RE: Lotus designer speaks out
Wednesday 22nd February 2006
Lotus Elise 111RFancy learning more about the genesis of the Lotus Elise? Now's your chance.
Lotus designer speaks out
Tony Shute talks about the Elise and Esprit
Lotus Elise 111R
Courtesy of the local Club Lotus branch, Elise co-developer and racer Tony Shute will be giving a talk at the Holland Inn Hatt, Saltash in Cornwall on Thursday 2 March 2006.
Shute was largely responsible for Lotus Elise and will be talking about the development work on that car and his extensive career at Lotus, which includes involvement in the iconic Esprit.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm for 8pm and all car enthusiasts are welcomed.
Discussion
Yeah nice one Tim 
Won't need many excuses to get out and about after 1st!
Talking of which... I saw a thread on SELOC the other day, similar to the one on PH about Britain's Top Ten driving roads and noticed a number of them are in the bottom left had corner of the UK. This got me thinking about a road trip to take some of them in (and get a load of run-in miles done quickly!) and AutoRoute came up with a 563 mile round trip like this:
Home in North Devon
(9) A39 Barnstaple to Bridgewater (Somerset)
(1) B3081 Cann Common to Tollard Royal (Dorset/Wiltshire)
(4) A466 Monmouth and Staunton (Monmouth)
(5) A4061 Price Town and Treorchy, Rhondda (Wales)
Stop over
(5) A4061 Treorchy and Price Town, Rhondda (Wales)
(4) A466 Staunton and Monmouth (Monmouth)
(1) B3081 Tollard Royal to Cann Common (Dorset/Wiltshire)
(9) A39 Bridgewater to Barnstaple (Somerset)
Home
Quite a trip and of course for me would initially need to be done following 'run-in' guideliness, but those miles need to be racked up somewhere... it may as well be there!
>> Edited by Janitor on Thursday 23 February 23:27
Won't need many excuses to get out and about after 1st!
Talking of which... I saw a thread on SELOC the other day, similar to the one on PH about Britain's Top Ten driving roads and noticed a number of them are in the bottom left had corner of the UK. This got me thinking about a road trip to take some of them in (and get a load of run-in miles done quickly!) and AutoRoute came up with a 563 mile round trip like this:
Home in North Devon
(9) A39 Barnstaple to Bridgewater (Somerset)
(1) B3081 Cann Common to Tollard Royal (Dorset/Wiltshire)
(4) A466 Monmouth and Staunton (Monmouth)
(5) A4061 Price Town and Treorchy, Rhondda (Wales)
Stop over
(5) A4061 Treorchy and Price Town, Rhondda (Wales)
(4) A466 Staunton and Monmouth (Monmouth)
(1) B3081 Tollard Royal to Cann Common (Dorset/Wiltshire)
(9) A39 Bridgewater to Barnstaple (Somerset)
Home
Quite a trip and of course for me would initially need to be done following 'run-in' guideliness, but those miles need to be racked up somewhere... it may as well be there!
>> Edited by Janitor on Thursday 23 February 23:27
Provided I don't have an early start on Friday I'll probably run up and meet some like minded folks.
Tipper, did you get your hat sorted yet? Oh, and your cambelt?
Janitor, I can vouch for the bottom one on your list, the hill out of Porlock (just west of Minehead) on the A39 is awsome - steep, tight and twisty - certainly felt the benefit of Chapman's philosophy up that one last year. At the top it opens up onto Exemoor with views North to the Bristol Channel, superb and great fun within the national limit.
Also driven Zig Zag Hill a few times in the quattro but not yet in the Lotus.
In fact, even if I do have an early start I'll probably see you there.
Tipper, did you get your hat sorted yet? Oh, and your cambelt?
Janitor, I can vouch for the bottom one on your list, the hill out of Porlock (just west of Minehead) on the A39 is awsome - steep, tight and twisty - certainly felt the benefit of Chapman's philosophy up that one last year. At the top it opens up onto Exemoor with views North to the Bristol Channel, superb and great fun within the national limit.
Also driven Zig Zag Hill a few times in the quattro but not yet in the Lotus.
In fact, even if I do have an early start I'll probably see you there.
Thanks turnamere, hat and cambelt sorted.
