin

60,000 miles and still the original clutch on mine.....perhaps I have a few big-ish bills to come... Justin

1200 miles in a day? In a 340R? I thought I did well doing 600 miles in a day in my Dolly Sprint a few years back. That is quite epic and good on ya. I have #152 as R700 TUS. Once owned by Rob, and perhaps before that Gareth. Hoffmans advertised it in 2015. Justin