TLF GT430 Club

[C8RKH]

Yup. They're not china ornaments or silver candlesticks to be polished lol....

They're cars. Meant to be used and driven.

It's like having a mistress you never @@@@. An expensive waste of time.

[blindside]

3 hours ago, OakMan said:

t’s a tricky one with these cars isn’t it Jimmy.  They’re built as a road to track car like a GT Porsche.  The latest RS models are seemingly now criticised for being too track biased !  Leaving a ‘standard’ GT3 / 4 as the road to track day version.  Forgetting the Porsche GT product unobtanium tax 😉

Yes Paul, although the RS models are always primarily designed to be the track focused version. That said they are still very practical & easy to live with for regular road use & touring etc. So some compromise is provided. However, as you point out the most recent 992 GT3 RS has really pushed the boundaries towards an outright (albeit still fully road compliant) track car. No storage space, active aero & active driver inputs to dampers, LSD, TC etc to suit track conditions. No criticism of it that I am aware of, rather most enthusiasts are absolutely blown away by the capabilities it provides. Of course it is impossible to get one unless you pay double list.

[OakMan]

You are so right Jimmy. 

I was loaned by a friend his 991.2 GT3 RS Weissach car for a week up in the Lake District where he kept it.  I was amazed by how compliant it was, apart from the new major link roads in the Lakes the rest are narrower and not in the best condition, its only difficulty was the width, which our Evoras can't be much narrower. 

Token snap of his car as used in typical Lakeland conditions

[blindside]

Nice colour combo; crayon on satin aurum (gold) rims. Great mate you have Paul & super roads in the Lakes to drive it on.
With Porsche GT cars the 991.2 RS with the Weissach pack is the real sweet spot in my opinion. Still analogue enough for an experienced amateur driver and very practical with the large front boot retained. I was fortunate in finding one in the exact spec I was after back in Feb and did 2k miles touring the Pyrenees/Andorra in it back in June. It included 7-8 hour shifts behind the wheel with no discomfort whatsoever. Also goes like shit off a shovel as you know, but not overpowered. Tbh it is the best all round performance car I’ve ever driven by a good margin.

[OakMan]

Fantastic car Jimmy. Bravo, I love it.  
 

I was so impressed by his, it didn’t feel big once on the move.  As a true compliment to our 430’s they have a lot of similar ‘feel’ on the road I thought.  
 

I didn’t seriously open it up - not my car, mind you I more than doubled the mileage on it in that week - which he was ok with !  I couldn’t agree more with your summary of them. 

[blindside]

11 minutes ago, OakMan said:

 As a true compliment to our 430’s they have a lot of similar ‘feel’ on the road I thought

Totally agree! Plus there’s that V6 soundtrack that harks back to early 90s F1 cars. For the trained ear not much out there sounds as good, (with the possible exception of V12 Vantage). 😎

[OakMan]

"For the trained ear not much out there sounds as good, (with the possible exception of V12 Vantage). 😎"

That's what did it for me, following a 410 in my Elan for the filming of the promo video for LITP 3 years ago !  Mighty expensive exhaust note 🤣 it's stunning.

I can't remember if I told you the outcome with my car, it was the ECU that had failed.  Lotus allowed a bit of goodwill on its cost and Central fitted & re programmed it.  Unfortunately I missed this years event, I was due to lead one of the Classic runs again but ended up in hospital before it, ended up being 4 weeks. 

[blindside]

Hope you’re OK now & fully ‘back on the road’ Paul.

[scotty435]

2 hours ago, OakMan said:

"For the trained ear not much out there sounds as good, (with the possible exception of V12 Vantage). 😎"

That's what did it for me, following a 410 in my Elan for the filming of the promo video for LITP 3 years ago !  Mighty expensive exhaust note 🤣 it's stunning.

I can't remember if I told you the outcome with my car, it was the ECU that had failed.  Lotus allowed a bit of goodwill on its cost and Central fitted & re programmed it.  Unfortunately I missed this years event, I was due to lead one of the Classic runs again but ended up in hospital before it, ended up being 4 weeks. 

What 410 did you follow on the LITP promo video? If it was my last Lotus it would make feel very privileged getting you into a very special car,  I do hope it was yellow in colour if not that privileged as to go a other owner of a fantastic car. Sorry to hear about your misfortune’s this year and hopefully things will get better in the future👍

[OakMan]

Hi Scotty,

I followed Ray the main organiser of LITP.  He was in a Riviera Blue 410, it wasn’t his but a friend of his car.  I was in my Sprint.  It was the promo video shoot.  
 

I did the promo video the year after in my S1 Elise - it turned out they used footage of that quite a bit which I didn’t expect.  

[OakMan]

3 hours ago, blindside said:

Hope you’re OK now & fully ‘back on the road’ Paul.

I drove briefly on Sunday for first time since mid June.  I’ve had a bit of a year with unexpected health issues. 
 

Well on the mend now thank you Jimmy.  I contracted a hospital infection in mid June when I went in for something minor.   I caught EColi which attacked my joints and ended in my right knee.  Technically it is septic Arthritis and it totally disabled my knee and leg. Im just off crutches now and getting around better.  
 

not driven a Lotus since early June 🥲

[DH2]

23 hours ago, EGTE said:

Definitely one to watch.

