18/03 APRIL 2012 [ $8 ] LOTUS & Clubman Notes THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF LOTUS CLUB VICTORIA LOTUS CLUB QUEENSLAND FEATURES Birth of the Lotus Elanbulance Phillip Island Festival of Motor Sport Aussie Elises do the Tassie Twist 2012 Australian Grand Prix Auto Avenue Display www.lotus.org.au AutoBarn Narre Warren Show’n’Shine March 2012 VOLUME 18 ISSUE 03 FEATURES LOTUS 05 Another Favourite Road 06 Birth of the Lotus Elanbulance & Clubman Notes 08 Phillip Island Festival of Motor Sport 10 Geneva 2012 Here we are back on Eastern Standard (normal) Time again and the Footy is about to start in earnest. The F1 Grand Prix has been run and won – Jenson was right on the Button, 12 EMR – Dandenong and Strzeleki Ranges but Kimi Raikkonen (who always looks as if he should have is mum along to look after 14 Aussie Elises do the Tassie Twist 2012 him) acquitted himself rather admirably, given it was the fi rst outing for the Lotus Team. Grosjean did OK too. Weber almost made it to the podium. Hamilton cracked the sads. 16 Australian Grand Prix Auto Avenue Vettel upstaged him. And now the circus has moved on. As I wrote last month, what a buzz Display it gave Melbourne – and when will all the losers and naysayers get over it? We’ve got 17 Morgan Park Super Sprint the race, we should keep the race, we should NOT share it with Sydney (after all, they’d only do what they do with everything else: stuff it up and stick it out at Eastern Creek or 18 Lotus to take centre stage somewhere hard to get to) and really – we should just pay the bloody money and get on 19 AutoBarn Narre Warren Show’n’Shine with it. Congratulations must go to Channel 10 for their sensational images – the way they showed Melbourne off to the thinking world’s petrol heads was excellent work. And y’gotta 20 Deputy PM Names Lotus Director LOVE their corporate hospitality – thanx guys…it was great! (We didn’t quite manage to empty the James Boags fridge, but we gave it a good shake). BTW, our Lotus line-up in Auto Avenue looked great…well done Dennis. REGULARS The Geneva Motor Show was staged and everyone raged: Lotus has threatened to “blow the top off” and did with the new Exige S Roadster – the fi rst time an Exige has been 02 LCV President’s Pleasantries fi tted with a factory rag top. And if that wasn’t enough, our favourite Finn (minus his mum) 03 LCQ President’s Prologue showed the world his Lotus F1 Evora GTE Limited Edition. Ni-i-ice. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic the Motor Show industry rolls into New York and no doubt a million square 04 Combined Calendar of events kilometers of metal, glass, carbon fi bre and plastic, along with about 500,000 “grid girls” 21 Classifi eds will be on display for those with more money than sense to see, feel, touch and buy. As we say: Good luck with your projects, boys. Back home…the LCV Grand Prix Go-Kart Challenge was also run and won, with everyone who attended having a great night out. Our illustrious president occupied second spot on the podium. Congratulations Chief. Congratulations also to our winners: Alec Spyrou, Group 2 (The Fast Group) and Duane Wans, Group 1 (the Not-So-Fast Group). Yours truly was rubbish. If for some ridiculous or pathetic reason you were unable to make it, diarise the two Tuesdays either side of the Grand Prix in March next year, NOW. Speaking of diarizing stuff: Don’t forget the Nereo Dizane Collection on April 10th, and our inaugural track day at DECA on April 15. Peter McConnell has done a magnifi cent job to single-handedly bring this about. We still need more “Peter’s Little Helpers” so don’t be backward in coming forward. We mean you! This month we have quite a lot of Victorian content, however we have managed to squeeze in some LCQ material. As we are limiting Lotus Notes to max. 24 pages plus cover, this is not always possible, so we need your stuff early. Steve is great with a “shoehorn” and Jo- Anne’s a great designer. Together they somehow pull off a miracle every time. Once again, grateful thanx to all our contributors, most notably this month, James Elliott, Group Editor COVER IMAGE: Classic & Sports Car magazine, UK for his kind permission to reproduce our Elanbulance Lotus 70 of Class A winner cover story and images…as we always say, without your support, etc, etc, etc. Share your David Arrowsmith Lotus stories, or journeys with us but keep ‘em Lotus. We’d love to hear from you. Until we do, don’t