RE: Lotus Esprit GT3 | Spotted
Discussion
I have loved these since I was a boy. They just have that X factor for me. Can’t put my finger on in but every time I see one I feel like I’m a little boy again and list after one.
Looking at the high score on here I’m guessing I’m not alone and tbh I don’t know why they aren’t worth more money as I think the cult following they have is potentially stronger than anything from Porsche .....and that’s coming from someone who’s had a lot of Porsche’s.
I just wish the Esprits were more reliable and had nicer interiors. Maybe one day I’ll do it, once I do I can’t see me ever letting it go!
Looking at the high score on here I’m guessing I’m not alone and tbh I don’t know why they aren’t worth more money as I think the cult following they have is potentially stronger than anything from Porsche .....and that’s coming from someone who’s had a lot of Porsche’s.
I just wish the Esprits were more reliable and had nicer interiors. Maybe one day I’ll do it, once I do I can’t see me ever letting it go!
Had one. Awesome, awesome car. I've driven many newer, more powerful and significantly less engageing cars to drive since then......
I've never driven a car that I could get around a corner as quickly as an Esprit. It's as quick as you are if you're brave enough....
Reliability in mine was OK to be fair. New steering rack was the only unexpected nasty financial surprise.
I've never driven a car that I could get around a corner as quickly as an Esprit. It's as quick as you are if you're brave enough....
Reliability in mine was OK to be fair. New steering rack was the only unexpected nasty financial surprise.
OK, this car is mine. Firstly can I say a massive thankyou to *whoever* it is at Pistonheads for the massively flattering writeup above.
Its with some trepidation I come on here as it means I risk reading the ill informed Clarksonesque pish from people who have never sat in one let alone owned one ....dangerous throttle cables? For f
ks sake. My Esprit has been the most reliable car I ever owned. The least reliable? A mk2 Golf GTi. Surprised? You should prepare to be.
The previous post about not understanding why you want one but remembering an emotion from being a kid is, without doubt, the most common reason people own one (the same post mentioning unreliability and crap interiors you can guarantee its based on pub conversations). So I'm here for direct questions; everything you wanted to know about long term Esprit ownership but were afraid to ask!
Of course I have a vested interested but I think its a bloody bargain for something fairly unique and compared to some other classics that deliver a rather limited driving experience. They only made 198 GT3s and could have sold more if it hadn't been for legislation and engine supply. I have recently found out they only made 10 right hand drive orange ones too, with at least two gone abroad and at least one terminally smashed up, thats a pretty small pool to fish in.
Its an easier and cheaper car to own and maintain than the V8s too, there are a few people who have "backdated" to the 4 cylinders, and foresaken the single-gear torque for a more retro approach to performance.
A couple of years ago I bought a DB9 Sportpack which was supposed to supplant the Esprit, but after 18 months the Aston was gone and the Esprit stayed. To my surprise I found the build qulaities were not dissimilar and the Aston felt nowhere near as different or better as the price differential would suggest. The DB9 also rode like a carthorse comparatively which is no wonder they have poached Lotus's chassis engineers recently as I don't think Aston actually had any.
The car is not being sold because of any known defects. Obviously its a 20 odd year old car and there is always a rolling wish list of jobs to do, but it was always maintained by me for 16 years with the intention to keep it forever. I spoke to all the previous owners who loved it like I do, it has not been allowed to deteriorate and then restored from a basket case as so many have. I have been an active Esprit spotter for decades before I was an owner and I actually know of about 120 of the 198 produced. There may be a handful of GT3s in better condition but that is all.
I actually advertised it last year as my use has dwindled over the years, but when actual enquiries came in and, shock horror, offers to buy it, I got rather panicky. I figured I would have a year or two more with it as an endpiece to a fantastic era, but a recent devastating personal bereavement has changed focus a bit. If you want to read why my thread on The Lotus Forums explaining it's here https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/103692...
Back in 2003 I remortgaged my house to buy it, and its important to me that it goes to someone with the same passion, just as much as how much it goes for. The latest interested party is the head honcho at Lotus for driver dynamics, someone who has owned a GT3 in the past, so while the separation will be painful I'm hopeful its him or someone like him (maybe you!).
