Paul
22-07-2005, 04:29 PM
I changed my signature some while ago, after I'd brought the other car that I'd always wanted.
The two cars are completely different and both are awesome in their own, very different, ways.
The NSX has always been the car that was at the top of my wish list of cars I'd like to own. So, last year I was, as you can imagine, over the moon when I found and purchased what was my dream car.
Then earlier this year I found and purchased anotehr car that I've akways wanted, but never thought I'd manage to own. A Lotus Carlton.
The LC is an absolute beast of a car, it's not what you could call refined, there is no traction control, other than your right foot and while Lotus did what they could to improve the suspension (not a difficult job when improving an early '90s Vauxhall) it doesn't fill you with confidence when you pile into a corner faster than you then realise you are comfortable with. Plus, the moment there is much of the wet stuff on the road, forget about going round any corner at pace while you deal with the predominant feature of the English weather.
One thing that is amusing is having someone think they are being held up by you when they are behind you in the outside lane of a motorway while, at the same time, you wait for the inconsiderate, or unobservant, driver in front to pull over into the middle lane that is devoid of cars for a mile, or more. Then when the outside lane is clear and you've plodded past Mr Unobservant, when Mr Impatient starts to go past you, you bury the clutch drop it down 2, or even 3, cogs, rev the engine and then release the clutch, after a short grumble from the 3.6litre straight six with twin Garret T25 turbos, 377bhp and 419lb ft of tourqe are let loose and you are soon looking for the next gear, clutch and indicator as the car that had almost pulled alongside is suddenly 50 ... 75 ... 100 meters behind you and feeling somewhat inadequate as his less than 18month old shiny new motor while you scream off into the distance, turbos howling and clutch foot working like mad, as you leave him for dead in a 14 year old J reg monstor
However, even with that amusing trick under your feet, the NSX is by far and away my favourite, while in a straight line there'd be little between them, the NSX just comes into her own the momnent you leave a road built by someone who isn't Roman! Plus, she looks far better and when you're behind the wheel she is more comfortable and when you put your foot down she sounds nice inside the cabin too.
It's been nice to own the Lotus Carlton and to own the only one known to be delivered to its first owner in anything other than Empire Green, I feel I've had an enjoyable time as an owner and driver of one of the fastest ever production saloons.
Anyway, enough waffle, here's a rare picture of two cars whose number each in the UK is quite possibly below 500 each.
The two cars are completely different and both are awesome in their own, very different, ways.
The NSX has always been the car that was at the top of my wish list of cars I'd like to own. So, last year I was, as you can imagine, over the moon when I found and purchased what was my dream car.
Then earlier this year I found and purchased anotehr car that I've akways wanted, but never thought I'd manage to own. A Lotus Carlton.
The LC is an absolute beast of a car, it's not what you could call refined, there is no traction control, other than your right foot and while Lotus did what they could to improve the suspension (not a difficult job when improving an early '90s Vauxhall) it doesn't fill you with confidence when you pile into a corner faster than you then realise you are comfortable with. Plus, the moment there is much of the wet stuff on the road, forget about going round any corner at pace while you deal with the predominant feature of the English weather.
One thing that is amusing is having someone think they are being held up by you when they are behind you in the outside lane of a motorway while, at the same time, you wait for the inconsiderate, or unobservant, driver in front to pull over into the middle lane that is devoid of cars for a mile, or more. Then when the outside lane is clear and you've plodded past Mr Unobservant, when Mr Impatient starts to go past you, you bury the clutch drop it down 2, or even 3, cogs, rev the engine and then release the clutch, after a short grumble from the 3.6litre straight six with twin Garret T25 turbos, 377bhp and 419lb ft of tourqe are let loose and you are soon looking for the next gear, clutch and indicator as the car that had almost pulled alongside is suddenly 50 ... 75 ... 100 meters behind you and feeling somewhat inadequate as his less than 18month old shiny new motor while you scream off into the distance, turbos howling and clutch foot working like mad, as you leave him for dead in a 14 year old J reg monstor
However, even with that amusing trick under your feet, the NSX is by far and away my favourite, while in a straight line there'd be little between them, the NSX just comes into her own the momnent you leave a road built by someone who isn't Roman! Plus, she looks far better and when you're behind the wheel she is more comfortable and when you put your foot down she sounds nice inside the cabin too.
It's been nice to own the Lotus Carlton and to own the only one known to be delivered to its first owner in anything other than Empire Green, I feel I've had an enjoyable time as an owner and driver of one of the fastest ever production saloons.
Anyway, enough waffle, here's a rare picture of two cars whose number each in the UK is quite possibly below 500 each.