[DeTomaso] Lotus Anyone?

[Julian Kift]

Well said Dick, I grew up in the UK with Lotus' (Lotii??) in an area where chomping down a country lane with 6 foot hedgerows either side and a line of grass through the center was the 'norm'. You had to just hope one of your buddies wasn't doing the same coming the other way or you didn't meet a farm tractor. We used to stay off the road early morning and just before dusk as the chance of encounter with a herd of cows heading for milking increased dramatically. In fact most of our courageous driving was at night as you could at least see headlights coming from a distance above the hedgerows.
 
Although I have a fondness for Lotus, I beg to differ on your last comment "In the right place, its home country, nothing will match a Lotus for speed, cornering ability and fun" as the Noble M400 is a British Sports car of far greater speed, agility and fun than the Lotus Elise (and most other Supercars for that matter) and is pretty popular back in the UK.
 
Julian

 
>I think that it is very hard to appreciate cars like the Lotus in this >country where speed limits are so low and most roads so straight. In England where >the Lotus was born the driving vision is to match the driving environment. >The roads are very smooth with lots of tight corners, blind driveways and tall >hedgerows, consequently the suspension can and must be very stiff.  >There is nothing more fun than a small fast car and that is what the Lotus >is. German cars in France drive like trucks because of all the hills, curves and >bad roads. French cars in Germany feel like spongy air bags on the autobahns. >Lotus has a small engineering center and factory out in the English country >about 150 Ks from London with a very small proving ground with a two kilometer >race track. It is a very small company. It is hard to find because people keep >stealing the neat olive brown and gold signs. Their real proving grounds are >the country lanes in England. >Some might criticize a Lotus as crude and bare bones but If you have ever >driven a real race car on the street you will quickly learn to appreciate the >subtle achievement of one as pure roadgoing fun. >In the right place, its home country, nothing will match a Lotus for speed, >cornering ability and fun.
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