Lotus Europa - Love it or hate it?

I've long been smitten by the Lotus Europa.  In fact, I have a strong suspicion that my first vintage race car --if I am financially blessed to have ANY race car some day-- will probably be a Europa.  I love how incredibly low they are, and the flares just add another level of cool.  Chapman's genius for chassis engineering and use of fiberglass really shows in this peculiar car, and they are still relatively affordable and cheap to run. 

However, I know I am in a small club who likes the Europa, and many consider it to be weird and ungainly.  Let's hear from you, fellow Automobiliacs!  Love it or hate it?  And please say why you think so!

Video of the Week: Alfa vs. Lotus at Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park, for those who haven't heard of it, is one of the finest club circuits in England. I for one would love to drive there some day. Enjoy this awesome video, taken from the Alfa driver's point of view as he chases a Lotus Europa all over the track. The audio is worth cranking to the max. A pure mechanical symphony!  This is why you don't use a go-pro, friends. You'll NEVER get audio like this!

Faded Memories

There's such a great nostalgic feel to this old Lotus Europa photo. I have whole shoeboxes at home of snapshots like this from my childhood Kodak Instamatic.