In 2002, the Lotus Esprit reached a milestone in its illustrious history when the turbocharged V-8 model was introduced. Unveiled in 1972 as a styling concept at the Turin Motor show, the Esprit entered production in the mid 1970’s and today is accepted as being one of the world's finest supercars and one of Britain’s greatest.
You know it's a great supercar the minute after you take off and come to the first corner; you feel completely at one with the car, held into the snug cockpit, but with a good view over the wide hood so you can see exactly where you place the car. Then, the controls and instruments are all just where you'd like them to be.
All Esprits fine sports cars…
With the original four-cylinder engine the Esprit was a fine sports car with pretensions toward being a supercar, but not enough power. The introduction of the V-8 engine, basically double the four, but with a short-stroke, changed all that. When the turbos were added to give more power, the Esprit leapt up the supercar league table. Now out of production, the Esprit V-8 is still a highly desirable supercar.
……But the twin turbo V-8 set it alight!
The Lotus 3.5 liter twin turbocharged V8 engine, which had four overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, produced 350 hp at 6,500 rpm with racing versions currently producing over 550 hp with very few changes from the standard road engine. The product of thoughtful design, the engine is efficient, compact and lightweight - it weighs less than 220kg complete with all ancillaries. A wide torque band with a peak of 295 lbs ft (400 Nm) at 4,250 rpm assures an incredibly smooth power delivery and an effortless but rapid acceleration in all five gears. The power comes on song from about 3,500 rpm, and really pushes you back into your seat the higher the revs rise.
Owing to its fairly light weight, the Esprit sprints to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, and can get to 100 mph 10 seconds - really into the top supercar level. Top speed is 175mph.
Superb handling
The mid-engine, rear-drive configuration blesses the car with superb handling, although the omission of a traction control system can catch out the unwary, particularly in the wet. All Esprits have a reputation for lumpy gearboxes and heavy clutches.
The Renault-sourced gearbox in the V8 is better than the predecessors but still not the nicest to use. Although the engine noise comes from just behind the driver’s head, it is unassuming so many owners add a sports exhaust system.
Unique backbone and clamshell glass fiber body structure
Based on Lotus's unique clamshell vacuum injection body process, the Esprit was an unusual design. Lotus developed its vacuum injection technology to improve the finish and stiffness of glass fiber panels without expensive tools. The glass mat is placed in moulds, which are then closed. A vacuum is applied to remove air and draw the resin into the mold. The result is a dense molding which is strong and stiff. For the second generation Elan and Esprit, two moldings, one for the top and the other the bottom, were molded in this way and bonded together to form the body.
A steel backbone frame, used first on the original Elan, carries all the mechanical units and the double wishbone suspension. The body is then mounted on the frame so that it increases overall stiffness.
The suspension is in the classic mold - the front wishbones are of the normal A-link type, while the rear ones also have long trailing links to reduce squat under acceleration. The springs are mounted on the dampers. Of course, the steering is by rack and pinion, and is fairly direct.
ABS and big AP brakes
Huge performance demands huge brakes, and the V8 Esprit obliges with cross-drilled discs and four-piston calipers. The new “crystal titanium” finish multi spoke OZ Racing alloy wheels hide powerful 4-pot calipers with an advanced Kelsey Hayes ABS system. Large 320mm diameter AP Racing two piece brake discs are vented and cross-drilled, front and rear, for maximum cooling and heat dissipation when the car is subjected to sustained heavy braking. The race specification calipers, pads and discs ensure that the Esprit stops as well as it goes.
To celebrate 30 years of this performance car, Lotus made sure the Esprit suffered a “face lift”. The redesigned rear panel and light cluster, which features round rear lights set in pairs, carried over some of the Elise design elements. The front of the Esprit has inherited the lip spoiler from the legendary Sport 350 ensuring greater stability at very high speeds.
Plenty of equipment as standard
Many subtle changes can also be seen in the interior too. The new high backed seats feature an embossed Lotus logo. A distinct aluminum theme features throughout the interior providing an elegant, lightweight finish to the gear lever, handbrake sleeve, inner door panel and new inner door sill. Air conditioning, power windows, central locking, remote fuel filler door, Alpine stereo, alarm, remote keyless entry, Kevlar reinforced passenger safety cell, and dual airbags were all included as standard.
A future classic
With the Lotus Esprit now out of production the last of the breed look set to become future classics, especially since the combination of a substantial frame and glass fiber bodywork will suffer less from corrosion than conventional steel cars.
Residual values on earlier models remain strong. As supercars go, these strong residuals, the unfussy V8 engine and surprisingly large boot make the last of the Lotus Esprit a realistic super car purchase.
