The next person who....

[dodge1979]

I had someone say a few days ago....it looks like a ferrari....is it based on one? But what annoys me more than misrecognition is the cocky buggers who know its a lotus but delight in trying to tell me how unreliable it is and how its an assembly of old marina parts....ive got a few choice replies, but the nice ones are...have you ever owned one? No? There you go...and regarding the reliability...i reply...not this one, I built it.

But of course if it was a tvr people wouldnt mention reliability...theyd be too dazzled by the v8 and silly amounts of chrome plated this n that...

[Rich H]

I was at a classic car show a couple of months back and I figured I'd enter the 90's sports and convertible competition in amongst the MR2/Ferraris and the guy announced it was 'another Ferrari Replica of soem sort' FFS!! Ignorant dope!

Fortunately one of the judges forcefully put him right pronto!

Came second to a near brand new Mustang which seemed unfair....

[skiing]

People often thing mine is a Ferrari, mainly because it is red... I always explain that it is far better than that....

[hedgerley]

It might be the colour, but mine has been mistaken for a Lamborghini on a few occasions. But I am still surprised by how many people actually know what it is.

My favourite encounter was in my previous Esprit V8-GT. Parking up at the local train station we were politely accosted by a guy and his young son. It was the lads 10th birthday and he was being taken to Edinburgh as a treat. It turned out the youngster was besotted by the Esprit - his dad told me his bedroom walls were covered in dozens of posters, magazine articles etc. and he had myriad models, books and memorabilia dotted around the house. But he had never actually seen one up close, in 'real life'. Numerous pictures were taken and of course he had sit in the drivers seat. He said it was the best birthday present he had ever had. Made me right proud....

[molemot]

I was parked in the centre of Calais some years back, when a chap came up and told me that the Esprit Turbo was his dream car, his favourite car in all the world.....so I gave him the full sixpenny tour and let him sit in it; made his day! Cheered me up, too...

[darkcat]

Nice to make someone's day :-) was he a Frenchist or an Englander?

Poor you - god Calais is a hole!!!

[ramjet]

I had a young lad stand gazing at the car while his mum filled their car at a petrol station. His mum told him to stop staring, and he said to his mum "But it's an esprit!"

I said it was fine and spoke to the young bloke and them let him sit in it. Mum took a pic on her phone.

I'd like to think that they leave thinking all good things and that the young bloke remembers it forever.

[deloreanmike]

My DeLorean has never been mistaken for an Esprit.

[darkcat]

Its probably because people people WANT to THINK the esprit is a delorean..... They do look mighty similar from the rear, from a distance... if you squint... in the dark...

the front view couldnt be any more different IMHO. far lower nose,popup lights etc etc, oh and a lotus badge.