And, sadly, Lotus still does not offer anti-lock brakes. We think ABS should be standard on any car that so loves to be driven fast. Scratch that: this car needs to be driven fast. The open road is the Esprit Turbo's element. Its steering, slow and heavy in traffic, becomes lighter and more precise at speed. Its wonderfully smooth engine, generally obedient but not happy around town, comes to life above rpm.
Driving hard, you find the rhythm of the car. It begs to show you what it was designed to do. Before you know it you're snapping off shifts at rpm, squirting from corner to corner in explosive bursts of turbo-charged fury, and sailing through turns faster than you've ever dared. And you're grinning like a born-again fool. All of the race-car essentials are in evidence: the low-slung driving position, the ferocious engine, the stubby shifter, the narrow footwell, even the sky over your head if you remove the sunroof.
Driving an Esprit Turbo is the next-best thing to having your own Formula 1 machine. Don't let our giddiness mislead you, however. We are not yet ready to cash in our pensions for an Esprit Turbo.
Our test car squeaked and rattled over harsh pavement, the engine displayed a nasty tendency to stall at stoplights, and the rev limiter limited' our fun. We even had trouble getting into and out of the cocoonlike cockpit: Such annoyances do not make for all-out automotive lust. Corvette owners will rightly assert that their steeds perform as well as the Esprit and are more comfortable at half the price.
The Esprit Turbo, of course, isn't a rational car. It's a toy for those who can afford it; a racecar for country roads and weekend blasts. It's a stylish, potent exoticar for those who, unlike most of us, have the money to indulge in its undeni-able charms.
Lotus plans to sell only Esprit Turbos in the U. That should be just enough to keep the well-heeled boy racers on our shores from embarrassing themselves by trying out for Formula l. The rest of us, if we're lucky, will catch an occasional glimpse. It has been said only a madman would consider owning one of these expensive, cramped, ergonomically, deranged devices.
If that's so, measure me for one of those canvas car coats with the extra-long sleeves that tie in the rear. The Lotus Esprit Turbo is fast, flashy, and fine. To feel it leap under your spur is to know what sudden speed was meant to be, but to look at its price is to suffer the degradation of fiscal self-pity. There ought to be more room in the footwells, the instruments could be a bit more visible, and getting out of the car after the parking brake has been set could be a little less like trying to crawl out of a train wreck.
The Lotus Esprit Turbo is, by any commonly accepted principles of reason and good sense, an expensive, impractical car. Cher or Madonna would be an expensive, impractical companion by those same stupid, petulant yardsticks.
William Jeanes. The Lotus Esprit Turbo has all the elements that define an exotic sports car: an outrageous price tag, exclusivity, exhilarating performance, and, of course, numerous shortcomings. Given the engineering expertise at Lotus's disposal some of those shortcomings are difficult to accept.
If Lotus's suspension experts are smart enough to master active suspension, why does the Esprit pound so hard over small bumps? If Lotus has been building composite structures for nearly 30 years why does Esprit's chassis creak and groan so loudly? State-of-the-art engineering and painstaking production development appears to be two different things.
Csaba Csere. I didn't want to like the Esprit Turbo. A twelve-cylinder BMW i will go faster while providing limousine-like accommodations for four.
A Corvette will almost hang with the Esprit Turbo in the critical go, stop, and turn contests, and it costs only half as much. But then I spent the better part of a day behind the wheel, and the Esprit cast a spell over me. Every time I glanced at the speedo, I was in contempt of court. The tach needle always seemed to be at RPM. It was easy for the Walter Mitty in me to imagine that the Lotus F1 team had worked on the handling: the Esprit felt like a formula car. What can I say?
Trying to be rational about a car like this is totally irrational. And now a word to those few who can actually afford an Esprit: If you expect automotive perfection for your odd grand, go buy a big German luxo-cruiser.
But if you want a car that moves your soul as well as it moves your body, drop into the Lotus store. Odometers can fail: look for odd readings in the paperwork. The four-cylinder engine was thoroughly developed by this stage and, if carefully maintained, is very reliable.
Cars with a chargecooler have a separate electric pump for the intercooler circulation, which suffers with age; the impeller can be replaced, but a new pump is better. The V8 was new, exclusive and magnificent — but highly strung. If the wastegate operators two on V8s fail due to heat-induced corrosion, the engine can overboost with devastating consequences. The V8 clutch lasts 20, miles in normal use; a heavy clutch and difficult gear selection mean imminent replacement.
The first time, I got out shaking from the thrill and still do: I can forgive it anything for that! A highly capable car with rear-mounted turbo PRV 3-litre V6, the A undercut the Esprit, but felt slightly less involving because it was smoother and quieter. Beware chassis rot. View all Lotus Esprit classic cars for sale. Top 10 undervalued classics. Skip to main navigation. By Malcolm McKay. Lotus Esprit : what to look for.
Bodywork See above for trouble spots. Look for evidence that the engine has been well maintained; turbos get very hot left , which makes cooling critical right. A full retrim is pricey — so look for a good interior; Suspension and gearbox can be problem areas if not looked after. More about the Exige Sport It is one of the two trim levels for the GT It features a more aero dynamic body and removes the GTs rear wing for smoother airflow and to reduce drag.
The Sport weighs 10 kg less. Like the GT this is a really rare model with a total of 60 units being made. A rare, extreme, race-ready Lotus Evora is a beautiful thing and we are glad that they made it. Future classic. Track day weapon indeed. The Lotus 2-Eleven weighs in at just kg 1, lbs and has bhp on tap courtesy of its supercharged and intercooled cc engine.
For reference that gives the Lotus 2-Eleven boasts a power to weight ratio similar to that of a s Formula One car. This car is made specifically for the North American market. Lotus also updated the exterior with front lip spoiler, wheel arch louvers, ducts behind the wheels, and a rear diffuser.
More about the Evora GT. Add a monster twin-turbo 6. Bred for the track but brilliant on the road, the Elise Cup uses highly advanced aero to generate kg of downforce at its maximum speed of mph. Only to be made. More about the Elise Cup The Lotus R had a 1.
That lightweight came from innovations like high-tech composites are used for the body architecture as well as removing all unnecessary appendages like doors and body panels for example.
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