I wish people (specifically the people who placed the ad) would stop referring to these cars as Lotus Sevens. THe only cars of this type of that can be called Lotus Sevens are Lotus Sevens. Caterham and Birkin have the right to call their cars Seven, but not Lotus. Everyone else can't even call their car a Seven much less a Lotus.
And yes, what a travesty to have an automatic transmission in this type of car. But since it isn't really a Lotus or a Seven, I couldn't give a crap.
+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,...,000
I really get annoyed when I see Caterhams/Birkins/Westfields/etc called, or worse re-badged as, Lotus. They are not Lotus. I don't see what the need is to not call them what they are, unless of course one is admitting they believe them to be of lesser inherent value because they are not Lotus.
I just met a guy in town here a few weeks back who has an "S1 Super Seven." Now this is not a series 1 Lotus Seven. It is a "Super Seven" built by Superformance which he had badged as a Lotus. When I met him I was driving my series 4 Lotus Seven properly badged as a Lotus.
After asking him about his car for a few minutes, talking a bit and learning that he continually calls his car a "Lotus Super Seven", he asked me what it was that I was driving.
I replied, "That is a series 4 Lotus Seven."
He then asked, "Oh, you have a Lotus Seven, too?"
To which I replied, "Too? You have a Lotus Seven also? Where's yours?" in a very honestly inquisitive manner.
He said, "This car right here. The one we've been talking about."
He then tried to school me on the history of the Lotus Seven, of which he actually knew very little, and how his car is the most powerful and best handling version of all the "Lotus Sevens." He continued to refer to his car as a "Lotus Super Seven" in spite of my repeatedly pointing out that it was a Superformance S1 :wallbang:.
When I ended up saying, "Sir, your car is neither a Lotus nor a Seven. Why do you have to call it as such? Can you not appreciate your car for what it is -- a Superformance S1?," he got very animated and tried to justify that it was indeed the "best performing Lotus Super Seven in existence today" with the all carbon fiber dash, 'vette engine, etc. and explained to me that it would crush my car in any race, any day. "Wow, you must be really proud. Enjoy your Superformance S1.," is all I could say and then I got in my car and drove off :shrug:.
IMO, the true travesty in all of that is not that this guy has no concept of what a Lotus is or a Seven is, rather I'm sure this guy is telling every kid that asks him that his car is a Lotus Super Seven.
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