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What can I say? 178mph, twin turbo 6 cylinder, the fastest 4-seater in the world. I placed my order straight from seeing the prototype at the Motor Show, and was the first order placed. Obviously I expected car #1, but in fact got #24. Their story was that the first 20 were test cars, and I had got "one of the first batch". A very disappointing start!

It got worse - I didn't get to drive it! I lost a lot of money in business between ordering the car and taking delivery, so it was put into mothballs as an "investment". Remember cars as investments?!! Cost new $70k. Sold after 2 years with delivery miles only for $40k.

Part of the trouble was that when I placed the order it was going to be a strictly limited run of 400 cars. I have letters from GM saying so. Unfortunately, they made 1100 or more cars, and there just weren't that many buyers. A friends' friend who worked at Lotus said there was an actual field of these cars waiting to be sold 2 years after production closed. What chance was I going to get to sell mine?!?

There was one funny story though. When I finally sold it, some yuppie Cockney car dealer came down to pick it up. He was acting as a middle man, so refused to tell me anything about the buyer. It was like doing business with an arms dealer! Anyway, he took the car away. A week later he rings me, and asks for the numbered and autographed, limited edition, leather bound commemorative book that comes with each car. I told him that wasn't part of the deal since it was never mentioned before. He wasn't impressed! So I've still got the books.

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