Lotus Esprit Sport 350 | Spotted
The Esprit V8 always punched above its weight, and never more so than as a modern classic supercar
It might have escaped your attention, what with everything being reimagined and repurposed these days, but the Lotus Esprit is to have its moment in the restomod sun. British company Encor is to ‘remaster’ the Series 1 car, using the later V8 car as its base; the combination of classic style with twin turbo performance, plus all the associated loveliness that comes with hundreds of hours of rebuilding, promises quite a lot indeed. Just imagine a 400hp Lotus that looks straight out of a Bond film, has a nice gearbox and works faultlessly. It would be incredible.
And while the news of Encor’s work probably had most salivating over original wedges, for us it was hard not to think how good the V8 still looks. It’d be a shame for these cars to be sacrificed for current collector trends, but then if they aren’t going to sell to the average customer then they could well be taken as donors. Assuming, of course, there are 50 people who love Esprits enough to spend more than £400,000 on a remake - that feels quite a big ask.
It seems unlikely that a Sport 350 is going to be taken, surely: too rare, too special, too cool in its own right. More than 25 years ago it was Lotus’s answer to the road racers, its take on the 911 GT3 with those stunning magnesium wheels, the graphics and the motorsport-spec spoiler. It was even rarer than the Porsche, too, with only 48 of them ever made, and every single one in the same colour. It’s said that the Sport 350 was additionally tasked with directing some attention back to the standard V8 Esprit, from which it was built, though it’s easy to imagine plenty at the turn of the century wanting just this spec; the Esprit wasn’t a new design by then, but the overhaul worked wonders. It’s still an absolute stunner today.
Still fast today, too. The racy add-ons took around 80kg from the Esprit, giving the 355hp and 295lb ft even less to push against; one late 20th century road test recorded 0-100mph in 9.9 seconds, which will have needed plenty of wrestling with the Renault-derived manual as well. A 50-70mph time in third gear of 2.6 seconds, recorded by Autocar, more accurately reflects the performance. Back then it put the Sport 350 ‘on level terms with all but the fastest superbikes and, therefore, comfortably ahead of most four-wheeled rivals. By any standards it is a ferociously, addictively fast car’. Cool.
Common consensus was always that the stiffer Sport 350 actually wasn’t quite as sweet to drive as the standard V8 (which in turn never quite beguiled like the four-cylinder Esprits) but come on - it’s a 20th century Lotus, there’s going to be a lot to like. And surely all sorts of setup knowledge out there now to get the best out of the car, to make it drive as good as it looks. Even half as good as it looks would be fantastic, really.
This one, number 44 of the 48, is said to have had just one owner, which is pretty extraordinary given it was new 25 years ago. All bar one of its 20 online MOT tests have been advisory-free, first time passes, which must be a good sign when it comes to upkeep. Not everything, sure, though it’s nice to see the miles trickle up a little each year and no issues arise. There are some gaps in the service history, which isn’t ideal of course, so maybe factor in a thorough refresh to ensure everything is tickety boo for 2026. But the condition looks A1.
Even at the £65,000 it cost brand new, the Sport 350 isn’t as much as some of the alternatives - as was so often the Lotus way. One of those original GT3s is going to be more more money for a higher mileage car, and a Ferrari 360 of the era is similar. There’s probably a discussion to have about the allure of those badges and powertrains over the Lotus, but none about presence - this is still going to have passersby swoon like nothing else. If whatever Encor is making can make you stop and stare like the Sport 350 still can, maybe those 50 buyers will be easier to find than expected.
SPECIFICATION | LOTUS ESPRIT SPORT 350
Engine: 3,500cc, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 354@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@4,250rpm
MPG: 21.2
CO2: N/A
Recorded mileage: 24,800
Year registered: 2000
Price new: £64,950
Price now: £64,995
This S3 is stunning though it doesn t look to be sat level, whether that s the ground it s on or the suspension is sagging I’m not sure.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19412381
I've seen first hand the kind of bills these can generate, especially if you need new turbos, not for the faint of heart in any measure.
Lovely car though and seeing James May drive one in the Grand Tour (not a Sport 350) made it rise up in my bucket list of cars.
Price now: £64,995
I also would've loved to have bought a car over the years that doesn't actually depreciate like this as well, and every single car I've ever bought has lost money in comparison to this.
Quite a few cars I've had have gone up in value as soon as I've sold them too!(S14a 200SX/Cerbera 4.5/E92 M3 etc).
Never take car investment advice from me I reckon!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff