Lotus Esprit Sport 350: Spotted
The most focused of all the focused Esprits - and very rare, too - now on offer at £50,000...
But of course this is not a new strategy for Lotus; and here, plundered from the PH classifieds, is one of the finest examples of what happens when they make a V8 track special: the Esprit Sport 350.
This was the car that took the Esprit into supercar territory in the late 90s, following the same path as the earlier Sport 300 but with twice the cylinders. It was 80kg lighter than a regular V8 Esprit through measures like magnesium wheels and that incredible carbon wing which, combined with 354hp and 295lb ft, made it capable of 0-100mph in 10.7 seconds. On a wet surface.
Ally that to chassis and aero improvements wrought in the world of competition and the result is a fairly sensational car. Not only that but it's also incredibly rare, with less than 50 believed to have been produced.
So, this is a car with enviable heritage, stunning performance, motorsport breeding and incredible rarity - it must cost the earth, right? Well, no, not really. Esprits always appear undervalued but especially so here, with this Sport 350 for sale at £51,995. Of course there are cheaper examples, both four-cylinder and V8, but for something so scarce and desirable it doesn't look absurd.
Think of it this way: an original 996-era Porsche 911 GT3 was launched at about the same time as the Esprit (and with a very similar ethos) yet one of those in similarly beautiful condition and with comfortably less than 50,000 miles is nearly £80,000. Indeed the cheapest way into a 996 GT3 on PH is £10,000 more than the Esprit with nearly another 30,000 miles on it. And there are twice as many first-gen GT3s as 350s...
Perhaps the more interesting comparison though is between the Sport 350 and more modern track focused Lotuses. None will have a V8, granted, and arguably none will be quite as pretty as an Esprit, but there are still some incredible cars out there. The Sport 350 Exige is within budget, appropriately enough, as is a 2-Eleven, and some racier Evoras could also be yours for £50K.
What a decision to have to make! Would the heritage and rarity of the Esprit win you over? Or are the 21st century Lotuses more appealing? As always thoughts are welcome and, if you're one of the lucky few with a Sport 350, we'd love to know what it's like!
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: 44,000 miles
Year registered: 1999
Price new: N/A
Price now: £51,995
See the original advert here.
[Source: LotusEspritWorld]
anyone else with me?, or am I on my own
Or am I due an avian visitation?
The 350 is not all that different from the regular late V8. ECU is a bit different - but that can be uprated for about £200.
Best car I have owned. Still very under rated. Drove mine back to back with a 996 X51. The Porsche felt bland.
Even driving an Exige350 wasn't so good.
Must buy another......
Or am I due an avian visitation?
More here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Esprit
In period tests, zero to sixty miles per hour came in at 4.4 seconds and top speeds of over 175 mph (282 km/h) were achieved
Love these things, I remember a few comparison tests between this and the Cerbera speed 6 at the time.
Or am I due an avian visitation?
More here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Esprit
In period tests, zero to sixty miles per hour came in at 4.4 seconds and top speeds of over 175 mph (282 km/h) were achieved
https://youtu.be/ZVaYjmAUZig
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