That sounds like a great drive Janitor. Here's another suggestion with great scenery too if you have time to look.
Tiverton to Dunster road (as recommended by Tiff Nidell), pick up the A39 and pootle through Minehead then up Porlock Hill and a blast across Exmoor (loads of fantastic open corners so you can use all the road) to Ilfracombe, take it easy to Barnstable (watch out for Scameras) then great drive along the A377 to Exeter. Well deserved rest before your choice home (20 mins down the A38 for me). I tried this run a few years ago in our Alfa 145 but had to stop at Ilfracombe due to lack of oil pressure !
BTW Steve Sutcliffe recommends some of the Exmoor roads in the current Autocar.
One more thing, if anybody fancies coming from a distance, the Holland Inn has rooms (about £45 I think).
That sounds like a great drive Janitor. Here's another suggestion with great scenery too if you have time to look.
Tiverton to Dunster road (as recommended by Tiff Nidell), pick up the A39 and pootle through Minehead then up Porlock Hill and a blast across Exmoor (loads of fantastic open corners so you can use all the road) to Ilfracombe, take it easy to Barnstable (watch out for Scameras) then great drive along the A377 to Exeter. Well deserved rest before your choice home (20 mins down the A38 for me). I tried this run a few years ago in our Alfa 145 but had to stop at Ilfracombe due to lack of oil pressure !
BTW Steve Sutcliffe recommends some of the Exmoor roads in the current Autocar.
One more thing, if anybody fancies coming from a distance, the Holland Inn has rooms (about £45 I think).
Tony Shute is a top guy; for those that don't have the Elise video and haven't seen him interviewed. He is a genuine car enthusiast, and very good at putting across his thoughts and ideas. Sadly, Saltash is at least 6 hours drive from where I live!! I would arrive with numb bum and ringing ears!
Yeah slip along Nick - I'm not normally particularly well anorak-shod, but this all sounds rather interesting... especially to a new boy!
Tim, know all the North Devon bits of your post very well! A377 is barely five miles from me. I'm looking to try and do that run next weekend or possibly the one after... but the BOLOC's are planning a trip this way on the 12th so would like to be around to hook up with them for a while
You coming next Thursday then Val..?
C'mon, make an effort innit?!?!
Tim, know all the North Devon bits of your post very well! A377 is barely five miles from me. I'm looking to try and do that run next weekend or possibly the one after... but the BOLOC's are planning a trip this way on the 12th so would like to be around to hook up with them for a while
You coming next Thursday then Val..?
C'mon, make an effort innit?!?!RobM77 said:
Tony Shute is a top guy; for those that don't have the Elise video and haven't seen him interviewed. He is a genuine car enthusiast, and very good at putting across his thoughts and ideas. Sadly, Saltash is at least 6 hours drive from where I live!! I would arrive with numb bum and ringing ears!
Six hours?? where do you live, Scotland?
My mother lives in Basingstoke and it is an easy 2 hour drive and saltash is 30 mins from me. Having said that, i wont be going along. 
unfortunatly family is flying over from canada for that evening. Next time.Was hoping to get up, even if it meant using the quattro, unfortunately I now have to spend 2 hours flying in the dark tomorrow rather than tonight. Dont land until 2030 so I can't even run up afterwards, and I guess if the weather precludes flying it will probably preclude the drive to Saltash.
Disappointed.
Disappointed.
(Sorry to just copy this from an answer I gave just 5 minutes ago on a different thread, but..)
Sweet mate thanks!
It's absolutely plastered in crap in just a couple hours - first ever brand spanking new car, but now it looks just like every other car at the moment!
What can I say that we don't already know..? Just stunning
Only been pootling along in best run-in form and obviously being super careful given current conditions... have even driven through frozen snow & hail covered back lanes near home (without incident!)
Even at 45mph following others, the whole thing has such a sense of occasion... and yeah I know, it ain't even started yet!
Wanna be out in it now but conditions ain't great so I've got half an eye on the England game, half an eye on PC, a hand in the DAB manual and my feet itching in by best new driving shoes!
