Before the Lotus Esprit became the Lotus Esprit…it was known as the M70. Penned by Giugaro (Italdesign) and quite a big step for Lotus as a company; It launched Lotus into the realm of supercars.
I have to say that the Series 1 Lotus Esprit is a pretty great looking car….and the M70 definitely looks like the purest expression of the design (obviously!).
Here are some original ideas thrown around for the M70:
(from Car Styling Magazine, April 1976: Lotusespritturbo.com)
watch them turn a basic Audi A1 into a fire breathing 503hp monster as the Audi A1 Clubsport quattro
via Fourtitude
I first saw “C’Etait Un Rendez-Vous” about 7 years ago, and was absolutely blown away by it. I used to watch it every day for a while. A couple of years later, after speaking to a ‘car guru’ friend of mine, I learned that the car in the short film was NOT a Ferrari 275 GTB, but a Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, which was later admitted in interviews by Claude Lelouch, maker of the film. Since then, i’ve made it my duty to point this out to almost everyone who seems to think it is a Ferrari 275 GTB, the same thing I USED to think—until i was told the truth.
The sound of the engine, has been rumoured to be overdubbed from a Ferrari 275 GTB, something I feel to be consistent with the sound—unless proven otherwise by some other documentation.
I found this sweet photo of Mr. Lelouch mounting his camera kit on the SEL @ The Torrible Zone
(2nd grainy photo from IDCMB.com)
I’ve seen this clip about a million times, but I suppose for context and for people who have never seen it—-it is worth reposting here.
Word is that casting for the upcoming Steve McQueen film Steve McQueen: Portait Of An American Rebel has commenced and that the role of Mr. McQueen is being offered to Brad Pitt.
I’m a huge Steve McQueen fan..and am really excited about a film portraying the adventures and life of Mr. McQueen—and while i think Brad Pitt is a pretty decent pick for this role, i just hope he gets into the role enough to really transmit the soul of McQueen.
Steve McQueen fully absorbed himself in films while he made it; during the film Le Mans, he fully integrated himself with the race, the lifestyle, and the actual driving. Such is that I hope Pitt is able to understand the character of McQueen and really display McQueen’s character rather than his own…When i told my wife about this—she thinks Jude Law would be a better choice, mainly because he looks more like McQueen. I think my wife just digs Jude Law! ha.
Either way, i’m looking damn forward to it, and it will surely be the most anticipated film of 2010.
Source: Top Gear
IEDEI 