Clarkson reviews the V8 Esprit from 1995 - LotusTalk

mikeyd · 06-06-2009, 10:45 AM

Hope this isn't a repost - Clarkson (when he had lots of hair!) reviewing the first of the V8 Esprits from 1995. Clarkson gives his usual 'fair and balanced' views (but neglects to mention that he had just bought a Ferrari 355 when comparing the two cars).

YouTube - best of the 90's - Lotus esprit V8

BUELL XB12R · 06-06-2009, 11:36 AM

To me Clarkson doesn't review cars he just rips on cars.

mikeyd · 06-06-2009, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BUELL XB12R

To me Clarkson doesn't review cars he just rips on cars.

Completely agree - but it's really entertaining when he rips on cars you loathe. Does anybody really take him seriously anyway?

darkSol · 06-06-2009, 12:18 PM

Didn't the V8 Esprit come out in 1997... not 1995?

mikeyd · 06-06-2009, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkSol

Didn't the V8 Esprit come out in 1997... not 1995?

they revamped the interior for '97 plus a few tweaks but the first V8s came out in the UK in '95. Not sure about the US. The N*** at the beginning of the registration plate denotes April '95/to Mar'96, and his Denim jacket and other dreadful fashion crimes definitely point to pre '97!

Cegan09 · 06-06-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BUELL XB12R

To me Clarkson doesn't review cars he just rips on cars.

He does, but at least most of the time it is entertaining. I think to a point he generally rips on all cars though, not too many that he's put on a pedestal of being perfect. Anyway, i watch his stuff for the entertainment, not for gathering facts.

Simba · 06-06-2009, 05:34 PM

He was quite a bit more endearing toward it with the '04 swan song:

YouTube - NEW Top Gear Lotus Esprit

TrapperJohn · 06-07-2009, 06:47 AM

If you read through the reviews on LEW, you find somewhat the same thing. The British motoring press love to rip on their own, and spare no absurdity in finding fault. How they look past the superb balance and kick in the seat power, and harp on rear visibility, entry and exit, tiny niggles. Oh, and they tend to overlook the price as well.

Ferrari? No thanks. The Ferrari breaks constantly, is ridiculously difficult to service, and costs a fortune for parts. The Esprit breaks every once in a while, is somewhat difficult to service, and more often than not, your local GM or Toyota dealer has the part you need. The Ferrari also has a pretentious element that is blessedly absent in the Esprit.

And I like the wood dash, it's such a lovely British touch. One gets the feeling that if the UK ever builds a spaceship, it will have leather seats and a wood dash.

All the same, I do find Clarkson very amusing. Even if he is even older than the Esprit, has a wardrobe more suited to common labor than exotic cars, and desperately needs the attention of a hair stylist and weight reduction clinic. Oh, that's fun.

escondidoron · 06-07-2009, 10:06 AM

Buell wrote:

Quote:

To me Clarkson doesn't review cars he just rips on cars.

I'm not sure that he just rips on cars. But he is a sarcastic chap to say the least.

Personally I enjoy Jeremy's take on cars. He has a sense of humor. And he is secure enough to say what he thinks. Not only is he amusing to watch on Top Gear but he is a pretty good read in his day job. Here is a sampling:

Jeremy Clarkson LTI TXII Black Cab review | Driving - Times Online
Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Clarkson's greatest flops review | Driving - Times Online

mikeyd wrote:

Quote:

Completely agree - but it's really entertaining when he rips on cars you loathe. Does anybody really take him seriously anyway?

I'll bet that Honda does!

Back in in the late 60's or early 70's Car and Driver reviewed the then new Opel Kadett. Opel was still owned by GM at the time. GM was Car and Driver's biggest advertiser. C&D didn't particularly like the car but felt that they couldn't come right out and say so, at the risk of losing GM as a customer. But to demonstrate how they felt the pictures of the car were taken in a junk yard. It was really quite humorous. Jeremy would have approved.....But GM still cancelled buying any adverts in C&D for a while.

So previous to this article by Clarkson, that was the most scathing road test of a major car/automaker that I had ever come across.

But Jeremy has been able to top C&D by a wide margin. About a month ago he managed not only to rip the road test car, the company for building it and all of the people who might buy it. A real grand slam! Check out his review of the new Honda Insight hybrid in the 17 May issue of the Sunday Times of London:

Jeremy Clarkson Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE Hybrid review | Driving - Times Online

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at Honda when their top management read this.

Regards,
Ron

06-06-2009, 11:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
BUELL XB12R No, it's not Italian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hobbs NM Posts: 494 Images: 1	To me Clarkson doesn't review cars he just rips on cars. __________________ 2005 Elise Saffron yellow, Touring, LSS, SS, Hard Top 2004 Buell XB12R 2004 RX-8 2002 Z06 (Sold) 2002 Boxster S (Sold)

06-06-2009, 12:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
darkSol Meow!! Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Leawood, KS Posts: 2,576	Didn't the V8 Esprit come out in 1997... not 1995? __________________ d.a..v...i....d David Thomas Stewart - davidtstewart@gmail.com TVS Supercharged 2005 Graphite Grey Lotus Elise: 286whp, 1781lbs. Lotus cars aren't made, they're hand built from dreams. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.

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06-07-2009, 06:47 AM	#8 (permalink)
TrapperJohn Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 93	If you read through the reviews on LEW, you find somewhat the same thing. The British motoring press love to rip on their own, and spare no absurdity in finding fault. How they look past the superb balance and kick in the seat power, and harp on rear visibility, entry and exit, tiny niggles. Oh, and they tend to overlook the price as well. Ferrari? No thanks. The Ferrari breaks constantly, is ridiculously difficult to service, and costs a fortune for parts. The Esprit breaks every once in a while, is somewhat difficult to service, and more often than not, your local GM or Toyota dealer has the part you need. The Ferrari also has a pretentious element that is blessedly absent in the Esprit. And I like the wood dash, it's such a lovely British touch. One gets the feeling that if the UK ever builds a spaceship, it will have leather seats and a wood dash. All the same, I do find Clarkson very amusing. Even if he is even older than the Esprit, has a wardrobe more suited to common labor than exotic cars, and desperately needs the attention of a hair stylist and weight reduction clinic. Oh, that's fun.

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