Factory Five's Quasi-Clone

[Rick Chattell]

I reckon you guys are being a bit harsh [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

It is a little unusual - and when compared to a 40 obviously not as attractive - but it is not THAT bad.

Might be worth waiting for the MK 2 though - as my old flying instructor once said "never fly the MK1 of anything"!

Speaking of quotes - there was a good one on this site a while back I think "If it drives, sails or fucks - hire it!"

Rick [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Ian K]

[ QUOTE ]
It appears to me that they got a rear glass from some "semi-rare" domestic car, I don't know what, just something that everyone would not recognize, then designed the entire rear of the car around it. The end result is, as mentioned, good to the B Pillar then goes to hell. IMHO of course.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, it reminds me of the last gen 300ZX a tad in back.

Ian

[F3L]

What I see here is an attempt to blend in a '60's era greenhouse into a 21st century design, just doesn't work from an aesthetic point of view, if they were to streamline the back to a more tapered shape, it might improve the styling from the B-pillar onwards, however, that would require new backglass and as someone has pointed out, looks like they're using donor glass. Compromise, OK for engineering, not good for design.

Rick

[Keith Hardy]

Well here's a first. As if to prove that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, over on the Elise board, someone who will remain nameless (P Crew of Suffolk England) had THIS to say about the GT40

"I remember the GT 40 at Le Mans, but, to me, it's just a Ford... always was, always will be. One brutish and very ugly racer built to win, with no heritage! Only worth money for the rarity value and certainly not the beauty of the car"

Oh dear....

[Mark Worthington]

Somebody get a rope...

[Keith Hardy]

OK?

[Lynn]

It was the rear quartering view and, especially, the green house which reminded me of the Daytona Prototypes. But, of course, the nose is all wrong for a DP. But, the unbroken slope from the chin splitter to the base of the windscreen has become somewhat of a cliche lately, so a more classic nose with a true grill area is probably fitting.

As for P. Crew, he obviously doesn't know the difference between his arse and a hole in the ground. Nor does he know anything about the heritage of the GT40's body stylings. As an Englishman, he ought to know better. Make sure you find a good stout oak tree and make him stand on a GT40 so it's the last thing he sees!

Regards,
Lynn

[Keith Hardy]

Well said Lynn, if only Henry VIII hadn't cut all the oak trees down to build the Navy! Interestingly, he got well flamed on the (Lotus) Elise board for that statement and images of '40's started popping up on their board by affronted Lotus owners (way long term connection with Fords). If he's got any sense - he's already in hiding. No heritage? Henry (Ford, not the VIII) practically invented motor racing!!!!

PS Sorry 'bout the Chevy to the left - Brighton Speed Trials 1986. I'll dig out my Shelby pics later.

[F3L]

Lotus snob...

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[JOSEPH]

We have all been waiting for someone to cross a GT-40 with a Camero. What a great idea. Boy I bet they will sell a lot of them. Joe [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Malcolm]

Always the loner....I like it! I think I would pop a wing on the rear but other than that and a conversion to proper right hand drive of course.....

Does anyone know what the asking price is?

[osborni]

Price is not set yet, but from $20 to $25K (US) for the kit with another 5-10 for a corvette donor car. Probably $35-$45K total for a complete car.

[ChrisL]

[ QUOTE ]
I remember the GT 40 at Le Mans, but, to me, it's just a Ford... always was, always will be. One brutish and very ugly racer built to win, with no heritage!

[/ QUOTE ]

"just a Ford" - Someone should remind this Lotus fan that a Ford Cosworth heart beat inside the Lotus F1 cars during the only era (and category) in which they dominated. Then when Lotus were all spent, Ford Cosworths continued to dominate inside other makes of F1 cars, becoming one of the most winingest engines of the 60's 70's and 80's.

"One brutish and very ugly racer" - actually, the GT40 was built purely with functionality in mind and the first to use a wind tunnel in the design process and in doing so wrote the book on how a mid-engined road car should look. In fact, it was such a hit that the Lotus Elise borrowed almost all of its design queues from it… 35 years later! not to mention the Lamborghini Muira, Ferrari F50, MacLaren F1 and countless other low-production racers.

"built to win" - OH NO! It wasn't was it? Now I'll have to tear down all my GT40 posters and buy some Volvo posters instead (no offence intended Volvo owners).

"with no heritage" - Ummmm, where do I start here? I think he may be confusing Focus with Heritage. The fact that Ford built mum-and-dad cars at the same time does not degate their race success. Suffice to say that Ford were racing before Lotus was even an idea. The GT40 project transformed the world of motorsport from a game between wealthy enthusiasts, to the modern professional sport that it is today.

Now don't get me wrong. I am a Lotus fan and have lots of admiration for the make, but as far as heritage is concerned, Lotus only ever had one good design idea, and that was that a race car should be uncompromisingly light. But even that idea was borrowed from Bugatti . Lotus just took it to the next level. (Colin Chapman once claimed that the ideal race car should fall to bits the moment it crossed the finish line, otherwise it was over-engineered). However, once all other teams accepted this concept, Lotus never dominated in any form of international motor sport ever again. EVER! They simply ran out of ideas.

... I guess I'm preaching to the converted here. Someone, feel free to post this on the Lotus forum [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[BarryD]

Yeah Yeah.
Didn't realise Stevie Wonder was a Lotus fan.

I know its one of the oldest, but if we are hurling abuse, one of the truest is to remind ourselves what LOTUS stands for.

Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.

BD