I had paid to drive a Mk1 Lotus Cortina. I opted for the extra three laps so that I got a real feel for the car. I had owned a Lotus Cortina back in the 60/70's for 5 years so I was keen to refresh my memory of its performance. It was a disappointing experience for me, because I came away with the doubts as to its authenticity! The body was of a Mk1 Cortina, but the side badges were not original. The facia was split through the middle - possibly trying to remove it and fit the push button start button (not invented in 1964/5). The gearbox was a 5 speed not the original 4 speed close ratio as per original. The guy told me it had an upgraded gearbox! The woodrim steering wheel was a lookalike version of the original made by Les Leston. The engine performed and sounded like a diesel and didn't want to rev beyond about 3000 revs! An original twincam engine only picked up at 3000 revs and on to 6500 revs- not this one. It also felt very heavy on the front end. All in all it was fun driving round the airfield, but it wasn't a trip 'down memory lane' for me trying to recall the heady fun days of owning a Mk1 Lotus Cortina from my youth!
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