This car has opened so many doors for me, I've met so many amazing people just because of owning it; last year at a Jim Clark memorial his best friend made a beeline for the car and got chatting, I've met guys from the company and wider motoring industries who are so passionate still. I even got to spend a day with Hazel Chapman who signed under the bonnet, short of organising something upstairs with ACBC it doesn't get much better for a Lotus nut.
I'll be honest there have been fewer enquiries than 6 months ago which people seem to put down to "Brexit uncertainty" etc. but I'm in no hurry just yet. All I can say to anyone hesitating and wringing their hands is for goodness sake stop reading the news, look at the sunshine outside, and buy the car of your dreams while you are still fit and able.
Its with some trepidation I come on here as it means I risk reading the ill informed Clarksonesque pish from people who have never sat in one let alone owned one ....dangerous throttle cables? For f
ks sake. My Esprit has been the most reliable car I ever owned. The least reliable? A mk2 Golf GTi. Surprised? You should prepare to be. The previous post about not understanding why you want one but remembering an emotion from being a kid is, without doubt, the most common reason people own one (the same post mentioning unreliability and crap interiors you can guarantee its based on pub conversations). So I'm here for direct questions; everything you wanted to know about long term Esprit ownership but were afraid to ask!
Of course I have a vested interested but I think its a bloody bargain for something fairly unique and compared to some other classics that deliver a rather limited driving experience. They only made 198 GT3s and could have sold more if it hadn't been for legislation and engine supply. I have recently found out they only made 10 right hand drive orange ones too, with at least two gone abroad and at least one terminally smashed up, thats a pretty small pool to fish in.
Its an easier and cheaper car to own and maintain than the V8s too, there are a few people who have "backdated" to the 4 cylinders, and foresaken the single-gear torque for a more retro approach to performance.
A couple of years ago I bought a DB9 Sportpack which was supposed to supplant the Esprit, but after 18 months the Aston was gone and the Esprit stayed. To my surprise I found the build qulaities were not dissimilar and the Aston felt nowhere near as different or better as the price differential would suggest. The DB9 also rode like a carthorse comparatively which is no wonder they have poached Lotus's chassis engineers recently as I don't think Aston actually had any.
The car is not being sold because of any known defects. Obviously its a 20 odd year old car and there is always a rolling wish list of jobs to do, but it was always maintained by me for 16 years with the intention to keep it forever. I spoke to all the previous owners who loved it like I do, it has not been allowed to deteriorate and then restored from a basket case as so many have. I have been an active Esprit spotter for decades before I was an owner and I actually know of about 120 of the 198 produced. There may be a handful of GT3s in better condition but that is all.
I actually advertised it last year as my use has dwindled over the years, but when actual enquiries came in and, shock horror, offers to buy it, I got rather panicky. I figured I would have a year or two more with it as an endpiece to a fantastic era, but a recent devastating personal bereavement has changed focus a bit. If you want to read why my thread on The Lotus Forums explaining it's here https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/103692...
Back in 2003 I remortgaged my house to buy it, and its important to me that it goes to someone with the same passion, just as much as how much it goes for. The latest interested party is the head honcho at Lotus for driver dynamics, someone who has owned a GT3 in the past, so while the separation will be painful I'm hopeful its him or someone like him (maybe you!).
This car has opened so many doors for me, I've met so many amazing people just because of owning it; last year at a Jim Clark memorial his best friend made a beeline for the car and got chatting, I've met guys from the company and wider motoring industries who are so passionate still. I even got to spend a day with Hazel Chapman who signed under the bonnet, short of organising something upstairs with ACBC it doesn't get much better for a Lotus nut.
I'll be honest there have been fewer enquiries than 6 months ago which people seem to put down to "Brexit uncertainty" etc. but I'm in no hurry just yet. All I can say to anyone hesitating and wringing their hands is for goodness sake stop reading the news, look at the sunshine outside, and buy the car of your dreams while you are still fit and able.
