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My younger son & I took a little trip out to the the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby last Saturday for a photo shoot with the Lancaster bomber NX611 "Just Jane".

Hi Guys, Picked up my first Lotus on Friday after moving on my 997 C4S. I didn't even test drive or even see the car in person (first time I've done that!) I'm loving the driving experience, the looks and the lack of technical gizmos. Will be my daily driver fro the next few months after which I should be able to get hold of something normal for the work commute. Might have a go a cleaning the garage out today - should be decent weather I've heard. It's a 2017 220 Sport purchased from the Westover Group Dorset. Daz

Can we take a step back here and ask the fundamental question - how old are you Rich? If you are younger than me (60) I would say 'man up', get some warm up exercises done, and continue squeezing into your Exige as neither of your proposed replacements do anything for me at all. Hope this helps? Regards, Andrew

Changed the handbrake cable today and its a vast improvement, no more rear brake binding. The cars done close to 80K now so cant complain really. A lot of them not easy miles I might farm out the crank seal to Gav, im sure he will be chuffed.

What a terrific advert for the VHPD this thread is! 😁

Rich, I'd say get out there an drive as many examples as you can. I don't have any experience with either however audi auto/trip tronic boxes are mega money if and when they fault. Marcus Garner has had experience with the vantage and more than likely the r8 as well. I'd say give it a try we are only here once and not for as long as we'd like. Worst case you buy it don't enjoy it you just sell it again!

A little bit of a clean up, made a start on the first corner... Its not in bad shape at all I'm really happy, wishbones are all powder coated too. Had a quick go at the body it's far from brilliant but its a good start.

Hello Dan, I've also previously owned an S2 Exige S260 with the 2ZZ engine but currently have an S2/3 Elise S Cup (220) with the 2ZR engine, Both are different mainly down to the power delivery and rev range. The Exige S260 probably has more character and all hell breaks loose when the power band kicks in just below 5K rpm right up to 8K where as the Elise with 220 2ZR has a more linear power delivery from below 3K rpm through to 7K. Which one is better, I'm not sure..... Both have pro's and cons. The power delivery of the Elise is definitely more usable and requires less gear changes on track but as said lacks the character and the explosiveness of the 2ZZ. In regards heat soak, I definitely experienced this 1st hand with the Exige at Le Mans and few years back but had no such issues with the Elise this year at Le Mans in 35c temperatures, This is due to the Elise being charge-cooled. Also, 2ZR has more torque Andy. PS - There's a few of us on track at Donny on 29th Oct, your welcome to a PAX lap in mine and I'm sure there will be a Exige S that someone will be happy to take you out in.

This seems to be quite a common theme with people who spend ages restoring / building cars! Maybe the fun and interest is all in the building and that's what you love doing. The OH thinks I'll be the same with the Stratos and once it's built I'll not want to use it. A couple of fellow LB builders have sold very soon after completion. Either way someone will get an amazing car Jonny!

If you had raised the missing calendar in 2014 we would have sorted it for you. Certainly they all went out as its a massive task getting them all ready for posting and I did it that year so I know just how long it took! It's actually an eye opener when you send so much large mail out how much of it actually goes missing en route! For some history, when I started MLOC it was all run from my own pocket, which became unsustainable over time. We then switched to a donation model which worked well to start with but the donations went away after the initial flurry. We then moved to advertisers to keep the site running which went well but generally internet advertising for banners seems to be on the demise with less people wanting to do so year on year. In the mean time to become part of the MSA and have their insurances for events we needed to have MLOC as a limited company, the MSA rules mean we need to have members or we are not able to join them, thus the paid member was started. Personally I would prefer not to have paid members as I prefer to let everyone have full access to the site and only rely on advertisers to keep the site running. That's why there are limited member benefits as I set it up originally so that everyone could post as many photos as they wanted or send as many messages as they wanted for example, not just paid up members as other sites do. The price has been kept low at £1 a month for that reason. In terms of money made on previous years from the members signing up its pretty minimal once we have paid out for the calendars and postage which keep increasing in price every year. The main reason for membership is to allow us to keep the MSA membership going and it does also help contribute to the sites finances, all time and effort is given for free by everyone so no one is taking any money personally from the site, no mileage expenses or anything like that. More recently now that we have equipment purchased the LITP events have been making money and thus enabled us to allow donations to charity after we have made a small profit towards running MLOC.

He might have run off with P4n, he doesn’t want to be seen with us horrible lot anymore either.

