1968 Lotus Super Seven Reviews

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2015 Lotus Exige S auto.

In a year when the overall car market shrank, all but a handful of prestige brands increased sales. Buyers don't just want a good car; they want others to see they have one, helping everyone from Maserati to Mercedes-Benz post gains.The trend is accelerating and a steady stream of new models in 2015 only adds to the impetus. CarsGuide looks at what's in store for the premium players this year.It isn't hard to foresee the popularity of the 4C two-seat coupe when it hits showrooms next month. This baby supercar uses a carbon-fibre tub, mid-engine layout and minimalist interior to present a modern incarnation of a stripped-down racer. Pricing will be $80,000-$100,000. The soft-top Spider is due in October. The Alfa Giulietta also gets an update.A steady new model rollout starts in February with the arrival of the TT coupe for just under $80,000. It will be joined by the soft-top roadster midyear and the TT S performance model in August or September. The plug-in petrol-electric A3 e-tron five-door hatch is due in May with an expected price of $60,000, with the Q7 large SUV due late in the year. Updates or variants include the A6/A7, RS6/RS7, A1, RS3 and Q3/RSQ3.New metal is in short supply at the British brand but two models will join the line-up, starting with the Vantage S Roadster at a shade under $420,000. If that isn't exclusive enough, consider the $500,000 Vanquish Carbon using the same V12 but with eight forward ratios in place of the Vantage's seven.BENTLEYChauffeurs will going cap-in-hand to buyers of the Mulsanne Speed for the chance to steer the best Bentley ever. A twin-turbo V8 cranks out 1100Nm - only the Bugatti Veyron can torque itself up as a more powerful production model - to push the 2.7-tonne limo into triple figures in 4.9 seconds. Pricing has yet to be set but if you have to ask, you can't afford it.There's a lot of product in the pipeline this year but only one all-new car. The X1 will switch to front-wheel drive when the second-generation model arrives in the third quarter. The X1 will look more mini-SUV than compact wagon, aligning it with the X3 and X5. Top-end versions will be all-wheel drive. Updates and new variants include the 2 Series convertible, X5M/X6M, 6 Series/X6, 3 Series, X4 M40i and X5 e-Drive.The 458 range has a Speciale A due next month. The 499 examples of the alloy hardtop model are already sold, meaning the $635,000 two-seater is likely to be a smart investment. Keep an eye on the classifieds.The struggle to be a serious prestige player continues for Infiniti with a major model overhaul due in 2016. A refreshed Q70 flagship is due midyear with a nip-and-tuck for the bumpers, updated interior trim and more safety software.The transition from niche player to prestige powerhouse is predicated on the XE sedan being a genuine rival for the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and BMW C-Class. Specs indicate the engines are up to the job, so it comes down to how well it can be priced in Australia. There will be updates for the F-Type coupe and convertible and XF sedan.Styling that echoes the Evoque and a premium interior mark the Discovery Sport, debuting in May. Essentially a replacement for the Freelander, the Sport is a serious off-roader with 600mm wading depth and four-wheel drive. Also expect a Range Rover Sport SVR, Range Rover hybrid and updated Evoque.A compact performance sedan, the RC F will cost $133,500, making it a 'budget' alternative to the Germans. The naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 isn't quite on par with the Euro competition but neither is the price. The GS F mid-sized sedan will use the same engine and is due later in the year, price undisclosed. The NX200 will get a new turbo engine.No new news is still good news for Lotus aspirants. An automatic Exige - the brand's first self-shifter - is due in the second quarter. Expect to pay around $9000 for the clutch-less version, putting the price above $135,000. An updated Evora should land late with less weight and improved interior.An 'affordable' McLaren is due late in the year with an entry level Sport model priced at more than $300,000. That puts it in the higher echelons of Porsche 911 territory - but still well below typical McLaren prices.Australia's top-selling prestige brand rolls out a range of new toys this year to expand its appeal. The action starts with the AMG GT and C63 AMG in the second quarter, both using a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Skip ahead to Q3 and there's the new GLE (formerly known as the ML) and GLE coupe SUVs, followed by the CLA Shooting Brake and the much-needed GLC compact SUV. Other updates or variants include the S63 coupe, CLS, B-Class and S500 coupe.The action starts with an entry-level five-door Mini Cooper One at $25,600 in February. It is powered by a three-cylinder engine with 75kW/180Nm. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the John Cooper Works three-door hatch, which will be the Mini with the most mumbo ever when it arrives midyear at an estimated $48,000.There's plenty to whet the appetite for performance enthusiasts, even if it is all clad in existing bodywork. The base V6 and performance GTS Cayenne SUV models are due next month, followed by the Turbo S midyear. An update of the 911 should make it before Christmas and Santa may deliver the new GT4 Cayman at the same time.The XC90 large SUV is due midyear with prices starting from about $90,000. A more affordable alternative will be the V60 Cross Country due late in the year from $65,000. The elevated version of the V60 wagon will be sold in FWD and AWD guise.