Edited by Loose_Cannon on Tuesday 25th June 18:36
PS in the Pistonheads article above it makes a comparison pricewise to a red Porsche 996 Carrera 4S price wise. I actually nearly bought this very car a few years back, but went on holiday instead. What a fortuitous decision that was, as it subsequently lunched its engine due to the infamous IMS bearing thing and needed the usual 12 grand rebuild. Lotus parts prices are a fleabite compred to Porsche...we owned a 996 Carrera 4 alongside the Esprit for a couple of years. They are both superb cars, but get the same job done in a very different manner, and drive very differently, which one you like is purely personal and nither is wrong or right. I thought the Porsche was wonderfully solid and comfortable but was dull and heavy in the drive and sterering plus the gearbox was like a truck - and people criticise the Lotus Renault one! BOTH Porsche and Lotus have silly idiosyncracies that carry on down the generations.
More pictures if you want them; https://www.facebook.com/mark.britten.7/media_set?...
More pictures if you want them; https://www.facebook.com/mark.britten.7/media_set?...
Edited by Loose_Cannon on Sunday 23 June 22:55
I saw a green one of these kinda like British racing green with cream interior and great wheels, at a petrol station once.
I don’t know enougth about them to know what engine / model it was.
I remember at the time thinking must be one of the last made due to plate reg.
Still one of the nicest to look at cars I’ve ever seen
I don’t know enougth about them to know what engine / model it was.
I remember at the time thinking must be one of the last made due to plate reg.
Still one of the nicest to look at cars I’ve ever seen
Loose_Cannon said:
I figured I would have a year or two more with it as an endpiece to a fantastic era, but a recent devastating personal bereavement has changed focus a bit. If you want to read why my thread on The Lotus Forums explaining it's here https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/103692...
.
Very sad and moving that loose-cannon, my condolences..
If I had the money I’d buy the lotus in a heartbeat, good luck with the sale.
Loose_Cannon said:
Back in 2003 I remortgaged my house to buy it....
Now that's what we call commitment! I did something very similar when I bought mine. Astounding cars. They may never have been "full exotic" in the Countach sense of the word but in the real world they came mighty close.Ilovejapcrap said:
Very sad and moving that loose-cannon, my condolences.
.
Sorry to hear about your loss and sending my condolences in addition to the above, reading your post above you dont sound like someone who wants to sell their P&J - far from it and nice to see some pro-lotus comments. .
Have you ever driven it on a track, how was it?
rallycross said:
Ilovejapcrap said:
Very sad and moving that loose-cannon, my condolences.
.
Sorry to hear about your loss and sending my condolences in addition to the above, reading your post above you dont sound like someone who wants to sell their P&J - far from it and nice to see some pro-lotus comments. .
Have you ever driven it on a track, how was it?
I live the espirit and would like to hear more stories of owners of annual bills ?! I am 6ft 3 tall and haven’t sat in one since 2000 so I’m hoping I can fit ?!
Talk me in to one please ???
Talk me in to one please ???
W12GT said:
I have loved these since I was a boy. They just have that X factor for me. Can’t put my finger on in but every time I see one I feel like I’m a little boy again and list after one.
Looking at the high score on here I’m guessing I’m not alone and tbh I don’t know why they aren’t worth more money as I think the cult following they have is potentially stronger than anything from Porsche .....and that’s coming from someone who’s had a lot of Porsche’s.
I just wish the Esprits were more reliable and had nicer interiors. Maybe one day I’ll do it, once I do I can’t see me ever letting it go!
Looking at the high score on here I’m guessing I’m not alone and tbh I don’t know why they aren’t worth more money as I think the cult following they have is potentially stronger than anything from Porsche .....and that’s coming from someone who’s had a lot of Porsche’s.
I just wish the Esprits were more reliable and had nicer interiors. Maybe one day I’ll do it, once I do I can’t see me ever letting it go!
rallycross said:
Ilovejapcrap said:
Very sad and moving that loose-cannon, my condolences.
.
Sorry to hear about your loss and sending my condolences in addition to the above, reading your post above you dont sound like someone who wants to sell their P&J - far from it and nice to see some pro-lotus comments. .
Have you ever driven it on a track, how was it?