The hand-over was a nice enough experience - Allan's new guy Spencer was given the opportunity to learn the ropes and did ok. I spotted a nasty scuff at the top of Pax side door pillar corner which turned out to be glue or something on the surface, although there are some paint flaws and slight creases present too so I reckon something has fallen across it at some point. Oddly enough, as head-tearingly mad as that should be, I was really expecting something to be amiss! I don't mean that as a slur on Peninsula at all, more that PH & Seloc had paved the way for imperfection to be seemingly commonplace. All will be sorted under warranty at 1000 mile service though without quibble
Bug thumbs then to Allan and Peninsula - they've done really well so far... long may such a relationship continue!
Yeah I drive and just laugh - it's everything I wanted it to be and when all is settled and sorted, can already tell it will end up being more that I wanted
...and with me stood at back watching the 'hard-top removal' demo
...I reckon I'm in for some tidy commission for that stunning finiance offer plug
>> Edited by Janitor on Wednesday 1st March 23:56
Sweet mate thanks! It's absolutely plastered in crap in just a couple hours - first ever brand spanking new car, but now it looks just like every other car at the moment!
What can I say that we don't already know..? Just stunning
Only been pootling along in best run-in form and obviously being super careful given current conditions... have even driven through frozen snow & hail covered back lanes near home (without incident!)
Even at 45mph following others, the whole thing has such a sense of occasion... and yeah I know, it ain't even started yet!
Wanna be out in it now but conditions ain't great so I've got half an eye on the England game, half an eye on PC, a hand in the DAB manual and my feet itching in by best new driving shoes!
The hand-over was a nice enough experience - Allan's new guy Spencer was given the opportunity to learn the ropes and did ok. I spotted a nasty scuff at the top of Pax side door pillar corner which turned out to be glue or something on the surface, although there are some paint flaws and slight creases present too so I reckon something has fallen across it at some point. Oddly enough, as head-tearingly mad as that should be, I was really expecting something to be amiss! I don't mean that as a slur on Peninsula at all, more that PH & Seloc had paved the way for imperfection to be seemingly commonplace. All will be sorted under warranty at 1000 mile service though without quibble
Bug thumbs then to Allan and Peninsula - they've done really well so far... long may such a relationship continue!
Yeah I drive and just laugh - it's everything I wanted it to be and when all is settled and sorted, can already tell it will end up being more that I wanted
...and with me stood at back watching the 'hard-top removal' demo
...I reckon I'm in for some tidy commission for that stunning finiance offer plug
>> Edited by Janitor on Wednesday 1st March 23:56
gooby - can you do me a favour mate. If you get a chance to talk to him could you try and get his contact details. We'd love to try to arrange something similar locally here for our members. Hatt,
And heres the 1:50,000 map OS Hatt
Don't know the place myself but it doesn't look to be a big place, hopefully TIPER will be along soon to add detail. Just spoken to the forecaster, looks like there is a slight risk of light sleet or snow along the southern coast this evening, with the likelyhood increasing past midnight. Drive safe.
And heres the 1:50,000 map OS Hatt
Don't know the place myself but it doesn't look to be a big place, hopefully TIPER will be along soon to add detail. Just spoken to the forecaster, looks like there is a slight risk of light sleet or snow along the southern coast this evening, with the likelyhood increasing past midnight. Drive safe.
Just got back from this.
Very informative and Tony Shute comes across as a top guy.(Mrs Tipper even enjoyed it).
Saw Janitor's new red Sports Racer...Nice. Gooby and Just1 got there as well, said they were travelling in a Land-Rover so I reckon they'll be home sometime over the weekend.
Gooby, if you read this Mrs Tipper reminded me on the way home that I'd promised her and the kids a weekend away on the 18/19th, so can't make the BOLOCS anniversary after all. Have a good time and there's a lot of summer still to come so I'm sure we'll catch up with the BOLOCs crowd sometime.
Very informative and Tony Shute comes across as a top guy.(Mrs Tipper even enjoyed it).
Saw Janitor's new red Sports Racer...Nice. Gooby and Just1 got there as well, said they were travelling in a Land-Rover so I reckon they'll be home sometime over the weekend.
Gooby, if you read this Mrs Tipper reminded me on the way home that I'd promised her and the kids a weekend away on the 18/19th, so can't make the BOLOCS anniversary after all. Have a good time and there's a lot of summer still to come so I'm sure we'll catch up with the BOLOCs crowd sometime.
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