Watch the Lotus F1 team's semi-trailer jump over one of their F1 cars to set a new world record.An oft-quoted factoid in motorsport circles is that a Formula One racer can drive upside down in a tunnel.A never-quoted factoid is that you can jump a Formula One transporter over a Formula One racer.Enter stuntmen Mike Ryan and Martin Ivanov who went out and did just that, and set a world record in the process.Martin - whose credentials as a stuntman include work on the James Bond movies - slides the Lotus F1 racer underneath the team's semi-trailer.The truck - with The Fast and the Furious alumni Mike behind the wheel - sails majestically through the air before landing a world record-setting 83 feet 7 inches away from where it took off.Whether or not you can drive a Formula One transporter on the roof of a tunnel remains to be seen.

New S-Class Coupe to make Australian debut at Motorclassica, along with appearances from Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin and Lotus.Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building will play host to Motorclassica this weekend, as over 500 cars and motorcycles fill the world-heritage listed building and its surrounding grounds.Celebrating classic cars and bikes, Motorclassica started as a concourse event but has since grown to become a motor show-style exhibition which has attracted attention from several iconic sports car marques.Among the classic cars at this year's event will be new models from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Lotus, Caterham and Morgan.Each of these brands have rich histories, and Motorclassica gives manufacturers a platform to build on this heritage with their latest models.S-Class Coupe will be available with a number of powertrains, including the 430kW/900Nm AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8Mercedes-Benz was the first contemporary manufacturer to debut a new model at Motorclassica last year, and will use this year's event to reveal its new S-Class Coupe to an Australian audience for the first time.The new model is Mercedes' flagship luxury coupe, replacing the CL-Class range, and will rival the Bentley Continental when it goes on sale locally in the first quarter of next year.Though Australian specifications are still unconfirmed, the S-Class Coupe will be available with a number of powertrains, including the 430kW/900Nm AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 aboard the S63 performance flagship.Maserati will celebrate 100 years in the automotive business at this year's show and is expected to be represented strongly with iconic past models. The Italian marque's new Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans will also be on display, along with the Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio two-door models.Jaguar will showcase its F-Type R Coupe, the firm's most powerful production model ever, while fellow British brand Aston Martin will have a Vanquish and V8 Vantage on display.Lotus will also show a pair of mid-engine Exige S sports cars, one hardtop and one roadster.The show will also celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang with a special display featuring the most desirable and classic Pony cars, although the new 2015 model due to go on sale in Australia next year won't make the show.Motorclassica 2014 will run between October 24-26 at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building.

Ateco Automotive, which also imports Chery and Lotus cars, last week announced it had taken over the Australian distribution of Foton Tunland utes from Queensland-based FAA Automotive.Ateco last year took over the local distribution of Chinese-made Foton trucks from TransPacific Industries, which had struggled to sell the cut-price machines at the same dealerships as its Western Star trucks. Ateco spokesman, Daniel Cotterill, says the company was happy to have the Foton ute business although it didn't try to poach it from FAA.  "This development came at the request of Foton (in China)," Cotterill says. "They came to us and said that it is not working for whatever reason, let's do this."Cotterill says Ateco and Foton are still working out the details of the models it will use to re-launch the brand locally in the middle of this year. Working Wheels understands the crew cab version will be a certain starter, although the recently launched single cab may not be in the new line-up. Ateco is also not ready to start discussing prices of the Foton utes, but Cotterill says "we will come back with sharper pricing."Rivals have suggested Foton had initially asked too much for its crew cab ute, launched in 2002 from $28,000 to $35,000, and underestimated the caution with which most Australian customers approach a new brand from China. The Foton utes will not be as cheap as the Great Wall workhorses, which start from $17,990, partly because they use more brand name componentry such as Cummins engines and also because of higher quality levels.Cotterill says Great Wall was not worried that Ateco was taking on another ute brand because the company has already shown it can import rival brands without problems. Ateco will also consider passenger versions of Foton vehicles if they are made available for Australia. 

