Ciao From Phil's Magical Kingdom

And so we come to the last day in this particular Car Porn Week and close the door for another year on Phil's Magical Kingdom.
But before we go, please allow me to introduce, for your driving pleasure the wonderful new Lotus Evora, successor to the Esprit.

While the Elise and the Exige are built for tearing around racetracks sideways and actually racing, this is for the person with a rather larger wallet and slightly less suicidal insanity.
You might take this over to Germany once a year to shit your pants at the Nürburgring but this is more of a grand tourer than a racing car. More like a Ferrari or a Lambo.

Here's a test bed version (note the headlamps are just pieces of perspex screwed - yes, screwed - to the bodywork).

Here's one in yummy blue.

And of course, British Racing Green.

Here's a link that will tell you much more about it than I can:
http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/225417/lotus_evora.html

And looky! Here's the Tesla, the zippy, all-electric sports car that Lotus make for the guys in California. One of these went past me VERY FAST up the track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer and all I heard was "WHOoooooooosh …"
Fabulous.

And very orange …

If you want to make a LOT more noise, you can always plump for a Two-Eleven.

And to complete the current range, here's the scrummy Europa.

Here, too.

But THIS is totally sweet! A unique, fastback Lotus Elite from the early sixties.
Now that is my kind of car.
Mmmmmmmmmmm …

This, too!
Yummy or what?
Oh, that's a LeMans Aston Martin up on the riser that Lotus are tweaking.

Ooooooh … and a line of classic Lotus formula one racers. Gorgeous!

And to round up this miscellany, here's some of the fun the guys have in the safety department.

That poor face gets repeatedly smashed into things for the sheer fun of it … er … I mean safety testing.

How a crumple zone works.
I've seen Exiges slam into barriers (and one another) at racetracks and - other than some choice profanity - the drivers just get out and walk away.

I'm not sure what this one was supposed to demonstrate but I think that it is the inadvisability of attacking a windscreen with your face.
That's gotta hurt!

Anyhoo … That's it for this year's Lotus birthday bash.
Will Car Porn be taking a break for a while now?
Er … Considering that Phil and Dive are off to the Goodwood Revival Meeting this weekend I think the car haters are in for a miserable time next week, too.
Toodle pip!