Some new pics.. Lotus in the Alps

[rob_e1]

Some great driving roads in France.. had a real blast in the lotus prior to Le Mans.

Early morning, Route Napoleon. A couple of minutes later we met up with a Swiss 360 spider and had a great run together:
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Route_Napoleon1.JPG

Route Napoleon is lots of stuff like this, twisty but fast, armco and a big drop:
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Route_Napoleon2.jpg

This is later on, driving up into the alps from Mento (Col De Castillion):
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Col_De_Castillion_704m.jpg

This is Col de Turini, where the monte carlo rally is held:
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Col_de_Turini1.jpg

At the top of Col de Turini:
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Col_de_Turini_1604m.jpg

Highest point we went to was Col de la Cayolle which is 2325m. The white stuff is snow btw ;)
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Col_de_la_Cayolle_2326m.jpg

Faster drive after we left the highest peaks thu what is skiing country in the winter time:
http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-St_Martin_V.jpg

There are a whole load more but these give you a flavour. Oh, and Le Mans was great too ;)

2368 miles in total and the esprit ran faultlessly the whole trip.

Planning next years trip now... thinking maybe Futa Pass (opening sequence of the Italian Job) or maybe St Bernadina Pass or Stelvio and into Italy.. :D

Hope you like the pics. Cheers
Rob

[rob_e1]

Oh, and one more for the ferrari fans..

This is the car park of the Formule 1 hotel Le Mans nord on friday night (ie day before the race starts). For those of you who don't know, the Fomule 1 hotel is 26 euros a night (about $30us) so super-cheap. In the car park we had: My esprit, two 550 maranellos, 355 spider, 360m, about 10 porsches, four TVR's, Ultima, classic Jag e-type and THREE F40's!

http://server6.uploadit.org/files/robellis-Le_Mans_2004_079.jpg

[rob_e1]

Yes, you are correct - f1 hotels have shared toilets and showers :) . I think its just something about the british sense of humour.. 8)

[cooperluke]

Just a thing.... why are the F40s parked on the places for handicaps??

Duuuh

[Ghostbat]

3 F40:s in handicap parkingspaces..

[schnell318]

That must have been one nice trip man. Beatiful twisty roads and a Lotus :D ...hope I can do something like that one day.

That car park is just crazy in such a cheap hotel!

Cheers

[1zippo1]

This is the kinda trip I dream about... man do I wish I was going to do that this summer.

I'll have fun, for sure. But damn I would like to travel with a Lotus Esprit instead of a Yaris :?

[TT]

Very nice pics! And the F40 at the F1 hotel are crazy :D

but they are idiots too... check out wich places they used, assholes :(

[nejcdolinsek]

Is it just me, or do I see some plastic sheets on the front of the F40s?

Gerat pics :D

[TT]

Just to protect it from high speed highway traveling I bet ;)

[schnell318]

The F40 in the middle seems to have Lexan windows, I didn´t know you could have normal or those like in the 360CS.

[rob_e1]

TT - Yep, they had some temporary plastic stone chip protection film on them.

schnell318 - i believe the early cars had sliding windows. The later cars had the 'normal' manual windup windows.

[BADMIHAI]

WOW! Stunning views there. And three F40s in the same place is crazy. I have yet to see my first F40. :roll:

[he7lius]

Very nice photos and i think the Lotus is still one of the best looking supercars ever made.

Its the shape i used to draw my dream supercar. :D

[astonmartinandy]

Great photos - do you have any higher resolution? Are the roads really as good as they look :twisted: ??

[TT]

Are the roads really as good as they look


Hehe, I basically live into the Alps (well, very close anyway), and yes, there are some fin, and I mean FINE roads and apline passes spread all over them :D in winter sadly most of them are closed, but in this period of the year it is a blast to drive through the Alps for sure :D

[RC45]

Great pictures and great trip. Looks awesome, and those are the roads to drive.

Y'all sure are quick to slam the fa40 owners for using the handicapped spots - but how do you know they didn't just pull them in there for the photoshoot - or that the hotel was full and those were the only spots left - or, God forbid, they chose to park near the entrance to let the staff keep an eye on their cars.

But I guess it is much easier and controversial to just assume they are assholes for using the handicapped spots... :roll:

[TT]

Well for sure it could be just for the pics, the only way to put them together for it... but even if it's just for 2 minutes for luggages or such, you simply can't park in such spots if you are not handicapped... it's irrespectfull and usually when an handicapped person finds his spot taken the excuse he usually get is always "oh it was just for a quick errand.. it was the only free spot..." hehe well, who cares... even if one of those spots were the ONLY free one in the whole Europe, if you don't qualify, you don't park there...

[Erez]

8) great stuff!
but the 3 F40's pic must be posted in higher res! :shock:

[SilviaEvo]

lucky ass handicapped rich people!!!

[astonmartinandy]

Are the roads really as good as they look


Hehe, I basically live into the Alps (well, very close anyway), and yes, there are some fin, and I mean FINE roads and apline passes spread all over them :D in winter sadly most of them are closed, but in this period of the year it is a blast to drive through the Alps for sure :D

Do you have any photos of the roads through the alps? I only ask becuase I end up driving across to Wales for the best roads near me, and even then I only encounter bloody sheep! Meanwhile I am still yet to experience the legendary Stelvio Pass or other roads in through the mountains!

[TT]

Sadly not because usually when I cross the Alps I'm always in a hurry, and although I can still enjoy the drive, I rarely (read never), stop before reaching my destination... but next tme I will go to my parents I will take some pics of the "Nüfenen", a VERY good and very long pass I really like :D

some nice swiss alps sceneries -> http://www.motorworld.net/forum/showthread.php?p=181304#181304

[rob_e1]

Andy - yes the roads ARE fantastic. My folks live in snowdonia so i know a lot of the great roads there. Alps is like this x 10 in terms of quality and number of roads and we certainly found them very lightly traffic'd - unlike north wales in the summer :?

If any one wants a higher res of any of the pics just let me know.

Link for Route Napoleon http://www.beyond.fr/sites/rtnapol.html
Link for Routes des Grandes Alpes: http://www.routedesgrandesalpes.com/pages/home/index.php

To be honest, some of the grandes alpes roads were too small to have fun on with anything bigger than a bike or a caterham - although 1st gear 180 degree hairpins are fun, you DO actually get bored with them after several hours... and you end up longing for some more open roads (of which there are plenty!). Get a michelin 989 map and head for anything that has a green line down the side - this is a "scenic" road - alternatively just go for anything that looks squiggly :D

The other point i'd like to make though is that you DON'T need a supercar to have fun on these roads. Any good handling hatch (clio /gti etc) would be a blast too. These roads are NOT about high speed - that was later he he..

The F40's were i believe INVITED to park in the blue spaces by the hotel guy as there were no handicapped guests at the hotel.

cheers
Rob

[stradale]

Great pictures, Rob! Not only due to the wonderful Esprit and F40s in it, but just as well due to the fantastic scenery. I'd love to make a trip like that with a similar car one day.

[astonmartinandy]

Great pictures thanks very much guys! I know what you mean about North Wales in "Summer". Then again I still think the roads around Wales are pretty breathtaking, nothing in comparison with the Alps though!