With thanks to Andrew Stevens, images by Bruce Hannant // Austin Zagame flying the Zagame flag in the Fire Red Emira (#57)

Nine Lotus participated in the most recent Adelaide Rally from Nov 8th to 10th. Once again, the Gouger Street Party on the Saturday evening was a feature, and a big hit with spectators. The three days saw competitors experiencing some of the best and most challenging roads in the Adelaide Hills, including the iconic Eagle On The Hill, Corkscrew, two stages through our favourite town of Strathalbyn, and a hillclimb up Fox Creek Rd near Cudlee Creek.

Scott Begbie in his Club Racer Elise S (#311) Photo: Bruce Hannant

The event is split into a series of competitive classes and tours with different rules and speed restrictions applying to each.  All the Lotus were entered in the non-competitive tours.

Cheng Huang having a go in the Elise (#341) Photo: Bruce Hannant

In the main tour we had Scott Begbie and Graeme Lipsham in Scott’s Elise Club Racer, and Cheng Huang and Yanshan Zheng in an Elise S.

Mike De La Haye enjoying Exige 350 on the closed Hills roads (#420) Photo: Bruce Hannant

The Spirit Tour featured Mike De La Haye and Dayn Goodbrand in an Exige 350, while local Lotus owner Willa Wauchope had his Yaris GR running with son Louis in the co-driver seat.

The Reichtseins pushed on with their Evora. (#61) Photo: Bruce Hannant

As expected, the Zagame Tour featured a wide range of exotics. In the Lotus camp, Sotiri and Apostoli Giamarelos and Michael and James Scarpantoni were running in Exige 410s, and Ben and Terry Reichstein were out in a very nice Evora.

Three Emiras also joined the Zagame Tour led by Austin Zagame with Harrison Adams beside him in the Fire Red example. Michele and Vincent Talladira punted their example while Theodore Athanasiadis had Sam Auld for company in the third.

The Emiras looked sensational on the sweeps of the Adelaide Hills, this is Theodore Athanasiadis example Photo: Bruce Hannant

Once again, the Lotus showed their capabilities and poise at speed, allowed the entrants to use all the road under speed restricted conditions, although still plenty fast enough to be a driving challenge.  The Elises were quick and nimble in the tight stuff, and the Emiras looked wonderfully poised when they could get out into the high speed sweeps.