I blew up a rover!
Discussion
The lotus weather has finally arrived 
but why oh why does following a lotus or having a lotus behind you turn drivers into lunatics?
In the 3 days I've been out I've been tailgated by middle age men in Toyota's, had cars in front overtake on blind bends and even had kids throw chewing gum at me while I was passing them.
The best one was the rover though. I was following the rover down a country lane when we had to stop for a parked tractor (I was just plodding and enjoying the sun). When the road became clear he floored it so much I could hear his engine over the Lotus presumably trying to go faster than me. Next came a huge cloud of black smoke and hazard lights - I have no idea what he blew but it didn't look pretty!
Is it just me or is this just a by product of having an elise?
but why oh why does following a lotus or having a lotus behind you turn drivers into lunatics?In the 3 days I've been out I've been tailgated by middle age men in Toyota's, had cars in front overtake on blind bends and even had kids throw chewing gum at me while I was passing them.
The best one was the rover though. I was following the rover down a country lane when we had to stop for a parked tractor (I was just plodding and enjoying the sun). When the road became clear he floored it so much I could hear his engine over the Lotus presumably trying to go faster than me. Next came a huge cloud of black smoke and hazard lights - I have no idea what he blew but it didn't look pretty!
Is it just me or is this just a by product of having an elise?
When I was buying mine, the guy selling it was driving it the time, and a Honda with bucket exhaust raced us of the exit of a roundabout. Fairplay to him, he was fast and the elise was at its max trying to keep up (seller and I are both large!) but at the end of the stretch the honda decided to dumps its oil all over the road in a rather impressive display of smoke!
I was pootling to work the other day and some guy in a newish, white, car derived van of some kind was absolutely determined to sit an inch from my rear bumper. I wasn't going very fast by lotus-on-a-country-lane standards but this guy must have been REALLY trying, the van looked like it was going to fall over sometimes. It was really quite amusing in an "I hope I don't have to brake hard" kind of way.
VW Passats always like sit too close to my lovely Janspeeds... 
Anyone find that people tend to creep closer and closer at traffic lightsand then crane their necks to try and see your car??? This is usually followed by some sort of conversation between to two 'cranees', probably along the lines of:
"Is it a Lotus Dad?" (Feeling all excited)
"Yes, it is a Lotus son" (Feeling very dad like for having knowledge about Lotus's)
"Can we get one?" (Now fuelled by dad's knowledge)
"Sigh, No......Your mother would never allow it, and it's too impractical..." etc etc (As reality/marriage brings him down to earth)
lol
Anyone find that people tend to creep closer and closer at traffic lightsand then crane their necks to try and see your car??? This is usually followed by some sort of conversation between to two 'cranees', probably along the lines of:
"Is it a Lotus Dad?" (Feeling all excited)
"Yes, it is a Lotus son" (Feeling very dad like for having knowledge about Lotus's)
"Can we get one?" (Now fuelled by dad's knowledge)
"Sigh, No......Your mother would never allow it, and it's too impractical..." etc etc (As reality/marriage brings him down to earth)
lol
Edited by ptp170 on Thursday 2nd August 11:14
I had a similar experience the other night.
I was tootling along in traffic Heading towards the Cat & Fiddle on a single lane road, soon to be approaching a roundabout which takes you onto a Dual carriageway.
I had a knackered Porsche 944 in my mirrors for ages. When we got to the roundabout he did a knobhead over taking manoeuvre ON the roundabout and steamed past me and the car in front of me.
I over took the car in front of me when I got on the dual carriageway and noticed the Porsche chucking out more oil than the Brent Spar tanker disaster!
I was tootling along in traffic Heading towards the Cat & Fiddle on a single lane road, soon to be approaching a roundabout which takes you onto a Dual carriageway.
I had a knackered Porsche 944 in my mirrors for ages. When we got to the roundabout he did a knobhead over taking manoeuvre ON the roundabout and steamed past me and the car in front of me.
I over took the car in front of me when I got on the dual carriageway and noticed the Porsche chucking out more oil than the Brent Spar tanker disaster!
Try driving in Essex folks. It's really getting me down. So much so that I haven't driven the car properly in weeks, seriously. Every time I go out some idiot becomes possessed at the sight of the car. I thought I might have been paranoid, but others have noticed it too. I was actually talking about getting rid of the car the other night, I just can't enjoy a nice drive anymore.