As per track usage, late 90s a few mags invited a GT3 Esprit to their Annual Handling Day
sidesauce said:
snuffy said:
I only had two major failures; once the throttle got stuck on the motorway but I managed to bring it to a stop on the hard shoulder okay. And the other one was that the turbo blew itself up.
Yikes. Particuarly the first one - that's what I call a potential death trap!It frayed so what happened was when I was changing gear on the motorway it started to rev (like you were not lifting off as you changed gear). Then as I took me foot of the accelerator to slow down, the revs (and hence my speed) stayed the same. So I just gently pressed the brake pedal and came to a stop. It was revving away. So I turned the ignition on a off and it then idled normally and then a spotted that the accelerator pedal was just hanging there with no resistance.
The only reason it went after almost 65k miles is because I wanted a V8. 6 years and 65K miles shows that I drove it whilst I owned it.
Loose_Cannon said:
A couple of years ago I bought a DB9 Sportpack which was supposed to supplant the Esprit, but after 18 months the Aston was gone and the Esprit stayed.
That's because Aston Martins are a triumph of marketing. People think they are great cars (I bought one, so I fell for it too). My Vantage looked the part but it was such a boring car to drive and mine also only lasted 18 months before I sold it. Lovely car, I've still got all the old road tests from the time. The Esprit GT3 along with the Porsche 968 CS were my favourite special edition sports cars of the 90s.
Funnily enough yesterday morning I came out of my local MacDonalds and a guy in a Black Peter Stevens era Esprit was just parking up next to me. I'm not generally one for talking to strangers but love Esprits and started up a conversation. Turned out it was an SE Turbo which the guy had owned for 20 odd years. He seemed chuffed that someone appreciated it and guessed what it was.
I think the Peter Stevens designed Esprit in particular has aged really well. Not surprising I guess for the guy who penned the McLaren F1, another car which is ageing very well indeed.
Thankyou all for your kind messages.
It sounds daft being a lifelong member of Pistonheads but top speed and cornering on two wheels are not my thing; to me a car is all about where it takes you and the journey to get there.
I took it to France twice for the Le Mans Classic and it would not have been half the holiday in an ordinary car. People were waving in the villages and from the fields. It also averaged 34-36 mpg on the each 2000 mile trip. Its a car that opens doors and gets people talking. I've met some great people that simply would not have happened without it.
I'm in two minds about the bad press and prejudice Lotus receives in its home country. In a way I'm almost glad because it keeps the prices down so that ordinary people who have a mind of their own can afford them! However in reality it starves the company of development money and keeps it permanently under badge halo'd cars like Aston and Ferrari, which dynamically its products match and more often better. I've been around Lotus a long time and the only negativity about reliability tends to be on non-Lotus forums and fron non-owners at classic car shows. Plus of course my all time favourite, the stereotypical gurning buffoon who strides over to you at a petrol station and blurts out the "Lots Of Trouble..." acronym and wonders why you don't busrt out laughing.
rallycross said:
Have you ever driven it on a track, how was it?
I did one track day session with a car club at Croft circuit. I drive like a pensioner most of the time, thus I'm not the best person to ask about comparisons.It sounds daft being a lifelong member of Pistonheads but top speed and cornering on two wheels are not my thing; to me a car is all about where it takes you and the journey to get there.
I took it to France twice for the Le Mans Classic and it would not have been half the holiday in an ordinary car. People were waving in the villages and from the fields. It also averaged 34-36 mpg on the each 2000 mile trip. Its a car that opens doors and gets people talking. I've met some great people that simply would not have happened without it.
I'm in two minds about the bad press and prejudice Lotus receives in its home country. In a way I'm almost glad because it keeps the prices down so that ordinary people who have a mind of their own can afford them! However in reality it starves the company of development money and keeps it permanently under badge halo'd cars like Aston and Ferrari, which dynamically its products match and more often better. I've been around Lotus a long time and the only negativity about reliability tends to be on non-Lotus forums and fron non-owners at classic car shows. Plus of course my all time favourite, the stereotypical gurning buffoon who strides over to you at a petrol station and blurts out the "Lots Of Trouble..." acronym and wonders why you don't busrt out laughing.
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