Thanks Bluebottle.....I love your combo. Two truly classic shapes. I think the Maserati GranTurismo is one of the best designs in the modern world of cars. Seeing this thread revived makes me feel a bit sad that I sold my Dino. Still have the 330 GTC. I might swap my BB to get another Dino. Not sure swapping 12 cylinders for a 6 makes sense though. Image Unavailable, Please Login
A perfect companion for 01296... Hoping they make babies.. Cheers Pietro Image Unavailable, Please Login
Having owned both, I don’t believe the Dino at all was a competitor let alone a direct one to the RS. The RS is just so far more competent and faster. Having also owned a 914-6, that to me was it’s direct competitor. The RS would just crush a Dino in any event anytime.
I also had both in my garage at the same time. I sold the Dino but the Speedster remains my all time favorite car. It was always the one I picked over the Dino. More comfortable. I thought better looking. Obviously not nearly as modern feeling. I was much more relaxed driving it.
The Dino is a “committed” experience. One you plan for. The Speedster is like putting on your casual “go to” shoes. It’s always comfortable and “feels” like home. Both offer a wonderfully different journey and experience. Freeman
We have a really lovely '72 911 that has been completely restored with the engine uprated to full RS-spec. Although the Dino has a rebuilt engine as well, it's not even close to keeping up with the 911 on any road. Not that it matters much - we also have much, much faster cars and the Dino is the one that gets the most mileage from me. Image Unavailable, Please Login
My Dino got a new companion yesterday. A 1984 512 BBi that needs some TLC. I will leave up to others to judge if it is a good companion, but I love this supercar of the 80's and cannot wait to get my hands dirty again. I have promised my family that this is the last companion now that I have 2 x 6, 8 and 12 cylinders in the small stable. Best regards Peter Image Unavailable, Please Login
Awesome!!! I've always loved the BBi. I do think I have to take the Dino to Denmark next year for a short visit
For me it’s about each car offering a completely different experience. After many years of dreaming of one, I finally got a Super 7. This one offers the most pure and unfiltered British experience! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Really purpose made for a Canyon Road! Freeman
Here is my yellow Dino. I live just 20 miles away from the Morgan factory here in England and an early narrow bodied Plus 8 in yellow would be pretty high on my list as a companion! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Congratulations on a gorgeous Super 7, Freeman! With your Dino and Speedster, you've got the sports car segment sewn up! Fred
Image Unavailable, Please Login Thanks Fred! Each car offers a unique history, story and driving experience. Also a unique visual experience! That’s been my goal. The right tool for the job! The Super Seven is the most extreme in that you’re the most exposed to the elements, tight cockpit and you have to wear really thin shoes to operate the pedals! Freeman
Congratulations Freeman. Beautiful Super 7 and certainly as direct a drivers car as you are likely to ever get. Back when I was living in England I literally had thousands of track laps in the very similar Caterham 7. We used to do all kinds of stuff with those cars including drift lapping and choreographed donuts. On one day a certain future F1 driver, desperately trying to better my lap time, went flying through a marker board when flying off the circuit smashing it to pieces No harm to the car but the board was toast. Good memories.
Congratulations, Freeman, and welcome to Lotus Land - complete with narrow driving shoes and all! Any early Lotus makes a good companion car to the Dino. For me it was the Elan I always wanted, and finally got some years ago. I have never driven a Super 7 but I am sure it offers the same raw, pure driving experience and excitement as the Elan - perhaps even more so. Enjoy! Lars
Image Unavailable, Please Login The Super Seven is really a truly brilliant concept. It was once said by my old colleague, J Mays, “The dirty little secret about simplicity is, it’s hard to do!” To enjoy a 7, like a Dino, you need the right roads and no traffic. Freeman
That is wonderful, Freeman. I agree with you that the driving experience with each car ideally should be very different from the others. The 356, the Dino, and the Seven cannot be more different. Of course, there is nothing like a Lotus. Andres A Lotus man at heart.
Image Unavailable, Please Login I have driven but never owned a Seven. I would love an early one. What year is yours, Freeman? I did have a 23 for some ten years. Here I am with it 20 years ago at Willow Springs.
The Lotus 23 was a special car. I’ve never experienced one but have heard they are amazing! My Super Seven is a Caterham Series 3 Image Unavailable, Please Login built in ‘93 with the 1700 Super Sprint 135hp motor, Sierra 5 speed, DeDion, heater delete and 4 wheel disc brakes. Weighs 1200 lbs. For me, this is the perfect balance for a Seven to enjoy. Lots of power (0-60 in 5.5 seconds), quick precise shifting, go-kart handling and not so extreme to just enjoy a nice spirited drive in it. The engine is the tried and true Ford Kent based unit specially built for Caterham with cross flow high compression head (9:1/9.5:1), 1700cc, special cams, 40mm side draft Webers and lightened flywheel. Freeman
OK, so technically it was not really correct of me to call it a Lotus. Sorry about that. But since Caterham bought the rights to the Super 7 from Lotus, it is still a Lotus to me. Always will be. And particularly your version with the Kent engine, seems to me like a direct continuation of the old Lotus Super 7 concept. And yes, it was a brilliant concept. Simplicity and low weight are indeed hard to accomplish. The Super 7 achieved both. The fact that this design is still around in one form or another after all these years, is a proof of how correct the original design concept really was. To this day, they are still terrorizing the club racing and vintage racing circuits around the world! From your description it sounds like you have found a Super 7 with the right mixture of modern performance (5-speed, wow!) and vintage driving experience. Neat! Lars