There's always a great deal of interest any time one of the cars used in a 007 movie is offered for sale. And you can probably multiply that by 59 times for the collection of Bond vehicles owned by US real estate mogul Michael Dezer.Dezer is known for  development on a grand scale: nearly the entire suburb of Chelsea in NewYork, and several massive projects in Florida including partnerships with Donald Trump for the 900 million Trump Towers, $600 million Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences and the $166 million Trump International Hotel and Tower.And Florida is also where he garages his collection of 1800 vehicles, including the 59 genuine Bond ones he's selling, each of which has appeared in one of the movies.The catch is that Dezer insists they be bought as one lot, for US$33 million ($37 million). But the buyer will have a fairly comprehensive sample across the Bond series.Among the 59 are a Fairey Huntress boat used in 1963's From Russia With Love and an Audi A5 and Land Rover Defender used in the most recent film, Skyfall, for the kickstarter car chase scenes.From films in between, there are a brace of Aston Martin DB5 coupes, one of which helmed by Pierce Brosnan for Goldeneye -- and the Russian T55 tank from the film. The famed Lotus Esprit S1 that morphed into a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me is also one of star vehicles, as are the armoured and armed BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day.There are also more everyday wheels, including the Citroen 2CV from For Your Eyes Only, and a replica of the AMC Hornet from The Man With The Golden Gun. The collection has been on display at the Dezer Musuem in Miami, and it's likely the buyer will do something similar once the deal is done.And while it will make a little space in the Dezer garage, there are still plenty of interesting cars staying there, including the 1948 Ford from Grease,  the 1981 DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Ghostbusters 1959 Cadillac, an original Batmobile, the Lamborghini Social Experiment Project AU 79, and many, many more.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

You now have a choice of hard top (coupe) or soft top (roadster) versions of Lotus' Exige S following the arrival of the low slung "drop top" this week.

A row of lolly-coloured cars is moving down an assembly line as though the colour sequence had been chosen for maximum effect.

In 2010, one of the James Bond Aston Martins from “Goldfinger” sold at auction for a jaw dropping 4.7 million dollars. Meanwhile, the Lotus Esprit submarine car driven by Sir Roger Moore in the Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me” is scheduled to go under the hammer. It is the only working example of the six Lotus Esprits used in filming. The Esprit was shipped off to Long Island, New York when filming ended, where it was stored for 10-years in a container. After the lease on the storage unit ran out the contents were sold in a blind auction. When the couple who won the bid discovered what they had bought, they had the Lotus authenticated and now have it for sale. What's it worth? Who knows, but rest assured, someone will pay big money for it. The replica Ferrari stolen by Matthew Broderick in “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” will also go to auction soon. Expect serious money to be thrown around.  Remember the 1970s TV detective show “The Rockford Files” starring James Garner? The fictional private eye, Jim Rockford, always drove a gold Pontiac Firebird Esprit. And yep, you guessed right. There are collectors who seek out the 18 Firebirds used during the six years of the series. Garner kept one car when the series closed. In the mid-eighties he gave it to a charity auction .It was won by the proverbial little old lady. It's been through a few hands since then and now resides in Iowa. In “Back to the Future”, Michael J. Fox sped through time in a sleek DeLorean. In Dec 2011, one of the seven DeLoreans used in the trilogy fetched $540,000 at auction. The iconic Batmobile from the 1960s television show sold for $4.62 million at action earlier this year. Holy cow, Batman!! Famed car customiser George Barris built the Batmobile in 15 days with a budget of $15,000, basing it on the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car he'd bought from Ford for $1 a few years earlier. The black Falcon coupe from the Mad Max films almost went to the blast furnace. After the second Mad Max movie it was left in an Adelaide wrecker’s yard until rescued and restored. You can now see it in the Dezer Museum, Miami, Florida. And then there are the Pontiacs used in Burt Reynolds classic “Smokey and The Bandit”. They are out there somewhere. So start looking and start saving! www.retroautos.com.au  

Lotus has been led by managers at Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom since early 2012 and since then we’ve heard little on the progress of the British sports car manufacturer.DRB-Hicom previously said it was committed to keeping Lotus as well as keeping production of Lotus cars in the UK, but stopped short of stating whether we’d see any new models in the near future.One hope had been a new Esprit supercar, the only model from the six-car lineup Lotus’ previous CEO Dany Bahar had envisioned. However, getting the Esprit into production will take hundreds of millions of dollars, money Lotus just doesn’t have and which DRB-Hicom, understandably, may be reluctant to provide.Speaking with Business Times, DRB-Hicom managing director Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil said his company had spent the previous year settling Lotus’ financial issues and other commitments and that it has a new three-year plan. Unfortunately, that three-year plan won’t see any new models launched but rather updates of existing cars."We are coming out with the variants based on existing products--variants with improved technology, improved performance, improved quality as well as improved costing," he said, adding that those will be based on the Evora, Exige and Elise.The first of these has already been launched in the form of the 2013 Lotus Elise S Club Racer, a stripped-out version of the Elise designed for the track.www.motorauthority.com