RE: 'World's fastest Lotus' crashed

RE: 'World's fastest Lotus' crashed

Wednesday 18th April 2012

'World's fastest Lotus' crashed

Porsche driver apparently rear-ends 'Ronin' Lotus, had best hope owner doesn't catch up with him



A little grey Lotus has been causing a bit of noise lately, its owner Frank Profera – AKA ‘Ronin’ – not shy of defending his car’s honour. As PH found out, unwittingly, when we rashly summed up the tuner hall at the LA show as “the land that taste forgot.” With said Lotus in the foreground of the photo.

Frank: "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" etc
Frank: "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" etc
Big mistake, Frank alerting us to this in no uncertain terms in the comment thread below.

To be fair much of what lurks in the basement at the LA show is, to UK eyes, over-wheeled, over-blinged tat. And it was a throwaway comment and a mere coincidence that the shot selected to illustrate it had the Exige in the foreground.

And, as Chris Harris’s Stateside colleagues on the Drive channel recently highlighted, Ronin’s Lotus is something a bit different. You can watch the full video below but, suffice to say, Frank is a car nut with more than average drive and passion. And we got it wrong.

So the news his car has been involved in an accident on the Freeway – as reported on Jalopnik and discussed, in typically robust fashion, in both the YouTube comments beneath the Drive video and on Frank’s website - will sadden anyone who’s been following the story.

Pic of the damage from Frank's website
Pic of the damage from Frank's website
We’ve had just a taste of Frank’s, ah, strength of feeling when it comes to his Lotus. That from a slightly sarcastic comment. Suffice to say, we wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the Porsche owner that apparently drove into him, should the two ever meet.

 

 

 

 



 

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Author
Discussion

groomi

Original Poster:

9,317 posts

242 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Okaaay. Now I'm no crash expert, but that wheel looks pretty badly buckled and I'd be mighty surprised if that was caused by the front end (you know, the bit all soft and rounded so it doesn't hurt little children) of another car.

ETA: Ah, read his website and he was pushed into a spin and hit other things.

Edited by groomi on Wednesday 18th April 09:29

y2blade

56,029 posts

214 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
oooops

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
By the description he was tapped from the rear and flicked round in a Police-style PIT manoeuvre. Our sympathies to him.

Snowboy

8,028 posts

150 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
groomi said:
Okaaay. Now I'm no crash expert, but that wheel looks pretty badly buckled and I'd be mighty surprised if that was caused by the front end (you know, the bit all soft and rounded so it doesn't hurt little children) of another car.
He probably hit a kerb after the initial crash.

leon9191

752 posts

192 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
groomi said:
Okaaay. Now I'm no crash expert, but that wheel looks pretty badly buckled and I'd be mighty surprised if that was caused by the front end (you know, the bit all soft and rounded so it doesn't hurt little children) of another car.
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".

leon9191

752 posts

192 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
groomi said:
Okaaay. Now I'm no crash expert, but that wheel looks pretty badly buckled and I'd be mighty surprised if that was caused by the front end (you know, the bit all soft and rounded so it doesn't hurt little children) of another car.
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
leon9191 said:
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".
Link to Frank's original post on the crash in the story - more info in there and worth a read. If only to alert you to the fact he's not shy of defending himself. Once bitten and all that!

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

264 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Oopsie.

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
leon9191 said:
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".
I'm sure I read recently that it's allowed in some states in the US.

Cyder

7,045 posts

219 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
leon9191 said:
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".
If it's dry you're allowed to be on slicks on the public road in some states in the US.

PascalBuyens

2,868 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
leon9191 said:
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".
I don't think he's that crazy to stage the whole thing happening...

Besides, if the slicks are DOT rated, they are legal in some states, as has been said... I believe the ones he's running are street legal, due to the fact there are two "grooves" in them...

griffdude

1,819 posts

247 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
2100 lbs seems pretty heavy for one of these. I know someone with one that's possibly 20% lighter & has possibly 550 hp wink

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
griffdude said:
2100 lbs seems pretty heavy for one of these. I know someone with one that's possibly 20% lighter & has possibly 550 hp wink
More info please! biggrin

leon9191

752 posts

192 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
PascalBuyens said:
I don't think he's that crazy to stage the whole thing happening...

Besides, if the slicks are DOT rated, they are legal in some states, as has been said... I believe the ones he's running are street legal, due to the fact there are two "grooves" in them...
looked on his site he is clearly on the road so yeah thats a spot of bad luck in anyones book.

GFWilliams

4,941 posts

206 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
Just read that other thread and am appalled at the way people are talking to him. He's got an incredible car and clearly loves it and people are just shooting him down. Very sad to see...

To Frank: I'm a big fan of the car, looks great fun in a brilliantly silly way. I wish you the best with fixing it, I'm sure it won't be too much work smile

Rude-boy

22,227 posts

232 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
leon9191 said:
I would be more concerned about the fact that he was running slick tyres on the road. Hes lost that on the track imo not had a shunt on the "freeway".
In certain states it is legal to run slicks so long as it is not raining.

ETA - Too late smile

Edited by Rude-boy on Wednesday 18th April 10:02

PascalBuyens

2,868 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
The Crack Fox said:
What's with the inverted commas in the title, is it the World's fastest Lotus, or not ?
It's a title that Frank claimed for himself... Hence the quotes, I guess.

liner33

10,642 posts

201 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
He knows how to make friends doesnt he ??

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

197 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
My guess is the dented rim is from the head of the other driver. He is a former NY cab driver after all.

PascalBuyens

2,868 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th April 2012
quotequote all
And BTW, the tyres (or should I say tires) he's on are apparently Kumho Ecsta V710s. Two grooves make it "DOT street legal"...
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