'Shock' as Horsham dad-of-five wins £84,000 dream car
Jul 2024
A Horsham dad-of-five has told of his ‘shock’ after winning an £84,000 dream car – a week after his 16-year-old VW Golf broke down.
And James Cartner, who works as a pilot, was on cloud nine after winning the vehicle – a Lotus Emira First Edition – in car competitions company BOTB’s weekly contest.
James, who also runs an aviation podcast along with a group of friends including musician Roy Stride – frontman of Scouting For Girls – was relaxing at his Horsham home when he received a visit from BOTB presenter Christian Williams.
Christian surprised him with his new motor which was parked around the corner. James had just returned from a flight to the USA. “I was having a little post-fly nap when Christian turned up, and I was in complete shock,” the 56-year-old said. “I still feel like I’m dreaming and keep asking myself if it really happened.
“My wife didn’t know I had even entered, so I had to own up to that, but she was clearly delighted I had won.”
The Lotus Emira First Edition features a V6 Supercharged engine, 395bhp and top speed of 180mph. “I’m a Lotus fan and this is a beautiful car,” said James. “As a young kid I thought they were the most amazing thing and I always wanted one.
“I have an Esprit which has been sitting in a barn for 12 years and I had been meaning to tidy it up. This new Lotus will probably become my main car, and I’m looking forward to taking it for a drive in the local area,” added James, who previously flew helicopters in the RAF.
Christian said: “It was an amazing experience being able to surprise Lotus superfan James with this stunning car. I know he’s played for this car quite a few times, and he was clearly delighted to have finally got his hands on one.
“After his old VW broke down last week, the timing of his big win couldn’t have been better, and he’s going to have a lot of fun driving it to work and going on some fantastic road trips.”
BOTB’s dream car giveaway sees people buy tickets for the car they want to win and then play spot the ball. An independent panel of judges decide who wins.
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