There was something of an oversight in Dan's
supercar blog
from yesterday, one pointed out by none other than
Mel Nichols
. His email basically argued: "What about the
Lotus Esprit Turbo
Every mid-engined supercar needs slats
Indeed. It's easy to forget that the Alfa 4C's recipe of low mass, a mid-engined layout and four-cylinder turbocharged powerplant was so successfully utilised by Lotus through the 80s and 90s to create a different breed of supercar.
In the words of Mr Nichols, "we did see the Turbo Esprit as a glimpse of the future: small, turbocharged engines with performance comparable to V8s". And the belief is borne out by the stats; an original Esprit Turbo makes 212hp and sprints to 60 in under six seconds, acceleration that matched or beat its contemporaries from Ferrari (308/328) and Lamborghini (Jalpa). Maybe Alfa is on to something...
Not pretty under the slats, but effective
Combine performance with jaw-dropping Giugiaro styling and the result is an instant supercar pin-up, regardless of the cylinder count. The fact the Esprit Turbo rode and handled in the best Lotus tradition was an added bonus.
It continued to evolve through the Peter Stevens facelift and gained more performance, more aggressive styling and more focus along the way. Models such as the GT3 and S4S reinforced the Esprit's reputation as a stunning driver's car and further proved that four cylinders was no barrier to very grown-up thrills. Eventually the twin-turbo V8 became the mainstay of the Esprit range until its demise in 2004, but the 2.2-litre turbocharged cars had certainly proved their worth.
Given Dan's blog nearly mentioned every 70s/80s supercar icon without discussing the Esprit, it's only right one goes under the Spotted limelight today. A good proportion of the Esprits for sale on PH are four-cylinder cars, this S4 GT looking particularly cool in the traditional Lotus racing colours.
If the outside wasn't retro enough...
But we've chosen an early S3 Turbo Esprit to illustrate the four-cylinder supercar as we're suckers for a 'Turbo' decal and, well, James Bond didn't use a 1990s Esprit did he? Would have been better than a Z3 though...
This 1985 Turbo has been sparingly used over its 28-year life, covering just 22,000 miles. Consequently its Calypso Red paint gleams, even if the interior doesn't look quite as fresh. Cheaper versions of the 80s Esprits are available but the value inherent in any Esprit can be seen in Ferrari 328 prices; this 25,000-mile 1987 GTS is twice the cost of this Turbo at £40,000.
Esprits have always offered good value, but they've also earned a notorious reputation for reliability. A lot more words than are available here could be used to outline the issues but suffice to say it will pay to do some homework and be prepared for some bills along the way.
But what other supercar icons are available in this condition for under £20,000? The Esprit has become so overlooked that even we ignored it, so let's give it the publicity it deserves for once.
LOTUS TURBO ESPRIT
Engine: 2,174cc four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Power (hp): 212@6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 220@4,500rpm
MPG:18
CO2: NA
First registered: 1985
Recorded mileage: 22,000
Price new: £21,720
Yours for: £18,995