It was the injectors!!! 😁 I swapped over the injectors from my sport 190 and it fired up on the second press of the starter button! To say I’m happy is an understatement. Thanks for your help and suggestions chaps......now I can start putting it back together again

Superb

Or just take it to unit 4 for a service and tell Gav there is no rush 😂😂. Reckon you could get 6 months free storage !

All, It has been some time since I last updated the blog. All these years on, the little Lotus is still going strong. She is now 20 years old and looks and drives as good as ever. The love for this iconic car remains. My days of mods and getting under the car every weekend are over I think. I now simply enjoy the ownership experience and driving! Oh, I also do a little bit of polishing - just a little. This car is simply pure magic and medicine to all gloominess. 😁

JF's, on the other hand, has no need of reflectors 'cos the paint is soooo shiny!

Hi Dan, Having had a s2 exige s260 and doing allot of research I hope this helps you.. First off it's not the supercharger that overheats, its the induction air that gets hot causing what's referred to as heat soak. Elise's don't have a intercooler and run a smaller supercharger the mp45 unit which is capable of 220bhp. In the s2 exige the unit is a mp62 fitted with a intercooler mounted over the engine itself, which isn't ideal. The more it's pushed obviously the hotter the engine gets, heating the metal intercooler itself. Several very in depth tests show that the roof scoop system, small and large scoops do assist in the cooling, the larger option only over around 110 iirc. The smaller scoop was actually more affective upto that is better as its not taking the hot air from the radiator straight off the windscreen into the scoop. The biggest issue is the scoops feed directly into a letter box which is very constricted, hence why if you stay the intercooler route, the bigger proalloy unit with side scoop additional feeds. The best all round is to go charge cooled and negate all the above issues. Back to the elise front... Also bear in mind that the s2 sc and s3 sc are 2 different engines... You either get the s2 with the rev happy 2zzge or the newer 2zrge which dosnt have the high rpm scream which I loved on second cam. IIRC the higher powered s3 variants also run a charge cooler system but I may be completely wrong on that. Another Option is to find a very rare S3 RGB Elise, which had the very last of the 2zz engine in an s3 body.

I’m up for this depending on what date gets picked! Brilliant idea.

These aren't the cars you're looking for ....

Cheers for all the comments. It's great to be back in an S1 and my brother, who isn't used to the whole Lotus thing, is really looking forward to a spirited drive over to Hethel on Saturday morning - albeit at 5am.... A few more pics here. Same place, more of the same, nothing much new.....takes ages to shoo all the peacocks away every time

Sorry Ray. So once I'd got it firing on all 4 I went out for local drive, must have flooded it. What a half hour, second time in the car went all the way to a stratospheric 4k but pulled beautifully and smooth as silk. I'm a little bit smitten

Mark Since discovering PJS and receiving excellent service I keep going back. No doubt Gav offers just as good a service but I’m a PJS fan after they have gone the extra mile for me. Courtesy car makes things easy for me as well.

I quite like the M2. It's small, looks aggressive and no doubt a quality product with lots of kit. The one thing I REALLY dislike though is the stretch of the tyre sidewalls, particularly noticeable on the front tyres. It looks SO awful and I can't help thinking that (as I wouldn't get exclusive use of such a toy), the wheels would be kerbed in no time. If only tyres would go back to higher profiles with a bit of a bulge to the sidewalls. I'm sure the camaraderie on the M2 forums won't be a patch on MLOC, but this may not be a factor to you. Enjoy your purchase Ian, and we'll see you back before long.

Is she going to pay for the refurb?

