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Long Live the Lightweight Lotus


theduisbergkid
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Words from Dazzer, my hands were too shaky to type after this trip...

“Simplicate, then add lightness” has long been the Lotus mantra as laid down by St. Colin of Hethel, and it has served his followers well. I’ve always liked Lotus; in my head it has always conjured up patriotic images of Roger Moore’s Bond, BRG paint jobs and good old British pluck. Even if the reality means that there’s a bit more coconut milk being used in the staff canteen these days, I don’t care. I still think Lotus are great.

The xenophobe in me likes the fact that cars like the Elan and Elise have been the antithesis to the American muscle car. I like the way they are lovingly lashed together with bits of old Rover, broken canoe and Araldite. You don’t get that sort of character from the robots in Hiroshima, and the Germanic alternatives are perhaps too obvious.

Ironically for the British option, Lotus ownership is pretty classless. From the Cat-D VX220 to the latest Supercharged Exige, you can instantly become part of that unofficial “No Nonsense Driver’s Club”, where tradition dictates that members give a bloke-ish wave should they pass on their morning commutes. While on a factory tour some years ago it was interesting to hear Lotus employees say how proud they were to be part of the brand, and that they also felt like part of one big family. This was high praise indeed, especially in this insular part of rural Norfolk were most married couples have fathers that are brothers.

So imagine my excitement when an opportunity arose to test out a modified Series 1 and S260 Series 2 Exige around the Eifel Mountains in Germany with my fellow s2b2 chum TDK....

Exige-S-s2b2.jpg

Full story an' more pics an' sh!t online here +++

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Got in one at a show once, mmm getting out was how could you say, interesting!

First time I sat in one, the exit routine involved falling out through the door onto the floor, then getting up and checking no-one was watching.

Have managed to refine it a little since then.

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TDK, was that the RSR Lotus Rally you did at the Ring?

We did that on this years Nürburgrun. Great trip, not long enough, although I'm glad we had two people per car - I would have been very pissed off at spending 250 Euros for that 2 hour or so trip, which mostly consisted of walking and listening to Ron.

Looking at the Sudschliefe was amazing though. We didn't do that round a couple of times in the Scooby. Honest...

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Looking at the Sudschliefe was amazing though. We didn't do that round a couple of times in the Scooby. Honest...

Hmm, next time we're out there, you'll have to show me the bits of Sudschliefe, I searched for them a few years ago, but never managed to find more than a couple of bits that were gated off, or bits that had been built over!

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