Fifth Gear 200mph car

[bayliss]

I work for Fifth Gear.
One of our current projects is to attempt 200mph in a modified Esprit.
Has anyone out there achieved a genuine 200mph in a car that cost them under £50k, or knows someone that has?
If so we'd like to hear from you.
Ian Bayliss (0121 697 1904)

[bayliss]

Thanks for all the comments.
To answer some of your points.
1)We always knew the Lotus had a dodgy box and have been in discussion with various gearbox specialists from the word go. However the idea has always been to keep costs down where possible and if this occasionally results in failure then it's all part of the story.
2)We've not run out of ideas for the Esprit and as well as the gearbox and turbos have been looking at various stages of development to the engine and aerodynamics.
3)Bruntingthorpe was to be the venue for the first test run but will not necessarily be the location for the final run - it could be somewhere much longer.
4)Finally, we're not looking to ditch the Esprit for another car. We simply want to know if anyone has taken theory through to practice and achieved 200mph without spending a fortune.