Seems to be a well-reasoned and experienced based opinion. More, please!
So you are saying a 78 s1 will run circle around a 78 911 sc ? I find that hard to believe. Early s1 single motors headlamps bobbed up and down like a strobe light. This problem and various others had very little to do with deferred maintenance. I recall my director once said he went in to test drive a brand new s1 at the dealership. While the dealer was making his pitch he rested his foot on the front bumper it fell off! Basically the foam separated from the substraight. As brilliant as Champman was at times, his minimalistc approach to builing cars weren't focus on quality or strength. I have soft spot for the s1 n s2 cars just for the stunning design. I thought they were cool enough I bought one 25 yrs ago and still have it. It's a simpler euro non turbo s3 with the cleaner G/body. I've heard there are just 5 or so the USA. as time pass the g-body cars become even more striking imo.
LOL! I forgot all about the headlights! I remember my S1 and that long rod that ran from one headlamp all the way over to the otherside! Like you said, at night the lights would bob up and down all over the road! Mike
I've had my 308 for 8 years and the only other car I feel I must have is an early Esprit. I've read all about the cheap plastic and electrical nightmares but they're so beautiful and that go-cart like handling just keeps tugging at my heart/wallet. Some things you just can't shake and must yield to. This, for me, may be one.
They do kind of go together. The only 2 cars I ever really wanted were the 3x8 and Esprit. I bought my first Esprit in 1984 after selling a Europa (which would now be worth more than the Esprit) but had to wait until 5 years ago for the 328. There is nothing else which drives like an Esprit. They corner better than a 328 and have much lighter steering at speed even on the early non-power steering cars. The Elise is more nimble and "chuckable" but for long sweeping corners the Esprit can corner at amazing speeds and feels very solid. Another unique feature of the early Turbo Esprits was the sound. I usually drive with the window open as the air intake is right behind your right ear (RHD car) and you can hear the "whoosh" of the turbo spinning up, and when you lift off, the big wastegate (which was actually an aircraft part) makes a lovely "thwunk" sound when it closes. There is nothing else like it.
BTW, for anyone that complains about the sound of the Esprit - here's me driving my S4s (hand held camera, that's why all the pitching and bobbing around): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N-P0UmRn-k&list=LL7WnsVA3KRZ2CVmTtgd4JZg&index=26
HA! Me too, Ive always wanted an Esprit and 308. Both my favorite body styles, the countach as well but unfortunately they have became unobtainable.
Ugh,,, I traded a twin cam Europa for my 1985 Esprit, feel a little sick about it but the Esprit will be a keeper.
Yeah, those are the three big ones for me too. Think the Countach at 500k plus just tookoff from being a reachable dream to a not in this lifetime thing. :-( Oddly enough it's my BMW that has made me double down on my love of these old school boyhood cars. My point is that I've been able to easily boost my twin turbo 335 up to 500 hp or so for little (3-4 k) money. Now their telling me for a grand more I can get even more with bigger turbos. The power is a rush but something makes me want to drive my old Ferrari or old 300zx even more. Like, what you always hoped for may not be what you really wanted. Power is no substitute for beauty and the feel of a mechanical and visceral driving experience. Still gonna upgrade the turbos in the BMW though ;-).
Nice to see some love for the Esprit here! I've owned 9 or 10 of them (all S1s) since the late 1990s, and have serviced dozens of Esprits from S1s up through Giugiaro and Stevens turbos. I'd say Victor Holtorf nailed it in his earlier post. 100%. As for keeping up with 911s, an S1 will make any 1970s 911 nervous on a twisty road. Been there, done that. I too have owned a couple of 308s (I think Esprits and 308s go together, too), and while I've sold both of my 308s (prior to the price boom, dang it), I won't ever be without an Esprit if I can help it. Driving a 308 feels like a mix of Fiero, '70s Corvette, and "toboggan full of lead" compared to any year Esprit (the earlier the more so); the early Esprit on a twisty road is heaven. As for Esprit reliability (any era), the deferred maintenance or improper maintenance is, as noted earlier, absolutely the culprit. Later cars are less maintenance-intensive than early cars, but in any case, to keep an Esprit reliable and on the road, you have to do two things: 1) Follow the factory service schedule (i.e. do everything in the A, B, and C service as prescribed in the workshop manual), and 2) READ THE WORKSHOP MANUAL WORD FOR WORD and do what it says. If it gives a specific torque spec or order, you HAVE TO do it. If it specifies a particular sealant, you HAVE TO use that sealant or its modern equivalent (too many people assemble 9XX engines with silicone RTV and then wonder why they have problems). Use genuine Lotus parts and gaskets. Do it the way it says to and don't "make" or "improvise" things to put it together a different way. Read the steps to a procedure in the manual and follow them exactly. Read the factory Service Bulletins and make sure updates are performed. If you do all of the above, they will run great and deliver endless smiles. Like any 1970s-80s exotic car, they require responsible, intelligent service. The parts definitely don't fit together with the precision of Porsche parts -- a degree of finesse is definitely required to working on the early cars (for example, getting the cam covers to not leak, or aligning the exhaust down pipe, catalyst, and silencer); less and less so the later the model, with the S4 being practically "normal". With that said, on the other hand, they are very simple cars (the earlier the more so) to work on; they have far fewer parts compared to other cars -- especially Ferraris, which seem unnecessarily complicated with way more points, distributor caps, ignition coils, toothed sprockets, ball bearings, etc. than needed! Whereas pre-galvanized 308s are a continual battle in rust prevention (worrying about getting a new rust bubble after every time I washed the car, blowing water out of crevices, etc.), Esprits of any age are simple to keep clean and relatively immune to decay; of course the bodies don't rust, 1981-on cars have galvanized frames, and the early non-galvanized frames only really rust if you expose them to salt . . . which in truth has been very rare in the U.S. The S1/S2 fluttering headlamps . . . yes, for sure! This can be significantly reduced but not eliminated by tightening the nut on the bottom of the spring-loaded rod when the pods are in the up position. Make sure the pods are parking at the highest point in their rotation, and then tighten the nut until you squish the rubber washer a bit but not a lot; that rod limits the upward movement of the pods. I've driven Esprits all across the country and never worry (my personal S1s, as well as delivering cars I serviced). 