forget… Go ’ard…or go ’ome! — J. Aitch www.lotus.org.au LOTUS & CLUBMAN NOTES APRIL 2012 [ 1 ] You boys are getting a bit carried away with your own importance! The presidents report needs to be cut by 2 paragraphs to fi t. Jo-Anne President’s pleasantries By CRAIG CHALMERS, President, LCV The rush of events continues to kick-start the busy low fl ying may not have seen all these Similar timing also had Lotus Cars releasing year in Melbourne. In March alone we had a locations but we did travel past one of my images of it’s new ‘offi cial’ soft top Exige for number of members competing at Sandown favourites, being Cape Clear with it’s lighthouse planned local sales during 2013 which should with MSCA in various modes of transport in the middle of the countryside. It is a tiny please a number of our Elise/Exige drivers who including Elises, Clubmans and GT40 replicas. country hamlet worth a stop and a look if you have been unoffi cially taking the tops of Exiges The weather did clear and the track dried in are travelling the country back roads around themselves for the wind in the hair (or what’s time for you to enjoy your day, so I hope you Ballarat. left, in a number of cases) motoring. Good fi nished it well. Numbers at the track day were to see plenty of new models and derivatives Grand Prix weekend had our BBQ at MSC slightly reduced, as on the same weekend, heading our way to keep the marque moving. Motorsports with members of the Clubman a number of our Elise and Exige owners had Builders Group and the GT40 Club joining us. The April track day at Deca for Sunday the headed to Tassie for a week, travelling the With many of our Lotus members attending 15th has now been fi nalised and you should Apple Isle. The photos and roads designed for and displaying their cars at the Grand Prix, have received the entry form and supp regs Lotii make it one that should be on your bucket the turnout was less than expected, however via email as well as it being available for list if you haven’t already done it. watching qualifying on the big screen whilst download from the website. This is a good Over the March long weekend we had an EMR enjoying a beverage and a BBQ was very much opportunity for those who are hesitant or new to Gippsland and the Shannons walk display enjoyed by all. Thanks to Jack Burns for his to pushing their cars, to be able to explore their at the Phillip Island Historics. Unfortunately organising and catering. ability and that of their vehicles in a safe and I couldn’t make it to either of these events controlled environment. For those regular track As mentioned we had a surprising response however I hear good reports back that those day entrants this is also an opportunity to try a from members for the Automotive Avenue involved thoroughly enjoyed themselves. different circuit to the usuals at a very cheap display as part of the Grand Prix, however 29 price. For those with experience, if you do see With the end of my cricket season freeing up applications does not go into 15 places, so a newbie looking a little lost or overwhelmed some time a family camping trip to Ballarat had apologies to those who missed out. I hope you on the day please help them out and give them been declared. I did manage to retrieve the tent weren’t too disappointed; for those who made a hand. The club expect a small group and lots from the bottom of the cupboard and remember the cut, I trust all went well and you enjoyed of runs for all on both the closed road as well how to put it up, however there was no chance your weekend trackside. as the skidpan. A reminder as per the supp regs of fi tting all the camping gear in the Europa Sunday was the big day and a great race, but that a CAMS licence (also available on the day), so the Sportwagon was the vehicle of choice. another disappointment for Webber although current club membership (remember your card Nice weather helped the family enjoy a good it was his best result at Albert Park. Daniel expires on the 31st March), a fi re extinguisher weekend of unwinding and doing something Ricciardo showed that he is one to watch and a helmet will be required. I remind out of the norm. The weekend concluded with and might be after Webber’s seat very soon. members of the option to travel up on the a return trip via Warrnambool to retrieve our Kimi drove well in the Lotus for a solid result Saturday and stay overnight taking advantage dog from Karen’s parents.