OV9

IanF wrote: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:17 am

mik wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 8:40 am Just in case anyone needs reminding how good the V8 that you’re about to pull apart looks. Particularly on these wheels (better than the Sport350 wheels for me).

I nearly bought one of those in 2000/01 - it was between that and a 4.5 Cerbera.. after seeing the many oil stains on the drive of the chap’s house, my father wisely suggested I get a more reliable car for my daily nd so I bought a CLK230 with a plan to get the Lotus/TVR in the future (obviously the future hasn’t happened yet, so I’m still waiting!)

I nearly did the same thing round about the same time. That car still looks really great, it's perfectly proportioned and I do wonder how they'd be to drive today.

Didn’t someone on the forum of old have one?

Mike Rainbird?

It was the chap married to the girl on here, for some reason I'm thinking stormtroopers.

I think it was a red one ?

Dave!

Cal and Foxy?

That was twenty years ago though!

That's the one!

Dave!

Had a 355 though not an esprit didn’t they?

Mike was the one with a red esprit, and still has as I saw it a couple of months ago.

Yup, that's right actually.

Look it was mid engined - give me a break

THIS is more interesting to me than the restomod one (although I’d pass on the afterburner rear lights - at least the ugly multi-element headlights aren’t visible most of the time).

mik wrote: Thu Feb 26, 2026 5:50 pm THIS is more interesting to me than the restomod one (although I’d pass on the afterburner rear lights - at least the ugly multi-element headlights aren’t visible most of the time).

Don't like the front or rear lights. Nor the wheels, in that application. I've always loved the Esprit though, and thought "aren't they were expensive to own?" and then saw some of the bills

For a car that's had that much money thrown at it...it still seems a bit, I dunno, rough around the edges? I think I'd just smash the pension fund and get this instead:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-detail ... 9196464037

Totally confused myself as I idly watched the end of the auction > 2 folk in a bidding war. 2mins to go….. 3mins to go…. Hang on.

So on that site the timer goes back to 3mins when a new bid comes in

Yeah, that's how it should be IMO to avoid sniping and so sellers get the price they "should"

But £48,500 + fees (near £52k) feels like a spicy value to me looking at those pics. Appreciate it's had some money spent, but still...