100% ear-to-ear grins all the way. A couple of my favorite trips ever were two years in a row when we drove one of our S1s from Toledo to Celebration for the exotic car festival. If you really want the best out of a 907, you have to let it sing at 4K+ RPM for a couple of hours straight! I think one of the challenges for the non-mechanically-inclined owner is finding someone who can work on one. If you live in California or the east coast from New England to the Mid-Atlantic, there are some excellent repair shops; however in most of the United States, there is no one qualified to service these cars. I've personally spent many hours correcting the "craftsmanship" of Ferrari and Porsche specialists that was performed on Esprits. Owners take these cars to smart, capable, honest repair shops that specialize in other exotics, but who have never worked on an Esprit before, and at the end of the day, are using the car as a learning experience (and usually not following the manual, per above). The results are frequently (still to this day) disastrous. As for prices, early Esprits have for a number of years been much more appreciated in other countries than the United States. For a while, S1s were worth 2x-4x in the rest of the world than what Americans were willing to pay for them; as a result, many have left North America for Europe, England, Japan and South America in the last 7-8 years (this has tapered lately with the strengthening of the dollar, the dearth of decent cars on the market, and Americans finally willing to pay more). But I think their time in the U.S. will come soon -- cheap project cars have become scarce and projects are now selling for what drivers used to go for . . . . and there is a genuine scarcity of excellent condition examples: there's practically no market at all, and there is definitely a wave of new interest (i.e. new buyers to the market, as opposed to serial Lotus owners looking for another who are used to paying peanuts for them). I presently own four S1s. I'm about to sell one of them to a friend because it is a project and I just don't have time for it; the deal hasn't been done yet and I am already kicking myself thinking I undersold. The next time I sell one it will be excellent throughout and I will ask all the money in the world for an S1; if somebody balks at the price, my polite advice will be "good luck finding another." Below is a full service history, full owner history (and I've met or spoken to all of the owners) S1 with matching numbers and working air conditioning (rare U.S. market dealer/importer conversion) that is ready to be driven anywhere (and has been driven everywhere! ). Cosmetically it is far from perfect but has been well cared for. I have turned down numerous legitimate offers in recent years, the highest of which was more than double of what most Americans would pay today for an excellent/restored early Esprit (it of course came from a non-American). I probably should have taken that, but this car is special to my wife and me, and I will give myself the same advice as I would give to others: "good luck finding another." Enjoy this video made by a fellow FChatter . . . the engine sounds start at 2:11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21Aa2QYsrk Cheers, Tony K.
All true. Lotus workshop manuals are much better than Ferrari. They were written be people who really knew what they were doing and need to be followed. IMHO the difference between Lotus and Ferrari of the same era is Lotus designers were geniuses but working with a brief to keep costs down as much as possible (which is a perfectly reasonable design aim) whereas Ferrari were just "good" designers who were working with very little cost constraint. Another difference is Lotus still actively support the older cars. They came up with a factory suspension upgrade for 1985 Esprits a few years ago. If there is a query you can phone the factory and often speak to the guy who designed the part. Lotus killed off all the eternal timing belt arguments by actually running a car for 100,000 miles on the same belt (post-1985 large tooth belt), and found that it was fine and the tension didnt change. Thats proper published research which I cant see Ferrari ever doing. Still say that changing timing belt on a Guigaro Turbo with air con with the alternator in the revised higher position is really difficult though
I was able to pick up a 1998 V8 Esprit that needs a few things very recently, Black with Tan interior. Always liked them and have been looking for quite awhile. Really haven't had a chance to bring it home yet. Small space issue. I also was fortunate to pick up a 98 F355 F1Spyder 1 1/2 years ago, you can guess the color and I am very stoked. I have had many older corvettes includeing a 91 ZR1, with its Lotus inspired motor. The car was a beast. I have found over the years, that I can now appreciate many different makers products and I do believe that the Lotus Esprits, especially the V8 ones will go up slowly in value. Who really cares, drive it and caretake it, as you would the Ferrari and hopefully one day someone 20 or 30 years down the road will wonder about what kind of person owned the car and hopefully they will also be a temporary owner and really just a caretaker of a beautiful mark.
Just picked up my Esprit from complete respray. Looking good! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looks great. You know what they say about beachfront property . ...... not making it anymore . I would say to all the Esprit owners of all years the same holdsvtrue. Enjoy it and then pass it down to someone else.
I too have a 1998 Esprit V8 Calypso red with tan interior that I bought last year. It is a great car for those wanting a cheaper entry into the "exotic" car market. I am asked all the time if the car is a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or "what is that". The one thing about Esprit's, and all exotics for that matter, is to find one that is truly well maintained and serviced. This will be the difference between enjoying a well sorted car or spending thousands attempting to get it to run right.
As a 7 time Esprit owner, I have to say these cars are so amazingly undervalued and so much fun!! Here is a pic of my baby, 1 of 62 built, 1993.5 SE. Image Unavailable, Please Login
My 1998 Esprit with 31K miles attached. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Question for the Lotus enthusiasts-which Stevens model year do you think is the best in terms of driving, etc? Thanks!
