Whelen Lights

Wedge Car Bulb

The Lotus Esprit a Buying Guide for a Modern Classic

The first Lotus Esprit burst into life in 1976, and with its stunning wedge shaped looks it really stood out from the humdrum Rovers and Fords that were on the road at the time. Colin Chapman was so proud of his new sports car that he arranged to have it parked outside Pinewood studios in the hope that it would be used in the latest James Bond film. The plan worked, and Roger Moore drove a white Lotus Esprit, that could convert into a submarine, in the Spy Who Loved Me.

The early Esprit cars came with a four cylinder 160 bhp engine, however through turbo charging and various other engine modifications the final four cylinder sport models were able to produce 300bhp. However, what the Lotus Esprit really needed was a super car engine to match its looks and that finally arrived in the shape of a V8 engine back in 1996.

The V8 Lotus Esprits are highly regarded and are normally well looked after by enthusiastic owners, who have normally ensured that no expense has been spared on servicing. Buying a good used V8 Esprit should cost no more than a brand new saloon, however whilst the exterior has been constantly modernised once you climb in you are soon reminded of the cars original 1970's roots.

The interior is hardly the last word in driver ergonomics, even getting in and out can prove to be a chore, and once inside any driver over six foot is going to feel cramped. The transmission tunnel sits very close to the driver and anyone with larger than average feet may want to make sure that they can feel the pedals correctly, as space in the footwell is extremely tight.

Once you have settled into the Esprit you will soon find yourself surrounded by switches, buttons and stalks from old Vauxhalls, Peugeot and Citroens. Whilst there is little you can do to modernise the interior, you can replace the standard halogen headlight bulbs with the latest modern xenon bulbs, so you can see the road more clearly when pushing on late at night.

There is however no doubting the performance and handling, and once you have fired up the V8, heard the twin Garret turbos spooling up behind and despatched 0-60 in just over 4 seconds, you are bound to be instantly smitten. When it comes to the cornering the V8 has precise and direct steering, which is full of feedback, whilst the grip and body control just seem to urge you to driver harder.

Unfortunately despite its fabulous looks the Lotus Esprit has always been dogged by reliability worries, leading to the infamous statement that Lotus stood for Lots of Trouble Usually Serious. Never forget that although the Lotus Esprit now costs hot hatch money, it still is a super car and will sometimes demand super sized bills to match.

There is no doubting the beguiling looks and performance of the Lotus Esprit, however before you make the purchase, make sure you buy one with full service history that has been well cared for, and put aside a decent sized annual budget for repairs and servicing. Once that is done you can become the newest member of the supercar set.

About the Author

Jo Alexander is an online, freelance journalist and keen windsurfer. Jo lives by the sea in Essex.

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