Lotus Esprit

[DJ TT 2002]

Just toying with the idea.
Anybody own one/ previously owned one ?

Does LOTUS stand for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious ??

[Bigblu10]

James Bond (Roger Moore) drove one in one of the Bond movies! Cool looking car.

[DJ TT 2002]

Stock photo. Not on a lot near me, HaHa
The Spy Who Loved Me is what caught my eye.
Pretty Woman was a great example too

[tamiya]

Don't own actual Lotus but have lived with their engine/s in the carport. Each model has its own finicky quirks and you really need a specialist mechanic that knows what to look out for.

Speaking of quirks, discovered my high school science teacher quit his dayjob and became a Lotus indy specialist. He's more into vintage though, pre James Bond.

Originally Posted by Bigblu10

James Bond (Roger Moore) drove one in one of the Bond movies! Cool looking car.

He was smart. He ditched it in the sea before the warranty was over!

[RW16610]

Seems like a cool car to own if you can get your hands on one. I don't know much about it but must say I'm afraid of some British and Italian cars of a certain era. Too many horror stories on reliability issues but again, it all depends for this model. Hope you're able to do some digging and find out the details

[DJ TT 2002]

Affordable Super Car.
This might be clouding my judgement.

[breitlings]

Esprit is cool. I would also consider the new evora elise etc. they have toyota running gear so they should be somewhat reliable.

[SDRider]

I rented a Lotus Elise for four day back in 2005. Most fun you can have with your clothes on IMO. Difficult to get in and out of though.

[Wcdhtwn]

The V-8 version is supposed to be excellent. Yeah, problems here and there and you need a mechanic that knows what he's doing. But 0-62 times that beat much of what you'd spend up to $150K for new these days. Phenomenal handling. A solid, low mileage version should be gettable in the $30,000's. at least that was the case a year or two ago. I drive by a car dealer in Houston daily, Mercedes, Lotus, Aston Martin, Volvo, that has had one for years. I see it then it disappears for a while and I think someone bought it, but it always resurfaces. It's a V-8, I looked into it, window shopping, and think it had less than 40,000 miles. Not sure I can say the name here but PM me and I'll tell you who if you want to see if they still have it. It's red. This one or another you have your eye on I say yes... as long as we are talking V-8 and not the V-4 they made for a while. And nothing against the 4, just don't know anything about it, but I'd assume it's a turbo.

[Andad]

The V8 model is also turbocharged.

If you are an enthusiast and enjoy working on engines then a V8 Esprit would be fun.

I you are not then I would pass.

[j0oftheworld]

I would only get something like this if it were to be a "labor of love".
Meaning you'll be content with it's quirks, love working on it during it's downtime and most likely become very familiar with the "community" of guys who are keeping these on the road.

[Demosthene]

It's a brilliant car but the gearbox is terrible and you can most likely expect engine issues.
If you're in the market for something similar but with a better gearbox and reliability, have a look at the Evora, and underappreciated future classic for sure.

[amg55]

A friend had one and he told me that to him Lotus stood for Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by amg55

A friend had one and he told me that to him Lotus stood for Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious.

Is your friend the OP in post one?....

[superdog]

A very sexy set of wheels.

[rolex75216]

Originally Posted by amg55

A friend had one and he told me that to him Lotus stood for Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious.

That's funny! If he does get one, lets hope that he has better luck than what other owners have had.

[SearChart]

James May drove his esprit off road in Patagonia (top gear special, 2014), his was the only of the three cars (Mustang and Porsche 928) that didn't fail.
Now this was probably just pure luck.

They're cool cars though, if you can afford the ownership and additional costs that might lure around the corner, why not?

[1William]

I can appreciate the styling but would never buy one. Do a little research and see what an obscure brand holds for you in terms of service, maintenance and repairs. You can do much better with your 30-40K in the second hand market. I would look at MB, BMW for some of the cars which have depreciated out but still have a ton of style and performance.

[Tony64]

Ah yes, the Lotus Espirit. It takes me back to that opening sequence car chase with Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct". One of two memorable scenes from that movie.

I can't speak to reliability, but as for performance I did have a chance to drive a 4 cylinder turbo back in the early early-mid 90's and recall it was quite spirited. Overall comfortable and easy to drive supercar in its day. Not impressed with the more modern interpretations but still have a fondness for this classic.

[Wcdhtwn]

Originally Posted by directioneng

The V8 model is also turbocharged.

Yes, the V-8 is a turbo.

[Demosthene]

Also it's guaranteed not to depreciate so that definitely a bonus for the Esprit!

[keithl]

Originally Posted by DJ TT 2002

Just toying with the idea.
Anybody own one/ previously owned one ?

Does LOTUS stand for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious ??

I had the 4 cylinder version and would have another. Someone suggested the V8's were a little more robust and that's true (also newer).

I'm a big Lotus fan. If you're looking for one a a budget may I suggest the Elan M100, it's a really fun and underrated car.

Also, if you want to go in a different direction, the NSX is a practical exotic. I'm a an auto Broker let me know if you have any questions.

[DJ TT 2002]

To all, I really appreciate your insights.

I have been driving MB & BMW automobiles, nearly exclusively, for the last 20 years. Nice and reliable but far from exotic

I did switch to one of the earlier versions of the Audi A8 ( 2000 model year) and it was a super car but not a “Supercar”
And then the electrical problems began and the Audi wouldn’t start.......gone in 12 months.... because that drove me crazy!

Hmm, I may have just answered my own question

I love the looks but if the engine might be a turbocharged headache, perhaps best to explore other options

T

[DJ TT 2002]

This one is still making my heart pump

[Chewbacca]

like most lotuseses, it was ahead of its time and a pain to run especially when GM raided the parts bin for it.

a good buy if you don't mind quirks and leaks. the 4cyl is cheaper to maintain and has more room for your service hours.

still a beauty. likely always will be.

[camoedoutlander]

when it comes time for repairs, parts are expensive and hard to come by, working on them always becomes a chore, unless you're into custom fab and making things work, i have a relative who races them and its wild.

[amg55]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Is your friend the OP in post one?....

No, he's not. He had a Elan in the 90s. Oddly enough, I have another friend who had a yellow Espirit, just like the one shown in the OP. He's since sold it. He thought it was a great car to own. Perhaps, he was one of the lucky ones :)

[FSUGeoff]

My best friend has a 2003 version I think, V8 turbo. cool car.

[SDRider]

Originally Posted by DJ TT 2002

This one is still making my heart pump

I have a 2014 coupe version of that car. The one with the twin turbo V8 engine pumping out over 400hp. It’s a pretty quick car but it really isn’t what I’d call soul stirring and it’s not a drivers car. Nowhere near as good as the Lotus Elise is. It is full of compromises.

[tamiya]

Originally Posted by DJ TT 2002

Hmm, I may have just answered my own question

yeah somehow I don't think you're right fit for a 20yo+ classic, especially if you're thinking of daily driver

As an occasional weekend cruiser old Brits can be good fun. But you need to be familiar enough with the beast to head off endless list of potential issues that will spoil your enjoyment. Even something as supposedly "reliable" (when new) like a Honda (NSX!) or Merc (600SL!) is going to have age issues.

Also an Esprit is a good car for its time like a F 308, 348 etc but they'll be tame by today's stds. You'll probably get lapped by a C43 wagon on a track day.

We play with old euro rides in my family but performance is probably last on the list of priorities. It's more appreciating the engineering/design/philosophy behind car designs back before they all became computerized blobs.

Want something fun & looney? Are there any Morgan Aeromax in U.S.??