I think it’s more a question of long-term durability with Lotus and, if you pick the right model and the right year, some are much better than others.

It’s a 411 series 4 which is probably the least valuable of all the classic Bristols and, thus, the reason I have it!

Good answer. But you only have the one (currently). What about one smaller one in the South China Sea and one smaller one knocking about in the Middle East, supporting ermm whichever side the administration decides need supporting (I’m not looking for a political rabbit-hole here!).

Has Jalopnik sent you on photography courses because you all seem to have gone from ‘something I could do with my phone myself’ to ‘you really know how to take great shots’ overnight!

That argument is a little bit circular - ‘we ordered it so we need it.’

Heh. But if Toyota owned Lotus, you’d have a spartan, yet quality interior mated to what maked a Lotus a Lotus. At the kind of money they’re asking for these things, it’s not unreasonable to expect the car not to disassemble itself on an average road, and I think the OP is right...

Just put Toyota to work on sorting out the Evora’s interior. That would be a start...

Have you ever sat in a Lotus of any era or any model? A Camry is better put together. A Corolla from the 1970s rattles less.

Great spot! It’s kind of obvious in retrospect, but I missed it until you pointed it out.

As long as we can keep Morgan and Mclaren in-house, I’m happy with anyone buying up UK low-volume manufacturers, giving them a bit of a slap, and combining UK styling and fun with outsourced funds, expertise and reliability. It worked for JLR, it worked for Rolls Royce, it worked for Mini, it ermm, didn’t work for MG,…

I take your point on operating costs - one large, modern vessel costs significantly less than two smaller ones on a yearly basis - but I’m still not sure you’ve answered the question.

Fair point and I can’t begin to counter anything you’ve raised with any real Naval knowledge or procurement experience. I’m ex-airforce so we look at anything on water with deep, deep suspicion....

1 - We don’t have any road traffic police anymore. There are a few still lurking around London and they do seem to appear when car shows or bike shows are scheduled but, in general, you won’t see them due to budget cuts and ‘reprioritising’.

I’m not entirely convinced by your assertion that Aston Martin build cars for ‘you and me.’ I’m well paid and I’d be laughed out of the showroom.

Whilst this class of carrier is an awesome projection of US military power, I do wonder if you wouldn’t be better off with a larger number of smaller Euro-sized carriers, especially with the F-35 coming into service.

I did think the 747 production was essentially cargo airframes these days, and the 747-8 is still in production, but at some point you have to say ‘this design is done and superceded.’

Can I assume you’re Russian? Europe, certainly, would rather you were on-side rather than playing proxy games to destabilise US actions abroad but, even if Putin rowed back his current actions tomorrow, there’s a long way to go to convince the average American that they shouldn’t be looking at nuclear shelters again.

Perhaps a better, more comprehensive driving test and examination than currently exists? You can mandate various systems until the cows come home but there is always someone... someone.. who will find a way to be that idiot.

A stable Europe is in both our interests and the USA’s, but they’re right to ask members to step up and meet their obligations, especially if they expect a US alliance to come to their aid in the future.

This one I know about -