Perhaps not. But in terms of what the average person can afford to buy, maintain and run, it’s in my top 5. If it’s not in yours, well, your opinion is as good as mine.

It was a turn of phrase, but I can appreciate that many folks like car restos to be stock and not retro-mods. I’m sure you understood that this was a retort to the ‘lol $125k’ posts that appeared.

And they got a superb 2002. Everyone wins. If I had the money to be able to donate $150,000 to a charity, I’d have bid on this. Here’s my donation to your great research - thanks for the great modernised classic in return.

Ah, apologies, I see what you’re getting at now. No, we don’t get the 350R but I’m struggling to see who would buy that in the UK, or indeed Europe as a whole. The standard V8 is more than enough car for here. More than enough...

If there’s a person on this site now who isn’t thinking ‘I wish I’d had $130,000 to donate to the cause to get this car’ they’re not a Jalop.

Certainly not. I’m commenting on the demographic that will buy it from a UK perspective, not that it’s not in demand.

Why does ‘Murica send me things I want that would end up with a visit to the chiropractor?

What we’re getting is good enough! These are expensive by the time they hit our shores so the buyer is going to be a mid to late 20s city type or someone my age (but wealthier!) to use as a summer Sunday cruiser.

Have you noticed that as you get older you crave softer and softer things?

And finally we agree on something concerning the UK...

He’s well known in radio circles here, was well known on TV in the ‘90s and is a half decent businessman - he didn’t get those Ferraris on a DJs salary alone.

Absolutely. If someone had sat LeBlanc down just before the war memorial doughnuts and said, “Matt, look, this is the cultural equivalent of a Land Rover vs. Jeep off-road challenge in Arlington - you up for it?” does anyone think he would have carried on? Of course he wouldn’t.

This is acceptable only if you peddle small chocolate eggs to high-ranking foreigners as part of your colonial duties. Failing to do this will spoil one’s social reputation to a point where it could not possibly be regained.

Absolutely. There does seem to be a fair bit of ill-informed flag waving in the UK re. the Defender - it’s a fantastic machine for a subset of roles but in many areas it’s long been surpassed.

I haven’t seen that one either. I am British but all of the sets I’ve seen look identical to the North American ones. However, plenty of UK Ebay listings for it, so it must have been in a fair number of boxes.

but true!

I do not doubt your explanation. However, there is an inference in the video that this choice needs to be usable on a daily basis.

I’m on board with this. The question seems to imply that you need to DD your choice and whilst a 1960s/1970s Cadillac would turn heads, we’re assuming the average person needs a bit more than 12mpg, an 8 track and would like to survive a collision with an SUV whose driver is more interested in telling Facebook about…

If an Esprit ever moves more than a mile under its own power, the London Philharmonic Orchestra is legally obliged to come to your house and play the anthem of the owner’s nationality. A bit like the Olympics.

I do wish that we had the consumer (who in this case happens to be a dealer) power that you have in the States. In the UK, and most of Europe, VW has been given a get-out-of-jail-free card.