[Rugbyduck]

So the family and I are on a whirlwind trip of Europe. I'm staying with my brother in London. Been to Paris this last week and just came back to the UK on Friday about midnight. By brother suggested we pick up and leave by 5am yesterday morning to catch a ferry from Dover and head over to Dunkerque, France so we could drive south to Brugge, Belgium.

The highlight of the trip was a stop at the local Lotus dealer in Oostende, Belgium. OMMFG! I was in Lotus heaven! The dealership was closed but the door was open. Sam my 8 year old took immediately to the dog relaxing by the front desk. Theirry Verhiest, the dealer owner who also lives directly in front of the dealership, welcomed us in to take a look at the collection of Lotus cars and memorabilia. I could have spent hours "talking shop" with our host and he could have well done the same. Unfortunately, we had an hour drive back to the ferry where we were to check in 45 minutes before departure...it was 7pm and the ferry left at 8:01!opcorn:

 

[Rugbyduck]

 

[Rugbyduck]

 

[Rugbyduck]

These are GT4 racers.:shift: Theirry races GT4 and is currently the European Champion. The smaller pic, one post back, shows his car in disarray at the moment. He crashed it into the wall...broke a hip and fractured his pelvis. His helmet hit the roll bar with such force he was completely knocked out and was in a coma. He showed me the new roll cage that was to grace the rebuilt car.

 

[Rugbyduck]

 

[Rugbyduck]

This is the car I'd like! This is a street legal 190hp 211. (street legal in Belgium anyway )


After Lotus parted ways with John Player sponsorship, John Player went to sponsoring this Norton racer. It has a Wankel rotary engine that's about the cc size of a 650. Puts out double the HP a standard 650 would. Circa 1980's.

 

[Rugbyduck]

I neglected to take a pic of the Camel car that was hanging off the side of the wall.:wallbang: Won in Monte Carlo and Detroit. The John Player shell and parts are signed by Mario.


This is the Evora that was just in the Geneva Show!!!!:crazyeyes beautiful car!

 

[SirLotus]

You lucked out, big time, what an amazing collection of Lotus.
Thanks for sharing :bow:

 

[EliseAtLeast]

Wow! Great collection :up:.

 

[chotto]

Now that's a dealership.

 

[goelise]

Thanks for the pics!

 

[BUELL XB12R]

Were all those cars for sale, or were they customer cars? Those 340's are just Awesome. :drool:

 

[Christophe111]

WOOOW!!!

There are no cars in Heaven...
This is better than Heaven!!!:nanner:

 

[cdn_alien]

There a really good article in the Mar-Apr edition of Lotus ReMarque magazine about Thierry Verhiest and his dealership. He sounds like a real renaissance Lotus enthusiast -- he's a Lotus mechanic, Lotus racer and owns a Lotus dealership. It's no wonder he 'lives' at the dealership too.:clap:

Rugbyduck -- there is a picture in the magazine of the Camel F1 car hanging on the wall.

 

[madalerica]

Nice pics Rugbyduck... sounds like you're having a fabulous trip. What are you going to do for fun once you return to ho-hum Beaverton?

 

[agirls]

Wow

 

[Frips_Girl]

Holy Lotus...es? What a selection!

 

[shay2nak]

Thanks for posting!

 

[Rugbyduck]

There a really good article in the Mar-Apr edition of Lotus ReMarque magazine about Thierry Verhiest and his dealership. He sounds like a real renaissance Lotus enthusiast -- he's a Lotus mechanic, Lotus racer and owns a Lotus dealership. It's no wonder he 'lives' at the dealership too.:clap:

Rugbyduck -- there is a picture in the magazine of the Camel F1 car hanging on the wall.

I'll have to check out that magazine. I was stunned to hear he had 5 full time Lotus mechanics on duty. Saddened that I saw the KG Elise mural on the wall closest to the hwy and didn't take a pic.

I think if I could come back to this world in another life, it would be as Thierry.

 

[mevistox5]

Yep,

Thierry is a really nice guy. Totally into Lotus. Sells loads of them. He does race too! Had a small accident last year with his 2-11.