Description
A Ferrari F355 or Porsche 911 Carrera hangs as a poster in the mid-1990s above countless beds and desks. Dream cars for many, they are also the obvious choice for ?nineties supercar? buyers. A few go for something different, for something even more special, and do so with full conviction and with the heart. One of the options in that case: the Lotus Esprit.
It is October 1975 when Lotus presents the Esprit at the Paris Motor Show. The extremely angularly designed car steals the show and the light two-seater with mid-engine goes into full production in the following year. The Esprit achieved worldwide fame when he appeared in James Bond?s ?The Spy who loved me? in 1977 and four years later in ?For Your Eyes Only?.
The Esprit is an instant icon, even though normal production cars cannot transform into a submarine. The Lotus is of course light and has to rely on its low weight and perfect weight distribution for its steering characteristics, because initially the Esprit with 162 hp is not overly powerful. The years followed, resulting in a first update in 1978 and a second in 1982.
A first really major facelift follows in 1988, with the entire body becoming smoother in terms of design and engines are also further modernized. However, they are still all four-cylinder engines that can be found behind the front seats of the Esprit.
That changes in 1996 when Lotus comes up with a spectacular variant: the Esprit V8. The 3, 506 cc measuring power source comes from Lotus itself and the brand decides to also equip the already not cowardly eight-cylinder with two Garrett T25/ 60 turbos. Although the block runs effortlessly and smoothly with more than 500 hp, it is reduced to 354 hp in the Esprit to spare the gearbox. The fourth generation, the S4, is often seen by enthusiasts, together with the original model, as the most beautiful in the series.
That certainly applies to the exceptionally beautiful Esprit that we offer here. Starlight Black with a black leather interior: a combination that will appeal to everyone. This 3. 5 V8 dates from 1997 and has only driven 54, 666 kilometers. An exceptionally maintained Esprit of which there are probably very few to be found in this condition.
The black paint is perfect. To make it easier to keep it that way, the Esprit has been provided with a ceramic coating in the past. A very pleasant addition in terms of gloss and preservation. The Esprit rides on the much-loved and signature six-spoke 17? wheels with appropriately sized tires. Walking around the car we can conclude that the car is in concours condition, a picture to see.
Inside, the Esprit also looks like it just left the factory. Of course the hand-built car is of a different quality of finish than how the Bentleys left the factory some 200 miles away in Crewe, but the car looks very neat. The interior has been completely renovated and shows no defects. The leather upholstery is therefore exceptionally neat and that is not self-evident due to the ?sporty entry?. The age is often clearly reflected in the interior of an Esprit, but that is not the case here. If you want to hear a different sound than the beautiful English eight-cylinder, there is an Alpine sound system for some alternative music.
Technically, the car is just as up-to-date as it is optically. In recent years, more than 20, 000 euros have been invested to get the car in absolute top condition in every respect and to keep it that way. This is, as we like to see with special cars like this, carried out by an official Lotus dealer. The V8 is completely ?on point? and a stainless steel exhaust system with High Flow catalysts ensures that the power source can easily get rid of its gases. Driving the Lotus, the flexibility is striking, but especially the violence that can be found under the hood. 354 hp is a lot and Esprit can be dragged to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 5 seconds. However, the party is not over yet because far above 200 km / h it seems as if you are sitting on a just fired cannonball.
To get the pace out just as quickly, the Brembo brakes provide a huge deceleration and also a very safe feeling.
The most fun with an Esprit are perhaps winding routes, where the relatively light coupé (1, 340 kilograms) can be dragged effortlessly from one corner to the other and can be guided almost kart-like through corners by its driver without any objection. What a huge party! Logical that ?007? was twice tempted to opt for an Esprit.
Some 1, 400 V8 Esprits were eventually built. This makes it an incredibly exclusive car that has more than earned its spurs. We understand the buyers of the time, who left a more logical choice of Germany or Italy for this characteristic Englishman. You too?
