I didn't include a link in my post because I wrote that short essay myself, and I was insulted that the very first reply completely missed the point I so carefully made that these aren't street bikes designed for 25 year old banzai warriors looking to trade in their Ninjas just so they can carry the front wheel down Sunset Boulevard.
Though I found no admission online that Lotus was entering the superbike racing program, the bike's design speaks for itself. As I see it, that $150k is the admission cost for Lotus' fledgling endeavor into the highly competitive British Superbike class. Triumph should be concerned about their as yet uncontested domination on the euro road courses. I'm still not sure why Lotus is doing it, unless they intend to introduce a mass produced street tuned version somewhere down the road.
It's obvious that I'm not in the market for one of these hand crafted purpose built machines, but such machines fascinate me greatly. The most likely customer will be well heeled racing teams looking to garner sponsorship on the latest contender... one that I predict could be quite successful. Some will undoubtedly be retained by the company as works racers with hired guns in the saddle, and a few may go to investors gambling that first, second, and third sweeps in the winner's circle will return a profit in a couple decades on a pristine un-raced example, but I predict the greatest majority will lead a hard working life on the track.
At my advanced vintage, I no longer ride, but my '76 Sportster still sits in the basement awaiting resurrection in the event senility overcomes sensibility someday. I refuse to ride a two wheeled rocking chair that I see as modern 'baggers, and I'm a bit old to be comfortable anymore on my old cobra seat that was basically vinyl covered cardboard. Even my sons, one who rides a Ducati and the other a Buel, would find it good only for short runs (¼ mile?).
I haven't quite rolled over and died yet though, and have spent the last 30 years on my other automotive interest... classic British sports cars. My latest, and probably my last, is my '71 Triumph TR6. I bought it a few years before I retired in '03 and have spent the years since tirelessly tweaking and improving the original restoration. The engine is currently on an engine stand in the basement (next to the Sportster) undergoing a complete rebuild and performance upgrade. I had the car exterior repainted a few years ago, but now I've had the engine bay restored as well and the car is safely stored pending it's new power plant.
For that reason, I take great fascination in your Jensen Healey. I've seen them at car shows, but as you know, they are, and have always been, a rare sight anywhere. I never cared for the lines of the Interceptor, seeing it as a bit clunky for such a cool name, but the artful co-op with the Healey design department produced what I consider the final word on Jensen style and performance. The Lotus mill is just frosting on a beautiful design. I'm glad to hear you own one, and you must be rightly proud of it
Not to return to the absurd sexual reference too many non-enthusiasts place on high performance cars, but "I'll show you mine if I can see yours":
I think I may stop posting in the auto and bike groups however. As you probably already know, there is little interest in those two groups here in DU, where anything with more stylish lines than a moped or Prius is considered by some as needless excess for insecure males. I don't know why these critics visit the forum to begin with, but it's sad because I'd like to keep these groups alive for the few performance enthusiasts that still reside in DU, but I feel discouraged by the outright hostility wrought upon those who dare express an interest in something that doesn't simply get one from point A to point B at 50mpg.
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