Esprit TV Documentary

TV Documentary filming
23rd November 2003

Lotus Esprit Documentary (DVD)
Most regular users of Lotus Esprit World will know about the TV Documentary that LEW helped with back in November. Many users were used for interviews and a few where invited to the Runway shoot to help with footage. Some others where interviewed at the Stoneleight Parts Fair back in November and finally some of you in the UK would have seen the programme on Men & Motors in May.

Well now the DVD is available to purchase for your viewing pleasure. LEW has reviewed the DVD version (extra footage from the TV show) for everyone, so you can get an idea of what's on it. LEW highly recommends this DVD to all Esprit Enthusiast (and not just because kato from LEW stars). Read the review and see what you think!

Esprit Documentary Update

The Documentary will be entitled – Lotus Esprit. A version is to be televised starting with a showing on Granada Men and Motors on Saturday May 8th (time to be confirmed) and a longer version for video and DVD release with extra footage and extended interview material which will also be complete for sale in May.

As most users of this site will know, the original day for filming was cancelled due to the high numbers of Esprit attending. The filming was rearranged by NMTV for Sunday 23rd November at the same venue. This day was by invite only with around 18 owners being invited to take part in the filming.

Due to the very poor weather around the country for the weekend, a few owners decided not to turn up. Leaving us with only 12 Esprits and the V8 GT1 Racecar. This was a bit of a poor show considering the amount of people who wanted to attend and spoiled what would have been a perfect days filming. With the line up missing a few models, filming continued.

The day started early for me as NMTV wanted to do my interview before everyone turned up. Sitting on a camera box and freezing to death for 45 minutes wasn't what I had in mind. Being camera shy also didn't help. Around 11am people started to show and we had a few Esprits to look over. The racer was transported in its truck, the S1 came on a trailer. Seems the oldest and most technical need a little help now and then.

With the weather holding off nicely, Mike Haines Racing (MHR) prepared the racer for it's runs down and runway. This took about 20 minutes of prep work (not sure how much work had been done before). The sound of the engine was something else. You really had to be there. Wonderful. While the racer was being prepared, the S1 took centre stage for it's interview.

Once the GT1 was ready, it was time to see it run for the first time in a long time. With the weather still holding MHR want to get it's runs done and pack it away before the rain came (which thankfully in didn't for quite a while). To see this car tearing up the runway was a great experience. There was plenty of smiling faces and ringing ears. After a couple of slow runs, it let loose a little, showing it potential. A few more slow runs for the camera and it's starring role was almost over.

We then line all the available models in chronological order, with the racer out at the front. Howard Bartrop (professional photographer and 88 NA Esprit owner) came down to take plenty of pictures, including a panoramic one of this line up.

Once everyone had photographed the line-up the TV Crew mounted their camera inside the people carrier and did a few slow drive-bys to capture the line up for the Documentary. This was the coldest part of the day for everyone, with us standing around waiting. Of course the talk was all Esprit, which kept everyone entertained.

Now it was time for some action filming. All the models lined up behind the NMTV Van and followed it down the runway while the film crew shot from the rear of the van. With Bill sitting in the back waving each model on and passed the van to reveal the next model in the Esprit history.

Then it was some time for some REAL fun. With 12 Esprits (none of the same model) all lined up at one end of the run way. It was to see who broke first. As soon as the first Esprit had moved an inch all twelve where shooting up the runway. Once at the other end, a slow and careful turning process was followed by another roar up the runway. This went on for a while, but before we started doing some slow laps nose-to-tail for some different shots.

With the smell of rubber in the air, it was time to call it a day. A few owners then gave other owners runs in their Esprit's, with Mike Sekinger's GT1 Replica the most popular. And boy is that a fast Esprit (if mike could find some traction). Some more interviews were then done as the rain started. It was quite interesting to note that all the Esprit seemed pretty evenly match on the drags up the strip. I was getting up to the early nineties before needing to brake.

It was a great day, with some great pieces done for the documentary. The only down point was the owners who didn't turn up. Rob C's Sport 350 was missing from the line-up after getting a puncture just after leaving for Worcester. But he made the effort to come down in another car (Elise) to enjoy the day.

Sorry to all those who wanted to attend and in the end some that could have come down. But we really were restricted to only a few cars and NMTV picked the models and colours they were after. I hope everyone's looking forward to seeing the video and those that couldn't join us on the day, can at least share the fun we had. A big thank you to Howard Bartrop, who spent the day taking some wonderful pictures of the day.

Video Clips

Click on the picture below to view the short movies

First flick (top left) of the line up is 18mb and will take a while to load. The others are all under 5mb and shouldn't take too long.

Fast and slow run by the GT1.

TV Documentary filming
CANCELLED
8th November 2003

The massive response to the NMTV/Lotus Esprit World filming of the Esprit documentary at the runway in Worcestershire has unfortunately caused problems of safety & liability with the Owner and his public liability insurance, which has only just come to light.

Due to this the filming will be rearranged and be by invitation only to control numbers, keeping everything safe and legal. I'm sure that you will all be as disappointed as we all are but given such short notice we feel it would be impossible to find a suitable alternative venue in the time given for such a large number of cars.

NMTV and Lotus Esprit World would like to express their gratitude to all of you who were planning to make the effort and come along for what would have been a very special day. We apologise for the inconvenience that the cancellation of the event has caused to you all.

Esprit TV Documentary
8th November 2003

The NMTV Esprit Documentary filming is being held on Saturday 8th November at Marshalls Transport, Throckmorton Airfiled, Throckmorton, Near Pershore Worcestershire WR10 2JH. If you could be there by 10.00am sharp, things can get started. Make your excuses and make sure you and your Esprit are available for filming. We have the only remaining Lotus Esprit V8 GT1 racecar making an appearance. You don't want to miss this meeting!

NMTV are an independent television production company with a history of making quality programmes on specialist subjects for television and video release. Previous productions include: Elise; The Inside Story (2X 60 mins for Discovery Channel and video release). Top Marques (60x30mins classic car series for Discovery Channel). Drive Hard (15x30mins driving challenge series for UK Horizons). Plane Crazy (7x30 mins aviation series for Discovery Channel) Model Mania (15x30 min model making series for Discovery Channel) Former Glory (15 x30mins restoration series for Discovery Home and Leisure).

NMTV's current production is a 60 minute documentary (and 90 minute video) dedicated to the Lotus Esprit. The film will tell the history of the Esprit, follow it's development, meet the enthusiasts and witness the final Esprit roll of the production line for the last time.

Esprit TV Documentary
27th April 2004

The long-awaited documentary on the Esprit will be shown on the "Men & Motors" channel (GSkyB) on the following dates:

May 15th - 2100 hrs
May 16th - 1600 hrs
May 17th - 2100 hrs
May 18th - 1600 hrs

The video version will include more footage than the TV version - longer stories from all the contributors and footage from the Stoneleigh event which doesn't appear in the TV show.