Photo: drivetribe
If anybody had doubts about Richard Hammond's love for Lotus, these are now be shattered, as the VIP aficionados has now grabbed himself an Esprit.
To be more precise, Hammond now owns a Lotus Esprit 350 Sport. Yes, we know, such an acquisition brings tons of reliability worries. Hammond knows it too, but, as he explained for Drivetribe, this wasn't the kind of love-at-first-sight buying decision.
"Six months ago I posted the above picture of a Lotus Esprit 350 Sport that I had, even then, been thinking about buying for some months. And now, another half year later, I have hauled myself off the fence and bought it," the Grand Tour host explained.
As its name suggests, Norfolk only built 350 units of the V8 machine to the market. And while its 354 PS 3.5-liter V8 is no different to that you'd find on a "normal" model, the suspension, brakes and aerodynamics pack special features.
However, despite all the bespoke features of the 1999 model, the mid-engined delight won't be able to please everybody. And the list of those who won't show this Lotus any love involves the former Top Gear host's family. Ouch.
"I don't expect it to be to everyone's taste; my wife, for instance, hates it. As does my eldest daughter. And my youngest," Hammond admitted.
And while we're discussing the Brit's garage, we're still waiting to see what Zuffenhausen animal, if any, will fill the void left behind by the departure of Hammond's 911 GT3 RS PDK - the thing showed up for grabs, remember?
Who knows? Maybe the famous car nut will be one of the lucky few who get their hands on the upcoming Sport Classic incarnation of the Neunelfer, which hasn't even been officially confirmed yet . So far, we've relied on a set of spyshots bringing us a wingless 2018 911 GT3 prototype.
"Six months ago I posted the above picture of a Lotus Esprit 350 Sport that I had, even then, been thinking about buying for some months. And now, another half year later, I have hauled myself off the fence and bought it," the Grand Tour host explained.
As its name suggests, Norfolk only built 350 units of the V8 machine to the market. And while its 354 PS 3.5-liter V8 is no different to that you'd find on a "normal" model, the suspension, brakes and aerodynamics pack special features.
However, despite all the bespoke features of the 1999 model, the mid-engined delight won't be able to please everybody. And the list of those who won't show this Lotus any love involves the former Top Gear host's family. Ouch.
"I don't expect it to be to everyone's taste; my wife, for instance, hates it. As does my eldest daughter. And my youngest," Hammond admitted.
And while we're discussing the Brit's garage, we're still waiting to see what Zuffenhausen animal, if any, will fill the void left behind by the departure of Hammond's 911 GT3 RS PDK - the thing showed up for grabs, remember?
Who knows? Maybe the famous car nut will be one of the lucky few who get their hands on the upcoming Sport Classic incarnation of the Neunelfer, which hasn't even been officially confirmed yet . So far, we've relied on a set of spyshots bringing us a wingless 2018 911 GT3 prototype.
Google News