RE: Lotus Esprit V8 Turbo: PH Carpool
Discussion
I remember speaking to a chap from Lotus and they had indeed made a v8 with a cross plane crank, he said it sounded amazing...
As for driving ecperiences, very little comes close. Nobles etc of course are good but the steering and handling is far superior to its other contemporaries
With a few changes a standard S4 or v8 can go from a quite quick car to really scary.
Just pop the headlights now and then and all is well in the world...
As for driving ecperiences, very little comes close. Nobles etc of course are good but the steering and handling is far superior to its other contemporaries
With a few changes a standard S4 or v8 can go from a quite quick car to really scary.
Just pop the headlights now and then and all is well in the world...
pistolpedro said:
great cover
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/ERoadtests/AutoCar...
How It Is said:
Not a flattering review, and the Esprit does have it's faults, but it's half the price of a 355, and not in my opinion half the car
Yep, to be fair the 1996 cars were unresolved in places. The facelift of 1998 brought about a handful of needed mechanical detail upgrades to make the car a more slick affair and they got better throughout their lifespan - as the Esprit always did.Impasse said:
How It Is said:
Not a flattering review, and the Esprit does have it's faults, but it's half the price of a 355, and not in my opinion half the car
Yep, to be fair the 1996 cars were unresolved in places. The facelift of 1998 brought about a handful of needed mechanical detail upgrades to make the car a more slick affair and they got better throughout their lifespan - as the Esprit always did.I personally think it was a missed opportunity. Had lotus adopted the post Danny Bahar philosophy of getting the details nailed, not to mention change the gearbox supplier, it would have been a genuine contender.
The problem with Lotus seems to be that there is always SOMETHING missing. They have never seemed to create a complete car. Its either the engine, or quality control issues.
They need a new Esprit, properly engineered and delivering the goods. Lamborghini with its Huracan is looking quite vulnerable at the moment too, so it would be an opportune moment, but do they have funds or the gumption to do it? Looking at all their sticker limited editions, I suspect not.
Lowtimer said:
It was very quick for its day, and that was the the engine fairly strongly reined in, so as not to exceed the torque capacity of the gearbox (which was the weak point in more than one way).
I seem to remember one of Clarkson's videos in which he rolled out an Escort Cossie but only to show it wasn't that fast against a V8 Esprit, FWIR the Esprit won by a fair margin, I Remember teenage dreams of a blue one with White leather **now dribbling over classifieds**
I hit my 7 year anniversary of V8 Esprit ownership yesterday. The path has been a little rough at times and I drive it far less than I'd like these days but the sense of occasion when driving it is like nothing else. Amazing looking and sounding car and iconic in calypso red (mine's silver) with great performance. Love it.
j_s14a said:
IanCress said:
Was always fascinated by the Esprit as a friend of my Dad owned one back in the early eighties when I was young.
It wasn't until 20 years later that I found out he didn't have an Esprit, it was a VW Scirocco. Well, they kind of look the same when you're 5.
A girl I took out last night said my Corrado looks like "the Back to the Future car". It wasn't until 20 years later that I found out he didn't have an Esprit, it was a VW Scirocco. Well, they kind of look the same when you're 5.
Maybe if you squint, a lot, while using eyedrops...
benters said:
I saw an Azure blue Esprit at the Lotus Festival at the weekend with a V6 badge on it. . .anyone know the story of that car ?
This one ? http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOtherstuff/Esprit...£22k for this one spotted in the classifieds, much better value IMO than a contemporary Ferrari. However the Ferrari 355 seems to be rocketing up in value, these less so!
I was weighing up buying a nearly new Evora S, but for the same money could get a final edition Esprit V8 and a Lotus Carlton, pay the same road tax (total), zero depreciation but possibly very high running costs.....
I was weighing up buying a nearly new Evora S, but for the same money could get a final edition Esprit V8 and a Lotus Carlton, pay the same road tax (total), zero depreciation but possibly very high running costs.....
I owned a 355 briefly, it was the biggest disappointment of my motoring life.
Pathetically slow compared to the Esprit V8. I sold it and bought a brand new Esprit V8-GT. It was half the money and twice the car. Faster than the 360 Modena too despite the utter balls claimed by the car magazines at the time (355 - 0-100 in 10 seconds, 360 did 0-100 in 8.9!!!!). Ferrari added 140kg to the nose of the later cars without the decency to increase the power which was pure fantasy anyway. They claimed the exhaust system was worth 30bhp!
The Esprit was more reliable too! The Ferrari's throttle stuck wide open while on a trip to Wales. Luckily it was so slow I had plenty of time to hook my foot under the throttle and pull it back. It sounded glorious of course but, seriously, for the money they charge, I won't be going back there again. If you really want a 355, make sure you get an early, pre-airbag one. They are lighter, faster and handle far better.
Better still, just get yourself an Esprit V8. The Sport 350 is incredible. Floats over kerbs like no other car I've driven. Has real punch and great traction, plus suspension composure and body control on road and track that is exquisite. Then there's the power steering, arguably the best available and possibly only surpassed by the Evora system. During development of the S4 (the first Esprit to use power steering) Lotus gave Saginaw the specs they wanted. Saginaw said it couldn't be done. A big fat cheque from then owners GM made it happen. The specs make no economic sense but the resulting steering was, and remains, a revelation.
Pathetically slow compared to the Esprit V8. I sold it and bought a brand new Esprit V8-GT. It was half the money and twice the car. Faster than the 360 Modena too despite the utter balls claimed by the car magazines at the time (355 - 0-100 in 10 seconds, 360 did 0-100 in 8.9!!!!). Ferrari added 140kg to the nose of the later cars without the decency to increase the power which was pure fantasy anyway. They claimed the exhaust system was worth 30bhp!
The Esprit was more reliable too! The Ferrari's throttle stuck wide open while on a trip to Wales. Luckily it was so slow I had plenty of time to hook my foot under the throttle and pull it back. It sounded glorious of course but, seriously, for the money they charge, I won't be going back there again. If you really want a 355, make sure you get an early, pre-airbag one. They are lighter, faster and handle far better.
Better still, just get yourself an Esprit V8. The Sport 350 is incredible. Floats over kerbs like no other car I've driven. Has real punch and great traction, plus suspension composure and body control on road and track that is exquisite. Then there's the power steering, arguably the best available and possibly only surpassed by the Evora system. During development of the S4 (the first Esprit to use power steering) Lotus gave Saginaw the specs they wanted. Saginaw said it couldn't be done. A big fat cheque from then owners GM made it happen. The specs make no economic sense but the resulting steering was, and remains, a revelation.
another 3 points said:
Anyone know where I'd get a replacement steering lock? Have tried SJ Sportscars etc but they all point back to Hethel. Who are full of promises but nothing more. Haven't driven the Esprit for over a year
because of the seesed steering lock.
Heres hoping.
Pete J
Have you tried Lotusbits ? They might have a "recycled" one on the shelf somewhere.because of the seesed steering lock.
Heres hoping.
Pete J
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