Joined
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87 Posts
First, I just want to say, it is great to be back. You see, it was about a year ago that my sports car journey culminated in the arrival of a 2013 Evora S IPS. Like many of you, I came to Lotus after many years of P-car ownership. Prior to marriage and children, I enjoyed occasional track days, time trials and autocross. I have had my share of 964s, 993s, water cooled turbos and more recently a Boxster Spyder and Cayman R. The R was my favorite. But with a growing family I was looking for something a little more practical, and wouldn't you know it, I could rationalize that the Evora platform would do the trick. And so after considerable investigation, I found myself behind the wheel of both NA and S variants. It took about, I don't know, 1000 meters for me to realize that the Lotus engineers did chassis/suspension like no one else. I was hooked.
The spring/summer of 2013 was made all the more enjoyable with a Lotus in my garage. It was, quite simply, the most impressive car I had ever had the fortune to pilot. Every drive, and I mean every drive, was a delight. My ownership experience was without drama or frustration. The car was dependable. My dealer was world class. My young son loved it. And my beloved wife didn't complain. The world was a beautiful place.
In the fall, my son started school about 9 miles away from our home. In an urban area. Without secure parking. My routine involved nearly daily afternoon pick-ups with the joys of parking on city streets. I love my son. His education is one of my clear priorities. Sacrifices must be made. We enjoyed the Lotus and it served adequately in school bus duty through the fall. But as the New England winter approached and I began to think about preparing the car for the elements, I was overcome by a sense of guilt. The realities of my family and professional life seemed to be at increasing odds with my passion for driving. After a lot of reflection I made the decision to part with the Evora and find something with more doors. This was easier said then done. But to make a long story somewhat shorter, it became clear that something with ground clearance, dependable winter traction and interior space was needed. I drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. It checked all the boxes, including guzzling fuel at a prodigious pace. And it was a peach all winter.
Of course I was melancholy on the day I parted with the Lotus. But I had my reasons and was at peace. But the inevitable happened. Spring. Flowers. Roads cleared of sand and salt. But still an abundance of pot holes. Nonetheless, I carried on in the Jeep. The thoughts started innocently enough. Hmmm. Maybe I could manage to organize our family's car fleet/garage space and find myself with one more set of sporty wheels. An old 964? 993 perhaps? Yikes- what happened to the used market- I wish all of my investments were growing at such rates! I wonder if anyone snatched up my old Lotus. Wow. Its still available. And I know who broke it in! And, relatively speaking, its not THAT much more money than a 24 year old 911. I looked broadly in the beginning. I drove new 991s and 981s. Snooze. I drove a Boxster Spyder. Better. But impractical. And then my dealer drove 100 miles to see me in my former Lotus. It took one brief drive on a clear spring evening to rekindle the flame.
Reunited. In part due to the patience of my angel wife, in part due to the sensitivity and creativity of my dealer and in part because life is short and sometimes the best decisions are the ones we get to do over again and get right. Maybe those are the ones we appreciate the most. All I know is that I am thrilled to have my Lotus back where it belongs. And I can't wait for the next drive. Thanks as well to all of the participants of this great forum. It has been a source of automotive medicine for me in my sports car nadir period. It's great to be back.
Wishing you all curvy roads and no traffic ahead!
Cheers,
Rob
The spring/summer of 2013 was made all the more enjoyable with a Lotus in my garage. It was, quite simply, the most impressive car I had ever had the fortune to pilot. Every drive, and I mean every drive, was a delight. My ownership experience was without drama or frustration. The car was dependable. My dealer was world class. My young son loved it. And my beloved wife didn't complain. The world was a beautiful place.
In the fall, my son started school about 9 miles away from our home. In an urban area. Without secure parking. My routine involved nearly daily afternoon pick-ups with the joys of parking on city streets. I love my son. His education is one of my clear priorities. Sacrifices must be made. We enjoyed the Lotus and it served adequately in school bus duty through the fall. But as the New England winter approached and I began to think about preparing the car for the elements, I was overcome by a sense of guilt. The realities of my family and professional life seemed to be at increasing odds with my passion for driving. After a lot of reflection I made the decision to part with the Evora and find something with more doors. This was easier said then done. But to make a long story somewhat shorter, it became clear that something with ground clearance, dependable winter traction and interior space was needed. I drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. It checked all the boxes, including guzzling fuel at a prodigious pace. And it was a peach all winter.
Of course I was melancholy on the day I parted with the Lotus. But I had my reasons and was at peace. But the inevitable happened. Spring. Flowers. Roads cleared of sand and salt. But still an abundance of pot holes. Nonetheless, I carried on in the Jeep. The thoughts started innocently enough. Hmmm. Maybe I could manage to organize our family's car fleet/garage space and find myself with one more set of sporty wheels. An old 964? 993 perhaps? Yikes- what happened to the used market- I wish all of my investments were growing at such rates! I wonder if anyone snatched up my old Lotus. Wow. Its still available. And I know who broke it in! And, relatively speaking, its not THAT much more money than a 24 year old 911. I looked broadly in the beginning. I drove new 991s and 981s. Snooze. I drove a Boxster Spyder. Better. But impractical. And then my dealer drove 100 miles to see me in my former Lotus. It took one brief drive on a clear spring evening to rekindle the flame.
Reunited. In part due to the patience of my angel wife, in part due to the sensitivity and creativity of my dealer and in part because life is short and sometimes the best decisions are the ones we get to do over again and get right. Maybe those are the ones we appreciate the most. All I know is that I am thrilled to have my Lotus back where it belongs. And I can't wait for the next drive. Thanks as well to all of the participants of this great forum. It has been a source of automotive medicine for me in my sports car nadir period. It's great to be back.
Wishing you all curvy roads and no traffic ahead!
Cheers,
Rob
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