Indeed.  Although Targa Florio look quite interested, so expect it to be on sale with them shortly for £20k over the auction price

[C8RKH]

Haven't Targa Florio got history with Lotus cars? Buying them cheap, trying to flog them high, then eventually cutting the price in stages till it sells, often many months later?  I may be wrong.

[jep]

Targa F do bid on lots of stuff. They did well on Evora 400 for £38k, sold for £46k. Not sure if they sold the LF1 they bought. They tried £70k, down to £63k I think. They paid £55k or thereabouts

Justin 

[C8RKH]

Great margins. If it works for them then fine, but knowing those prices, if I was in the market, I'd be looking to bid on the auctions and using the money saved to self warranty to be honest.

[blindside]

Jonny’s @The Pits latest video adds a useful 430 owner specific dimension to this discussion:

 

[MrBlueSky]

Can honestly say I've never understood the concept of keeping any modern cars mileage down at such crazy low levels.

In fact I think cars drive better after 10k. 

No mileage anxiety here. My '21 Evora 410, bought new, is now at 12K, used daily for even the mundane journeys. Part of the reason I went with the Evora was because of recognised reliability, and it has been 100%. In fact the gear change in particular has lost some of the tightness it's often criticised for and the engine is noticeably more free reving.

My other "collectable" is a clio V6, bought at 6k and used regularly for 18 years, now with 55k.  That probably makes me one of the lucky few in the country that has done decent mileage at the wheel.

I find it funny when you listen to folk talking about their special edition GT being this or that compared to the competition but they've only driven it for 1000 miles.

They are cars, not art, get them driven.

[DarrylV8]

Not sure driving the Clio just over 2.5k a year is driving that regular?

Although do agree with your last sentence they are cars not art and should be driven 

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

The more fun cars you have, the fewer miles they each get driven: you can only drive one at a time. The collector I sold my Lotus Omega to had hundreds of cars. I used to check the MOT mileage each year after I sold it. Most years it would only go up by the short distance to the MOT station and back!

[MrBlueSky]

Put like that, I see your point, but it is most definitely used without thought for mileage.

Just to add some Lotus perspective to this thread, my second Lotus was an S1 Sport 160 bought from a dealer at 1year old with 18k on the clock, previous owner Lotus cars.

I can't imagine that wasn't well exploited before I got it but that high mileage brought the price down to a point I could afford over a standard S1.

Mechanically it was again faultless over the 20k I subsequently put on it.

Regarding the 430 here, I think that might represent peak Evora spec for me. The Empire green is outstanding. My major concern would be the amount of times major items have been removed and refitted to make modifications. That can often "tell" on a car over time unless done meticulously.

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

Another limit to mileage driven each year in a fun car is family status. Like you with your Clio V6, I had a Renault 5 Turbo 2 for 14 years, so a strict 2 seater. During the first 11 years it was my only fun car and got driven about 2000 - 2500 miles per year. Then we had our first child and suddenly the family wouldn’t fit. That year mileage dropped to 1000 miles, so just Sunday morning solo A to A drives and the odd car show. Then I bought an additional family-friendly fun car (Integrale) and the Renault mileage dropped to 500 p.a. Finally child number two came along and I managed only 250 miles that year, so decided to sell.

Thereafter followed 4 seaters (Subaru WRX, 22B & Lotus Omega) and 2+2s (Evora LE, Evora GTE & Ferrari Mondial T cabrio).

I am approaching the time of life when things will have gone full circle in a year or two, since the children will be going off to university and it will just be me and the Mrs again. The kids still fit in the back of the Ferrari, but have long-since outgrown the GTE, so I have only managed to drive that <250 miles in the past year! Nevertheless I am keeping it to enjoy more during the autumn of my years.

[MrBlueSky]

The stand out comment there is.."I needed family friendly so went for an Integrale"

You sir are a man of fine taste and excellent man maths.

Sounds like I've been through a similar path with my v6 to you with the 5 Turbo 2 regarding usage. Things coming full circle for me too. The oldest refuses to get in the back of the Evora now.

[Jedifar]

On 21/09/2023 at 12:01, blindside said:

Jonny’s @The Pits latest video adds a useful 430 owner specific dimension to this discussion:

 

I was about to reference this, Doc Pitt has been the best source for 430 content on youtube and my inspiration for my fed 430 conversion.

That being said, I find it heartbreaking that he is considering selling his 430 given the finances tied to it which is understandable. But the sentiment for all the garage 'queens' attitude specifically pertaining to the 430 is something I don't understand. The 430 is such an incredibly rare car, you could consider it an exotic of an exotic. With only 60 of them worldwide, I can't imagine ever losing money on the car, in any circumstance other than complete neglect. Given its discontinued, best iteration of the fastest car Lotus has ever made status, I can't imagine that any 430 with any mileage would not appreciate a large amount in the years to come (the further out, the more it'll appreciate). 

So personally, I'm not able to understand this whole attitude and anxiety preventing people from enjoying these cars. Maybe its the jealous and oblivious side of me across the pond but I think you all should be rest assured. I don't think the few grand you might lose on such a rare gem of a car are worth missing out on thrashing it on track and racking up the miles 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Jedifar

[scotty435]

60k unsold. No surprise there unless the owner needs the money.

 

 

 

[jep]

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2018-lotus-evora-gt430-1

No sale, no surprise.