Most powerful road going Lotus sports car ever 0-60 mph in 3.7 secs, 430 hp and 1,258 kg 250 kg of downforce at maximum speed of 190 mph Just 60 editions planned for worldwide markets Available to order now Following the successful introduction of the Lotus Evora 400 and Evora Sport 410 to global markets, Lotus has unveiled its most powerful road-going model ever – the Evora GT430. A beautiful and pure combination of elegance and power, Lotus has lavished attention on hand-crafted carbon-fibre components to endow this fully homologated Evora with a level of precision engineering and design unseen before. This focused evolution of the critically acclaimed Evora has resulted in a landmark model for the famous British manufacturer. Powered by a new development of the 3.5-litre V6 supercharged and charge cooled engine producing 430 hp, and benefitting from a significant hike in downforce, the rare breed Evora GT430 is a class apart from its competitors. Underpinned by the company’s acknowledged eminence in lightweight engineering, and at a new benchmark weight of 1,258 kg (dry), the Lotus Evora GT430 is the manufacturer’s most powerful and accomplished road car to date. With such performance, and all the marque’s chassis expertise, the new Evora GT430 delivers tremendous real-world speed and handling unheard of in its class. Given the car’s breath-taking design and phenomenal performance, the Evora GT430 is an instant classic. Just 60 editions of this supreme Evora will be hand built in Norfolk, England, for sale in select markets around the world and, following the popularity of Lotus’ recent limited run editions, it’s already in line to be a true collector’s car. Marking the return of a famous Lotus badge, and acknowledging the Lotus Esprit V8 GT and the Esprit GT3 from the 1990s, this two-seater encapsulates the company’s approach to fast point-to-point sports cars. 0-60mph is dispatched in just 3.7 seconds and the car’s top speed is 190 mph (305 km/h). With new and specifically designed body panels, featuring exposed carbon weave sections, front and rear, the Lotus GT430 generates up to 250 kg of downforce through advanced aerodynamics. Larger front apertures, a new carbon fibre splitter, air blades and louvers positioned on top of each front wheel arch clearly illustrate the supercar credentials of the Evora GT430 when viewed head on. At the rear, aero ducts behind each wheel reduce pressure in the wheel arch and offer visibility of the wider Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, and a large rear diffuser provides a sharp visual finish. Both are crowned by the large, profiled carbon wing. Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc said, “The Evora GT430 is a landmark car for Lotus. Lightweight engineering and class-leading handling, paired with Lotus’ aerodynamic expertise, define the Evora GT430 as a legendary Lotus. It’s a truly beautiful car, meticulously finished in hand-crafted carbon, and employing the latest aerodynamics and lightweight materials. This highly developed vehicle perfectly reflects Lotus’ attention to engineering and design. We expect the lucky owners to be blown away by its pure presence and staggering performance.” Faster, lighter, sharper Featuring unique bodywork and aerodynamic elements, as well as more power, the Evora GT430 further raises the bar for road-going sports cars. It delivers the balance and finesse for which the marque is famous, combined with blistering pace, supreme composure and agility at the highest speeds. Every component of the Evora has been evaluated before inclusion to ensure that the car retains only the items essential for performance. Despite the addition of 9 kg increased specification components (lightweight carbon rear wing and larger wheels and tyres), overall dry weight is down by 26 kg, to 1,258 kg, compared to the already super light Evora Sport 410, making this the lightest road Evora to date. In addition to the unique full carbon front and rear bumpers, which feature exposed visible weave sections, the car is comprehensibly equipped with high-gloss, visible carbon fibre components throughout, including a new front splitter, front access panel, roof panel and full width rear wing. Also at the rear is a beautifully detailed, one-piece carbon tailgate, incorporating a louvered section which, together with composite quarter panels, affords the car an unmistakable profile. All Lotus cars are regarded as the finest handling sports cars on the market and the new Evora GT430 takes dynamic performance to the next level. Damping is provided by Lotus-tuned, Öhlins TTX two-way adjustable units, with 20 click-adjustment compression and rebound settings and saving 10kg in mass compared to the Evora Sport 410 set-up. New, ultra-lightweight, low-sideload Eibach springs provide an increase in spring rate and the car’s handling is improved further through the use of front and rear anti-roll bars. Perfect for B-roads, but ballistically fast when needed, the new Evora GT430 can lap the famous Hethel test track in 1 minute 25.8 seconds – a record for an Evora. As fast as the famed Lotus 3-Eleven road car on the same circuit, the GT430’s performance envelope is derived from a combination of clever aero and dynamic developments as well as outright power. As a result, the car is manifest of Colin Chapman’s visionary quote: “Adding power makes you faster on the straights; subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." A superb example of this is the removal of critical weight from beyond the front and rear axles of the Evora GT430, reducing the car’s polar moment of inertia, resulting in improved transient response, overall agility and driver feedback. Retaining a 3.5-litre supercharged and charge-cooled V6, the car’s reconfigured engine produces 430 hp (436 PS) at 7,000 rpm and 440 Nm (325 lbft) of torque from 4,500 rpm. The increase in torque is facilitated through the introduction of an air-to-liquid gearbox cooler as standard, a feature which made its debut on the recently