two similar instances of note
1) last thursday was following a black passat saloon which was almost on its door handles trying to keep up with a yellow viper striped P plate exige on A43 / A14 /A43 section around Kettering. On the roundabout onto the A43 south towards Northampton I was alongside his offside rear door, waiting for him to turn left off the roundabout, when he suddenly turned turned right to clip the apex before taking the exit. As I was in the way, cue dent on his passenger door, and look of amazement on his face when he realised that there was vehicle in his way. Telepathy never my strong point, but advised him that, when changing lanes, he really ought to check his mirrors. (damage on lucy limited to paint scrape on nearside wheel arch / bumper)
2) This morning on A605 Oundle to Peterboro, 1.1 fiesta performing suicide manoevres on single carriageway sections to catch and then overtake me (then not overtaking anyone else!), then trying (and failing) to stay ahead on the dual carriageway sections. (middleaged bald driver, trying desperately not to look when I was passing him, but spending more time looking in his mirrors when in front than he really should)
1) last thursday was following a black passat saloon which was almost on its door handles trying to keep up with a yellow viper striped P plate exige on A43 / A14 /A43 section around Kettering. On the roundabout onto the A43 south towards Northampton I was alongside his offside rear door, waiting for him to turn left off the roundabout, when he suddenly turned turned right to clip the apex before taking the exit. As I was in the way, cue dent on his passenger door, and look of amazement on his face when he realised that there was vehicle in his way. Telepathy never my strong point, but advised him that, when changing lanes, he really ought to check his mirrors. (damage on lucy limited to paint scrape on nearside wheel arch / bumper)
2) This morning on A605 Oundle to Peterboro, 1.1 fiesta performing suicide manoevres on single carriageway sections to catch and then overtake me (then not overtaking anyone else!), then trying (and failing) to stay ahead on the dual carriageway sections. (middleaged bald driver, trying desperately not to look when I was passing him, but spending more time looking in his mirrors when in front than he really should)
I had a knob in a Mondeo try to overtake me a couple of weeks back.
I was driving down Holmfirth Road which runs over the pennines between Mossley (smallish town near Manchester) and Holmfirth (Last of the Summer Wine filming location).
I am not a big fan of this stretch of road as it is very straight for a substantial part of it and it is possible to drive flat out for long periods.
The problem with that is it is popular with chav scum who want to try for the Vauxhall Corsa land speed record and the jacket-hanging-up-in-the-back-window-brigade racing to get home.
The road itself is very bumpy and narrow so you are frequently met by tossers passing you at over 100 mph with only inches between you.
I was coming back to Manchester when I noticed a Mondeo in my mirrors some distance back. When I glanced up again, the distance was half. Next thing we were approaching the twisty and section and he was further up my a**e than David Furnish up Elton John!
Next thing we were right up behind a coffin-dodger moving extremely slowly. Whilst this is mildly frustrating, there is nothing you can do so getting angry does f
k all!
Mondeo Man must have been a foot from my exhaust!
I don't mind as much the plebs that try and race from the lights as you can, if safe to do so, show them up in a second and leave them licking their wounds without going at stupid speeds, or if not safe, let them go without them causing me any danger.
I do not understand why any one tries to prove a point against a car that can out-brake and out-corner them by trying to get up their Arse!
I was driving down Holmfirth Road which runs over the pennines between Mossley (smallish town near Manchester) and Holmfirth (Last of the Summer Wine filming location).
I am not a big fan of this stretch of road as it is very straight for a substantial part of it and it is possible to drive flat out for long periods.
The problem with that is it is popular with chav scum who want to try for the Vauxhall Corsa land speed record and the jacket-hanging-up-in-the-back-window-brigade racing to get home.
The road itself is very bumpy and narrow so you are frequently met by tossers passing you at over 100 mph with only inches between you.
I was coming back to Manchester when I noticed a Mondeo in my mirrors some distance back. When I glanced up again, the distance was half. Next thing we were approaching the twisty and section and he was further up my a**e than David Furnish up Elton John!
Next thing we were right up behind a coffin-dodger moving extremely slowly. Whilst this is mildly frustrating, there is nothing you can do so getting angry does f
k all!Mondeo Man must have been a foot from my exhaust!
I don't mind as much the plebs that try and race from the lights as you can, if safe to do so, show them up in a second and leave them licking their wounds without going at stupid speeds, or if not safe, let them go without them causing me any danger.
I do not understand why any one tries to prove a point against a car that can out-brake and out-corner them by trying to get up their Arse!
Ikemi said:
I've never really had any problems ... Although the other day whilst driving on a nice winding NSL road I had someone in a Cavalier coming in the other direction flip me the bird! First negative comment/act I've had and for no apparant reason!
I had my first negative the other night too. Driving through Frimley a kid on a bike shouted "w@nker!" at me...my only question is how did he know! 
kevin ritson said:
Isn't it ironic that it's usually a Rover in the way?
Where are you Gruffy?http://www.pistonheads.tv/clip427 5:35
Edited by Towie on Thursday 2nd August 22:45
Some people are just a...holes, I've noticed its middle aged men (usually with wife and kids on board) who decide that suddenly their ancient xantia diesel or 406 is a match for an elise, they should really have more sense, it can get scary sometimes. Even boy racers just get out of the bloody way!!
Grinnders said:
We need some colour additive so we can smoke like the Red Arrows
Now that would be laugh. I've had the car a week and my blood seems to boil every time i go out in it as people tailgate me, to the point where i cannot see their headlights in the mirror. It makes me f@ckin livid. I've found the usual culprits to be airhead youngish women who seem to feel they are invincable in a car, clearly don't understand how the hell to drive (as we find out at the twisty bits) and have some kind of chip on their shoulder, feeling as though they have something to proove?Secondly as has been said, middle aged blokes with kids / trophy orange wife in the car, who see it as some sort of challenge....
And breathe... Right i've got that off my chest. Apologies for the rant, it's really been annoying me.... In my old ginetta i was able to give a bootfull and lift off which would throw a 12" flame out the back. That stopped the b@stards!
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