Eric

Arrived in the post today, and is another superb job - huge thanks to everyone. Plus............ (), having my gorgeous Elise on the cover does make 2019 a very, very good year indeed .

For PPF, you really can't get any better than the stuff that Steve Baker ( paintgard@live.com ) fits. I had front end kits fitted to both my Elise and Evora whilst they were still at the dealer. Here's the Elise immediately after Steve had worked his magic.....

Evora would be favourite. If you can find a lightly used 410 then that would be the one to go for. Failing that, a low mileage Evora SR or Evora S SR (which have gorgeous, high spec. Recaros). Avoid the ugly 400 though.

Had mine serviced by Lotus Silverstone since new. However, I was lucky enough to catch the Lotus 333 offer when I bought the car from Westover down in Poole, so the first three annual services were free. Would recommend Lotus Silverstone every time though - professional, courteous and very friendly. By the way, you'll love the Evora!! And, like Phil's, mine is also an N/A Sports Racer, and this really is the sweet spot in the Evora range (imho), despite the apparent power deficit of "only" 276 bhp. But, throttle response is instant, there's enough torque to make easy, super quick progress anywhere, and the sound of that V6 will give you goosebumps - guaranteed. Just remember to hit the Sport button every journey (which also provides better throttle response, and a higher red line)!!

There's a good interview with Jean-Marc Gales in this month's CAR magazine. The article is called "Upmarket: That's Where The Market Goes". Brace yourselves.... He talks openly about the future plans, which (sadly) do not include an Elise replacement. Nope, the next model releases will be a combined Exige/Evora replacement, plus a brand new top-of-the-range supercar - effectively an Esprit-like halo car. Volvo engines could become the norm too. Also due around 2022 is an SUV, possibly sharing some components with Volvo's CMA platform (used by the XC40), but integrated into a lightweight Lotus-specific platform. As mentioned previously, the company is moving firmly up market, which, in pure business terms, is a very smart move (the prime example being McLaren) , but for loyal enthusiasts of the world's best "affordable" sports cars, it is very bad news indeed. Of course, these were JMG's plans, and new Lotus CEOs tend to have a habit of hoovering up and re-decorating, so.... here we go again!!

Possibly a Cayman GTS (manual 981), or Boxster GTS (manual 981, obviously). Or a McLaren 570S (after selling a kidney, or two!).

Better start saving up then, especially if the enitire company is going "up market"...... https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-lotus-esprit-supercar-hit-roads-2020