launched North American Evora 400. As standard, the Evora GT430 also features a titanium exhaust, cutting 10 kg from beyond the car’s rear axle and further amplifying the car’s aural presence. Also fitted as standard, the Evora GT430’s six-speed manual gearbox features a low-inertia, single-mass flywheel, to help ensure swift changes, while a Torsen-type limited slip differential (LSD) gives better traction, and faster exit speeds, when cornering. The substantial aerodynamic revisions introduce bodywork elements that boost the downforce of the Evora GT430, up to 250 kg at maximum speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and matching the Evora Sport 410’s maximum downforce of 64 kg at only 90 mph (145 km/h). Developed through motorsport applications, the aerodynamic modifications focus on the management of airflow over, under and around the car. The downforce generated makes its presence felt at even moderate speeds, allowing for higher cornering g-force and providing enhanced high-speed stability. A new carbon fibre front splitter cleanly separates and speeds airflow under the car, and the two enlarged carbon fibre front ducts, with integrated air blades, efficiently move air though to the front wheel cavities, to help reduce turbulence and drag created by the wheels themselves. The lightweight curved rear edges of the front wheel arch panels channel air along the side of the car and the louvers positioned on top of each front wheel arch reduce pressure above the wheel. The rear of the Evora GT430 has received the same attention to detail, with the deep, sculpted ducts behind each wheel that vent airflow as quickly as possible from the wheel arches, improving downforce. Dominating all of this is the large, high mounted aerodynamically efficient motorsport carbon wing. To harness the increased downforce and power, mechanical grip is provided by 10 mm wider Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, with 245/35 R19 at the front and 295/30 R20 at the rear, on one inch wider 10.5J rear wheels. Ultra-lightweight forged aluminium wheels are standard, in either black or silver, with optional finishes available in gloss red or a gloss black machined rim design. Dynamic stability modes (with ‘Drive‘, ‘Sport’, ‘Race’ and ‘Off’ settings) can be selected, which allow the driver enhanced vehicle control before the system intervenes. The Evora GT430 also includes a newly developed variable traction control function, linked directly to the ECU, which allows the amount of wheel slip to be set by the driver whilst in ‘Race / Off’ setting, with five pre-set traction levels (1%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% slip) and ‘Off’ displayed via the instrument cluster. A fast car requires substantial stopping power, and the Evora GT430 uses two-piece J-grooved and ventilated brake discs at the front, paired with AP Racing four-piston calipers all round, while the rear uses three-piece discs with lightweight aluminium centres saving 2 kg. “Lotus is famous for using its technical expertise to develop the lightest engineering solutions,” explained Jean-Marc Gales. “Yes, it is hugely powerful but, the GT430 is not about brutal performance. It’s an intricate balance of power, finesse and road holding, no matter the speed, and is a true track-and-back sports car, supremely focused and immensely fast.” The external theme of carbon continues into the car’s exquisitely crafted cabin, with visible-weave, handmade components as standard. These include Lotus’ beautifully detailed carbon race seats, new carbon door sills and a new lightweight carbon instrument binnacle cover with a new design of graphic on the instrument panel. Newly-designed carbon-backed Sparco seats with a unique trim design can also be ordered, whilst customers looking for a more race focused cabin can specify an optional driver and passenger four-point harnesses and titanium rear frame. The steering wheel, dashboard, door panels, transmission tunnel and centre console are all trimmed in a combination of black Alcantara® and perforated leather, with a full leather or full Alcantara® trim option available at no additional cost. All trim choices are complemented by contrast twin colour stitching, in red and white, and matt black interior panels. An integrated touch-screen infotainment system can be specified, including iPod® connectivity and Bluetooth® functionality, satellite navigation and reversing camera. Every new Lotus Evora GT430 customer can personalise their vehicle through the increasingly popular Lotus Exclusive programme. Developed by the Lotus Design team, roughly a third of all new Lotus cars now undergo some form of customisation. Conceived to inspire customers, it combines traditional British craftsmanship with the best of modern design, and allows owners to tailor vehicles to their personal taste. The new, fully homologated, Lotus Evora GT430 is available in two seater configuration only and can be ordered now. A version of the Evora GT430 for the North American market will follow in spring 2018. Weight reduction in detail The headline net weight reduction of 26 kg versus the Evora Sport 410 is derived from the standard titanium exhaust (-10 kg), carbon body panels (-4.7 kg), lightweight interior components (-2.5 kg), Öhlins and Eibach adjustable spring and damper assembly (-10 kg) and lightweight rear brake discs (-2 kg). Additionally, careful attention to detail beneath the car’s surface has yielded significant benefits, further stripping out unnecessary mass; for instance, a thinner aluminium undertray (1.5 kg), the introduction of lightweight aluminium brackets (-1.3kg), lightweight polycarbonate backlight glass (-0.5 kg) and a re-profiled fluid fill system (-2.5 kg) all contribute towards the total weight reduction. This total saving of 35 kg is offset by the addition of wider wheels and tyres (+5 kg) and the new curved profile rear wing (+4 kg). To find out more about Lotus Evora range and the GT430 visit: http://www.lotuscars.com/evora-gt-430 More photos here: