RE: Lotus Esprit Sport 350: Spotted

[james_gt3rs]

HeMightBeBanned said:

Lovely cars to look at, especially if someone else is stomaching the running costs.

I see it as a cut price Diablo.

[saaby93]

wobert said:

I was on the design team for the V8 (Project 618).

There are some amazing people in PH

[99dndd]

R66STU said:

I always remember this car from Gran Turismo.. It was about 100,000 Credits, and with a but of tuning it would pack some serious BHP, and destroy cars in classes above it.. Sticky tyres really helped too... It was one of my good earners in that game

anyone else with me?, or am I on my own

[ZX10R NIN]

If they did that now I'm sure they'd have more success especially with standalone ECU's etc also I'm pretty sure with the right bell housing there are much stronger gearboxes available now.

[TvrJohn]

I had an S1 when i was 24, it was a bit underpowered by the 2 litre engine but cornered like it was on rails

remembered affectionately

[PHMatt]

rockin said:

V8 FOU said:

Olivera said:

A cool looking thing, but twin-turbos and a V8 to make 350bhp seems a little quaint (read pants) by today's standards.

Obviously never driven one. Only c1300kg too.

Hmmm. My new Corvette Stingray is only 10% heavier yet 30% more powerful - with a pushrod engine and no turbos at all. Don't think I'd want to go back to an Esprit at this point, although it was a great car in its day. Unfortunately that in-house V8 motor was one of many dead ends for Lotus. Silly really, because as a subsidiary of GM they'd already developed the OHC V8 delivering 375 bhp for Corvette ZR1. Martin Colvill of Lotus dealership Bell & Colvill (who were the first people to turbo-charge an Esprit) had a ZR1 for many years.

"General Motors acquired Group Lotus, the UK based engineering consulting and performance car manufacturing firm. The Corvette division approached Lotus with the idea of developing the world's fastest production car, to be based on the C4 generation Corvette. With input from GM, Lotus designed a new engine to fit in place of the L98 V8 that was powering the standard C4. The result was what GM dubbed the LT5, an aluminum-block V-8 with the same bore centers as the L98, but with four overhead camshafts, 32 valves. Lotus also designed a unique air management system for the engine to provide a wider power band by shutting off 8 of the 16 intake runners and fuel injectors when the engine was at part-throttle, while still giving the ZR-1 375 bhp when at wide open throttle."

The engine isn't the bottleneck. The gearbox is.

[Martin-tbuky]

Hello Pistonheads..... I do indeed have one of these.
Number 18, the only one in blue (very light blue). If my history on it is correct it was Chris Knight, CEO of Lotus at the time company car.
The car is absolutely brilliant. I've had it for 4 years and drive it to work every day during the summer time.
Lots of power, wonderful steering. Not a modern car to drive by any stretch but I think that's what makes it so much fun.
Love and really glad it's made it on your Spotted list... It's made my day!

[Strugs]

Martin-tbuky said:

Hello Pistonheads..... I do indeed have one of these.
Number 18, the only one in blue (very light blue). If my history on it is correct it was Chris Knight, CEO of Lotus at the time company car.
The car is absolutely brilliant. I've had it for 4 years and drive it to work every day during the summer time.
Lots of power, wonderful steering. Not a modern car to drive by any stretch but I think that's what makes it so much fun.
Love and really glad it's made it on your Spotted list... It's made my day!

|https://thumbsnap.com/fDxJRMnx[/url]

Great to see it being used on track as well!

[hondansx]

Very cool!

[snuffy]

As you say, the only blue one. And one of my previous chariots as it happens, ie that very car.

Edited by snuffy on Tuesday 27th June 08:33

[Martin-tbuky]

Brilliant. It was actually your car. Nice to hear from a previous owner.. when did you own it?
I see you've now got A GT-R.. Best not tell my wife because about that as she really wants me to sell the Lotus to get one!
Cheers

[snuffy]

Martin-tbuky said:

Brilliant. It was actually your car. Nice to hear from a previous owner.. when did you own it?
I see you've now got A GT-R.. Best not tell my wife because about that as she really wants me to sell the Lotus to get one!
Cheers

It would have been around 2005/2006. I had it for 2 years before I sold it and bought my Noble M12. I took the rear box off and had it with straight thru pipes which certainly turned heads. And added a pair of dump valves because I love the noise.

The GT-R is of course very different being much more modern with all the whizzy electronics. I can highly recommend one!

[Doc 180]

Just a very short update. I have owned a Sport 350 since 2001, (2700 miles) was bought from dealership, his own car. today with about 41k whats it like to own.
Well in warranty just two issues, a faulty wiper mech and a rear lower wish bone bush.

Since 2003 I have maintained my car including making it capable of hitting the magical double ton.
So it's intercooled, hybrid turbo's, engine modified, 6 speed dog box. Fast is an understatement, We all know The 5th gear car was a joke, agreed. My pal has an Evora 400, he's asked me to drive it many times, It's got a great V6 engine, but it's a not a Lotus one is it ! answer not interested.

Having owned V8 powered Lotus's since 1988 continuous I guess, I'm addicted.
So I am not a young guy any more and the Rocket will leave me this year.
I'm plain, way past my best condition, were the Esprit is still amazing even today, it's been a love affair and still is, a Real Super Car... and its spoilt rotten still, the data file is 4.7g. Please Note I've been building cars since 1972.

The others were a 97 V8se and an Elite (502) 74 with a 4ltr Rover V8 on 4 downdraft Dellortos.
Nothing could replace the Sport 350 for me, unless Lotus builds another one.
I rest my case, the very best Esprit bar none.
ps if you own one you know its very different to any other V8 Esprit