brucet

Just saw a video of the new Tesla Roadster being unveiled. It looks just like an Evora. Did Lotus and Tesla join up again, as they did with Tesla's original roadster?

Happy Birthday Kimbers! Bruce T from California.

By the way, just where is the oil pressure sending unit located? (95 S4s) Brucet

Thanks, Bibs! Doesn't look good for him....

Good day, everyone. I have a friend who is flying out tonight from LA to Heathrow. Should be arriving Wednesday mid-day. What's the forecast looking like for tomorrow? Has he any chance of actually getting there? Is LHR back open? We heard it had been closed on Sunday. Thanks for the input. Bruce

Weathershield. Available in the US, from many auto-parts websites. I got mine from Autoanything.com. At the time, they were the cheapest. Bruce

Damn, that's expensive! Over here (in Southern California), it's 30 USD for 5 quarts AND a Mobil 1 filter! How do you guys afford to keep your cars running? Bruce T

All of the Brits here at Disney seem to be in hiding today. Wonder why.............? Brucet

Thanks for the suggestion, Travis. I'll check it this weekend. Bruce

Thanks for the input from literally all over the world! I'll try swapping the springs from left to right first (as well as checking the right rear shock), then see if I should take the next (replacement) step. Bruce

Hi everyone. Last weeekend I noticed that the ride height in my S4s is suddenly lower on the left front than the right. The difference at the top of the front wheel arches is almost one inch. This morning I took off the wheels and had a look at the suspension, but nothing is obviously wrong--no broken spring, no leaking shock absorber. Is it possible the springs or the shocks (still the originals, but with only 36,000 miles on them) have suddenly "worn out" unevenly? Or should I start looking at other reasons? Is there some adjustment point which could have loosened-up? Looking at the repair manual, I don't see any reference to one. The car does not handle any differently than it did previously, by the way. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Bruce T.

Paul, was that first set of pics taken at Oakley Headquarters up in Foothill Ranch? It sure wasn't at Ford's HQ in Irvine, judging by the nearby mountains. Brucet

Here's what the LA Times Automotive Reporter thought about the Evora (in Friday's paper): http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-neil22-2010jan22,0,5548499.column Bruce T

That's strange. I thought LEFty was yellow. Did you respray him for this?

Excellent point. I, for one, rather enjoy the exclusivity of my Esprit. In fact, that's one of the major reasons I bought it. An equivalent Porsche (and I had a 911 prior to my Lotus) would have been far less money. But around here (Orange County, California), they're as common as VWs. I would gladly spend the "extra" cash (if I had it) to get the same feeling in an Evora. Bruce

Gunter Just in case Travis doesn't log on soon, have your Neighbor's daughter go to www.euraupair.com and explore that website. They are one of the bigger agencies, and happen to be located just up the road from me, in Laguna Beach California. Bruce t

Gunter We went down the Au Pair route for many years--German, Swiss, Czech, Swedish, Estonian, Danish--staring back in 1989. It was very easy to find girls to come to the L.A. area. Many were already here "on holiday", others arrived after telephone interviews and recommendations from mutual friends. Our daughter is now 20, so no more Au Pairs, but since 11 Sept 2001, it has become almost impossible for a young girl to get a vistor's visa to the USA if she does not have a job in her home country to return to. She would definitely not get it if she mentioned anything about being an AuPair when she went to the US Consulate to attempt to get the visa. An individual or a family cannot Sponsor her to get in, either. It is illegal to work in this country without a Work Visa, and and being a nanny does not qualify anyway. She could certainly try (maybe the rules have been relaxed somewhat) to get a visitor's visa (good for six months, and usually extendable), but I would suggest that she contact the US aupair agencies, which are still able to bring girls over legally, on what is called a "Cultural Exchange". It would be a shame if she flew all the way over to the US and tehn got turned back at the airport, becuase she could not prove she had financial backing (namely, a job back in Germany). If she comes through an Agency, she'd be here for 13 months: 12 months working for a family, and one month to travel around on her own. PM me if you'd like to find out any more. Bruce T.

I'm in San Clemente, just over the County Line from San Diego. Bruce

Just to tack on to Trapper's comments, which I think are excellent: you should also consider where you live. If you're here in Southern California, you'd have an excellent mechanic right in Orange County (Harry Appleby). But if you're out in the boondocks, most mechanics will have no idea how to work on one of these cars, or where to get parts. In that case, the Corvette might be a better choice; its lack of exclusivity will work for you when it comes time to maintain or fix it. If you ARE here in SoCal, there are a bunch of guys who can give you advice or assistance in your decision to buy or not. Good luck in either case. Bruce T

I still find it truly incredible that the Chairman of a major auto company responds to, let alone reads, the pratterings of a small group of owners of vehicles that have been out of production for four years now. Good on you, Mr. Kimberly!! And thank you for caring about the most devoted ownership group in the world. Merry Christmas to all of you, wherever you are! Bruce T

Paul, could you x-post this to http://www.evoraforum.com ? Not a good suggestion, as it turns , Hooner Bibs. I got a call today from Dave at Lotus USA, who told me that TOO many people wanted to come to this, whereas they only wanted a "select few" as Paul first said. That's why this got cancelled, he told me. Now we'll have to fight the crowds at the LA Auto Show in order to see it.

What happened? I was really looking forward to this. Were you and I the only two to appear to have interest in it? Bruce

That's pretty convenient. It's only about 7 miles from my house! See you there. Bruce

Too bad MJK is still unable to travel. I really wish I could meet him. Please wish him well from me, too, Kimbers. Who might we see in his stead at the launch, and at the "special preview" on 16 November? Brucet

DUH! That was in your original message, wasn't it? It's on my calendar! Bruce