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“Josh Jacquot’s article led us on a journey of great cars, humor, a bit of frustration, good advice and sadness. It really touched me because losing a parent is so tough.”

Family Affairs

I just wanted to write to compliment Josh Jacquot’s “Collecting Thoughts” column from the September 2026 issue (p. 62). His article led us on a journey of great cars, humor, a bit of frustration, good advice and sadness. It really touched me because losing a parent is so tough. Josh clearly loved his dad, which is the real joy of his story. — David Preston, Rochester Hills, MI

Esprit de Corps

Thanks for the comprehensive article on the Lotus Esprit (September, “Affordable Classic,” p. 66). They are truly great-driving cars. I have owned six Esprits including a 1988 Esprit Turbo, a 1998 V8, three of the original five X180R IMSA Supercar race cars, and one of the 20 replica race cars for the street. I believe the 20 replica race cars are the most collectible street cars, as the Sport 300 was not the stripped-down version of the IMSA race cars. (Also, you report 64 were made.) Of the five original X180R race cars, one is in the Barber Motorsports Museum, I still own one of the three cars I restored, but have sold two to friends in New York and New Jersey. My car has continued to race in vintage-race series since it was restored in 2005. The other two cars, including Doc Bundy’s 1992 Championship car, have seen some limited vintage racing since then. I have been a subscriber for longer than I can remember, so please keep up the great work. — Kevin McGovern, via email

Major Discount

The auction catalog description of the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder (September 2026, German Profile, p. 84) stated it had a recent major service costing $43,000, which sounded expensive. But taken as a percentage of the car’s $4,680,000 selling price, it is a measly 0.9%. I drive a 2003 Lexus RX330 worth about $2,500. I wish my local Lexus dealer would do a major service on it for $23. — Will Samples, Dallas, TX

Snake History

After reading Mr. Thorson’s Race Profile on the 1999 Chrysler Viper GTS-R C20 in the July 2026 issue, I felt as though I should reach out regarding some oft-repeated historical inaccuracies included in the article. For the past decade I have been working to document the history of Viper factory race cars including the original GTS-R.

Chrysler’s GTS-R program began in 1995 and utilized a production Viper chassis by rule, but with modifications designed in-house at Chrysler. These updates were enacted at first by Riley & Scott before shifting to Roush Industries later in 1996. Reynard was instead responsible for producing the original carbon Kevlar bodywork and aerodynamic elements. J&P Motorsports and Canaska/Southwind predated ORECA as key development partners, with the latter becoming the exclusive “Works” team in 1997.

GTS-R construction was carried out in the greater Detroit area by Chrysler personnel until 1999, when final assembly shifted to ORECA in France. Some cars were sold to customers in kit form during both periods. From 1995 through 2005, 55 uniquely identified GTS-Rs were constructed (C29 and C47 were skipped and renumbered), though the total number of bare frames is higher when considering replacement units.

Chassis C20 happens to be one of my favorite GTS-Rs in that not only is it restored to a high quality, but unlike the majority of other cars that survive, C20 is mechanically true to the configuration raced by Viper Team ORECA in-period. — Shawn Romig, www.viperracinghistory.com