Jumpy Guy
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| posted on 1/4/04 at 07:46 AM |
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lotus middie
Flicking through kit mags in the newsagent, saw a photo of a middie, which I think they said was a lotus replica..
Lotus 21? 23? anyone know the kit? any opinions?
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TheGecko
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| posted on 1/4/04 at 08:21 AM |
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Probably a Lotus 23. Xanthos Cars make a 23 replica, although I'm none too sure about the god awful
full height screen 
Dominic
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Noodle
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| posted on 2/4/04 at 01:44 PM |
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I saw a 23 at Shelsley Walsh last year and was smitten.
There's a company in Bilston (nr. Wolverhampton) that make replicas (opposite the "Foxy Lady" cinema. Mmmmm salubrious)
I can't get at their website from here, (firewall restrictions in a secondary school), but I think it's
http://www.martyni23.freeuk.com/
Cheers,
Neil.
Your sort make me sick
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sean951
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| posted on 5/4/04 at 05:13 AM |
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Hey guys,
well i guess this is my first post on this forum, but anyway. i have a friend who owns a restoration shop and he owns a freshly restored lotus 23C.
you can see pics of it here if you like.
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andkilde
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| posted on 5/4/04 at 01:17 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by sean951
Hey guys,
well i guess this is my first post on this forum, but anyway. i have a friend who owns a restoration shop and he owns a freshly restored lotus 23C.
you can see pics of it here if you like.
Looks pretty "butch" with those fender flares, I'm guessing those were a racing mod, no?
Cheers, Ted
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sean951
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| posted on 5/4/04 at 04:05 PM |
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quote:
Looks pretty "butch" with those fender flares, I'm guessing those were a racing mod, no?
yeah, He needed the flares to fit the larger wheels that are used with the 23c, which are much bigger than used on a 23b. their the same size wheels
and tires size as used on a 906 porsche. i guess the flares do look a bit "butch", but the mold was taken from a trailor (trolley) . i
think they give the car an agressive look. trust me, when you hear that 200hp lotus twin cam bark into life, you forget all about those dodgy fender
flares
[Edited on 5/4/04 by sean951]
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Winston
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| posted on 5/4/04 at 11:32 PM |
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I don't think that tires of that width were originally used on any of the Lotus-engined 23 series cars. This museum-kept 23C shows the
"normal" type-23 body:
http://www.utahlotusmuseum.com/id106.htm
I'll check my "Lotus Sports Racers, a Brooklands Portfolio" book tonight to make sure, but I don't believe that any of the
Lotus-engined 23 series originally received flares for wide tires -- there was no need. Of course, I suppose a person could do whatever he or she
wanted with one after they ordered it, so they might be "original" from the standpoint that the modification is vintage. Either way,
that's a very nice car!
-Winston
[Edited on 4/5/2004 by Winston]
[Edited on 4/5/2004 by Winston]
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scuzzer
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| posted on 13/4/04 at 07:44 PM |
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Another Middie
Has anyone heard of/mentioned the Noble M12? It is a kit/roller that is supposed to be faster than an enzo on the race track according to their
website http://www.1gracing.com
They have a video section also. It's got very ricey taste in the design, but still very good looking IMO.
I didn't want to start up a whole thread over this.
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kb58
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| posted on 13/4/04 at 07:59 PM |
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It's nice looking (minus the fin), right up there with the Ultima. At $70-80K for either, that's a lot for something you screw together.
While it is a super car, and costs nearly as much as one, I just don't see how an owner expects to impress people when he tell's them
it's a kit. Or maybe the owner doesn't care what others think.
I guess I'm a bit mystified about how many people there are who can drop that much money for something, *and* have the skills, time, and
patience to put it together, but that's just me.
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Alan B
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| posted on 13/4/04 at 08:08 PM |
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Agreed....and as much as I like the Noble, I can't see it's jusification in being featured in kit car.....
Still it's a change from the ENDLESS display of Cobras.......
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GTAddict
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| posted on 14/4/04 at 08:57 PM |
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To the best of my knowledge, you can't buy a new Noble in kit form anymore. The last Noble in that form was sold to the the gentleman who does
their trimming, and very nice it is too.
I think the M12/GTO deserved it's recent makeover, but I also think it deserved better still. But you know I'm a cantankerous old
curmudgeon when it comes to styling.
Still working on middie concepts, for those wondering where I'd got to. Too busy debugging DB9s. Any jokes Clarkson makes about
'Brighton not being in France' are not down to me. The guy who is responsible for making DB9s satnav system work is a cretin.
M.
[Edited on 14/4/04 by GTAddict]
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derf
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 12:38 PM |
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Maybee it's me but I cant even see spending 20k on buying a kit car. If you want a kit car that bad, they are fairly cheap. I know that the more
the company spends on tooling the better quality the final product. I just cant see spending that much on a Kit. Maybee 2-3x the total cost of the kit
on modifications over the next few years, but thats another story.
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kb58
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 02:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by derf
Maybee it's me but I cant even see spending 20k on buying a kit car.
That's what I was saying earlier. Technically after spending $80,000 for the kit and putting it together, you end up with something that offers
comparable performance to mass-produced supercars. It just seems like such a goofy business plan to me, to assume there are "lots of potential
customers" that have $80K laying around for toys, have the time and skill to assemble it, and don't mind the associated "kit
car" stigma. I mean, how many potential customers fit this demography? I guess I would think someone in this class would simply go buy a
Porsche/Ferrari.
FWIW, when McLaren developed the McLaren F1 supercar, they drove all the current supercars of the time. They felt the best one, the one to beat, was
also the cheapest, the Acura NSX. You can get those used for $30K or so now, but there I go applying accounting practices to an emotional
subject...
[Edited on 15/4/04 by kb58]
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derf
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 02:51 PM |
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The NSX is a great car, of all the cars I have ever driven, it is the best handling, a little underpowered at 270 whp (IMHO, I believe it needs around
500) It does accelerate nice, drives great, feels beautiful. But your right for $30k you can get one of those used. Or for around $2000 you can find a
golf III, rebuild the engine and suspension, and have one of the best handling cars evar (again IMHO).
I dont see a kit car being worth anything. Plus when a car is just a bolt together affair, where is the fun in that. I kinda like the idea of having
to design my own car. I know some of you guys (Mr Meerkat, Mr grabber, and you Mr mini) have designed truly from the ground up, but I am more happy
with designing things like the suspension and motor mounts etc... especially with a good frame design already in place. Plus this Locost will cost a
fraction of what the GBTSQRWHYDIDIFORGET THENAME car costs for just the kit.
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Alan B
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| posted on 15/4/04 at 03:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by GTAddict
To the best of my knowledge, you can't buy a new Noble in kit form anymore........
Mark, I think the references to a kit (in this thread) are aimed at the US version, which is advertised as complete, less engine and transmission.
I agree that the UK (and European?) version is only sold complete.
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scuzzer
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| posted on 18/4/04 at 08:08 PM |
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At least the Noble M12 has some styling cues worth looking at. It has an aggressive look. All middies can be made to look good, but this one sticks
out positively (except for that gaudy wing).
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spunky
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| posted on 18/4/04 at 08:33 PM |
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Lee Noble is a genius...
Not that I'm biased, but he was involved in the original Midtec. a derivative of which I'm bulding.
john
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