1999 Lotus Esprit GT3 review from UK and Ireland

The clutch master cylinder failed.

The dash trim peeled away from under the windscreen.

It was a sensational experience in all respects of driving performance, as you'd expect from one of the world's leading experts in chassis and handling design. The trusty "old" Lotus four-pot power-plant provided eye-watering acceleration and top-speed. Though I have to admit I never did manage to test the claimed 163mph on the UK roads (came close, though - Name & Address withheld!!).

I decided not to spend the extra £20k on the V8 engine, as even with "only" 250bhp on tap the very respectable power-to-weight ratio meant the car's limits were way beyond mine!

I also loved the sexy low-slung look of the car. It's a real head-turner despite the fact that Guigaro penned the design around 1980 and it's still largely unchanged (notwithstanding the odd spoiler that has come and gone). Not many other manufacturers can sell new cars shaped 20 years ago!

Don't believe all you read about these cars being impractical, either. It was equally flexible on the daily commute to the office, long-haul fishing trips (2 adults and a weeks-worth of equipment carried with ease!), or on fun-run thrashes through Mid-Wales.

All in all, I was quite prepared to overlook the couple of things that went wrong, especially as the dealer service on both warranty repairs was impeccable.

It's a great pity to see Lotus struggling at the moment, with Elise sales nose-diving and the M250 project being binned. Their ability to produce raw driving-pleasure machines is the stuff of legends, and only my subsequent acquisition of a thoroughbred supercar tore me away from the marque...