I shudder to think what the comparison might be if you had a newer Lotus. You've got an absolutely gorgeous Esprit. I'd love to have one... also. Kevin
I own three Esprit S1s (1977-78) and a 1980 308 GTBi, and have driven my share of later models of each, and I largely agree with the other owners of both who have posted above. Let me add my (slightly more than) two cents to the comparisons with the Esprit S1 vs. 308 GTBi: GTBi wins hands down in acceleration, top speed, build quality, durability, and craftsmanship.. Esprit S1 wins hands down in handling, braking, ride quality, overall comfort, and fun to drive. The 907 engine sounds better most of the time (simply because it's more "alive", maybe fault of FI in 308), but the F106B sounds incredible under full throttle over 4k rpm. Maintenance-wise, the S1 needs more attention to little things, but is overall way less expensive. The S1 is simple and easy to work on; the GTBi is complicated like only the Italians can make it. Reliability-wise, the S1 is slightly more likely to break down, but your chances of being able to fix it on the side of the road are very good; the GTBi is the more solid car, but if something does break, you are far more likely to be sending the car home on a flatbed and ordering a four figure dollar sum in parts to fix it. The S1 is easier and more fun to drive under pretty much any condition; the 308 can be very satisfying in certain conditions, but it wears you out quickly under most conditions. The S1 is turning 3500 rpm at about 80mph, whereas the 308 is somewhere around 65mph at 3500 rpm; the 308 wears on you on a long Interstate trip. The S1 has more vibration in the cabin than the 308, but the noise in the 308 is louder and ultimately more annoying. The S1 is a car that is easy for an average driver to get the most out of; the GTBi demands more skill and precision on the part of the driver to get its best. Lately I've been getting 31mpg on the highway from the S1 I'm currently driving. The 308 gets mileage like my old Series III XJ6 did. But that's okay! With the S1, the only rust you have to worry about is the frame, which is easy to keep an eye on. The fight against rust in an old 308 is a tough one. The S1 is very easy to keep clean. The 308 has a lot of details to detail! The overall feel of the 308 is very solid and high quality; the S1 feels like a cheap toy, or a thinly disguised race car. The body is very thin in some places. In terms of design and beauty, the Esprit S1 reaches perfection through purity and simplicity; the 308 GTB(i) reaches perfection with sexy curves and elegant details. I think Giugiaro and Fioravanti are the two greatest designers ever. The 308 has a subtle sense of grandeur and confidence that the Esprit just lacks. The Esprit has an eagerness and litheness that make the 308 feel like a sled. The soft vs. hard feel of the two cars is prevalent here, too; everything about the S1 is light to the touch, and the controls are easy to operate, whereas everything about the 308 has a harder feel to it, with the gearshifts being representative of each car's feel overall. I also totally agree about other people's reactions. People go nuts about the Lotus, and all comments are enthusiastic (even the "what is it" ones). People respect and admire the Lotus. With the Ferrari, people either incessantly and incredibly rudely pester you with repeated questions of "how much did it cost" and won't take a hint, or ignore you with an obvious "oh there's an a s s hole" kind of vibe. I owned Esprits for many years before buying the 308, and I couldn't believe and totally wasn't expecting the reaction of people at the gas pump, ATM, intersection, etc. I never imagined people's reactions could be so different. Oh what a badge and a stereotype can do. I worry about parking the Ferrari in certain places, but almost never worry about the Lotus. Overall, they are two very different cars. It's hard to imagine that two cars that look so similar (to the untrained/outsider eye) can feel, behave, and be so different. I prefer the Lotus. It's just a lot more fun to drive, and easier to live with in every respect. But the 308 is a very strong second place as my favorite car in the world. Both cars are true classics that are way undervalued right now. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Tony, Nice picture of your S1. Very interesting comparison of the 2 cars in terms of feel and performance, but also with regard to the reaction you get from other people. I would have expected the reaction you get to be the same with both cars, but it isn't. Obviously the most important thing is that you enjoy each of them. Best regards, Dino
You guys have any good links to the +/- of the different model year esprits? I have always been a huge fan of them, and with prices as low as they are, might think about one in a couple years. Carreaper- if I had a spare $17.5K laying around, I would be buying your car..
I am surprized that Reaper finds the Lotus a lot easier to live with on a daily basis. Is the interior not tiny and cramped?
Having owned both I can tell you the Lotus is faster and handles better, much newer technology. However, driving a Ferrari is still a unique experience. I still like my 308. Just my 2 cents JM
People go nuts about the Lotus, and all comments are enthusiastic (even the "what is it" ones). People respect and admire the Lotus. .[/QUOTE] Absolutely agree...my favorite question when they see the Lotus is, "Who makes the Lotus!"
I'd love to know about the Jalpa nightmare too! I sent a PM to Carreaper...but hopefully he will change his mind and post it here. Best regards, Dino
ps........... pm's answered. ill post a thread with some pics this weekend if i have time. i have not been online much. i do not wish to hijack the lotus / 308 comparison.
I'm not surprised at all. Do you think Magnum PI would've been such a hit if Tom S had played a rich guy who owned that 308? Driving an aged Lotus or Jag you're assumed to have 'done her up' and look after it yourself, where as with a Ferrari its assumed you've 'pulled out the plastic'. Many years of Fiat and FNA marketing and branding policies have left us with this legacy. From my search to this point, in the Australian market, a 328 roughly equates in value to two Loti Esprit. Thats a reality I'm thinking deeply about atm as I'm not entirely happy about accepting this social baggage.
Glad I found this thread because I have alway's been in love with the Esprit since they cameout and seeing as I could get a well sorted, reliable and beautiful S4 model for around $25K I'm thinking I may take that route first and aquire a Modial C later. Man it's so hard to decide when so many make's & model's are so dear to me? One thing that I like about the Lotus is the turbocharging as I'm a longtime boost head and I have seen modest turbo upgrade's, with fuel management of course, put down 400rwhp.
You've had the car for sale for awhile now, still not takers. Seems resonably priced and I'm surprised it hasn't sold yet. Too bad you're so far away, I'd be tempted to buy it. When was the last year for the 4cyl? 95-96.
My meaningless opinion is that the Esprit is not a car I can get excited about. The styling doesn't appeal to me at all. regardless of the driving dynamics.
The last time I weighed 135 pounds I was 3 feet, 11 inches tall, and in the 3rd grade. I could not afford a Lotus then...........
Nice thread. I liked the Esprit from the day it appeared on the scene, the Guigiaro styling is just great. Don't care much for the re-styled version, actually wouldn't buy one. So, if one restricts oneself to the original body-style, which would be the one to buy?
the S4S was the last of the 4 cyl, i think the v8 came out in 93, or 94. i am not a lotus guru, so i really dont know. i looked at 2 s4s, and they were not for me. my 89 SE has no ABS, to airbags, and a simple GM fuel injection system, so parts are cheap, and can be found at your local store. not the same for the Ferrari's, but they are very different cars. i enjoy the simplicity of the early carb Ferrari's, but i want to try out a QV and see how i like it. i have learned alot about injection from my 911 ownership. 84-89 911's are in thier own world, and have been the best fun cars i have ever owned, and i have had something like 140+ cars. but who wants to have just one car !
I absolutely LUV that car wish I could afford to buy it as I checked it out last night on eBay and was like dang that's the exact model I want.
or be like me and have both in the same car. A joke at Norwood's is I am slowly turning my Mondial into an early 911 (one of my favorite cars).
