Ferrari vs. Lotus

For the location that you are in, get a Testarossa that's been driven. The 308 would be screaming for the entire 4 hours on it's way to Vegas. You would (I don't know how you drive) have a blast in a TR for the roads you would be on. The lotus would be fun, but once you drove the TR up to Vegas you'd have a sheet eating grin the entire ride up.

 

If it was a 328 you were talking about, I'd say go with the Ferrari. With a 308 though, its a closer call. I'd still turn down the lotus, but thats mostly comes from me being a Ferrari fan all my life instead of a lotus one. The 308 might be a little more high-maintenance and less reliable(???, 308 owners tell me if I'm wrong); but that what comes with a car 26 years old. I'd say drive the two, get a feel for them, and which ever one you are more comfortable with-buy. Take in mind though, your getting "advice" from a 15 year old kid who has never owned a car

 

18 years is an eternity in automotive development. I certainly love the Ferrari's looks over the Lotus', but an '80 308 is an early injected car, no power, possible oil consumption issues, and the ups and downs of 308 'raw-ness' -- no power steering, fickle power windows, no rustrproofing. I think the most raving 308 fan on this board would take an earlier carb'ed car or later QV over an '80.

A big plus is that if you're mechanically inclined the 308 is something you might work on, whereas a twin-turbo 1998 Lotus is going to have a lot of black boxes and non-serviceable parts.

A '98 Lotus is probably the better deal, because they've depreciated so badly. I can't comment on maintenance, but Lotus ("Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious") isn't exactly Lexus. However, it's a comfy car if you fit, and will sprint away from an '80 308.

I'd agree with the earlier post - if it was a 328, the comparison would be closer. Still very different cars in their character, though. I briefly considered the Esprit, but was turned off by the wing and add-ons, and the interior buts that seemed to come off a Hyundai. But the 308/328 have a kind of emotional pull that no recent cars do. The runner-up to the 328 for me was a Lotus Elise, BTW. In some ways it's a more appropriate comparison (in spirit - not in performance numbers).

Hard to find a better 328 for $35K unless it needs something. FWIW, the 328 has better electrical than the 308 and some other mechanical improvements that give it a good reputation for reliability. The 308 has more issues, but some people prefer the styling. Also, the carb'ed 308's sound better than any later 308s or 328s.

I wouldn't go cheap on a Ferrari or Lotus. Sell a few cars first and buy a good one. And bank some bucks for maintenance.

 

Well I've had both... although the Lotus was a 78 carbed esprit.... and the Lotus was really junk, the Ferrari is only mostly junk... it seems like an inverse relationship... the more you pay for a car the more you suffer... the Esprit was very crudely put togehter... where as the Ferrari is much more sturdy... dont know about reliablity... the Ferrari has only stranded me 2x in 11 years, where as the Esprit left me on the side of the road at least 10 -15 times in 4 years... mind you it was new, and never really had that many miles on it was sold with only 21K miles ... my Ferrari has over 80 K miles....

so i"m a Ferrari guy for my punishment!.... or Buy a Porsche ...

 

I've read on some Lotus sites that say the early V8 turbo cars had some reliability issues due to the newness of the V8 powerplant. Lotus owners say the best one to buy would be an S4 or S4s. I know it's a 4 cylinder but the owners site said it's a very nice, well sorted car.
Having said that, I would still go with the 308 over the V8 Lotus. There's enough information and parts available for the shade tree mechanic to do a lot of maintenance yourself. I believe even FORZA had an issue with an article on rebuilding a 308 motor. I think in the long run you'll maintain a better resale value too. And besides, It's a Ferrari, not a "poor man's Ferrari" like the Lotus site says (in trying to defend their name)....

Good luck with your search.

 

$ 35k for a V8 Esprit. I would be careful in that price range and definitely get a PPI. I looked at these and paid for two PPIs on them. I was told that the early engine blocks had a porous issue and the vast majority of them needed or will need an expensive rebuild. The problem may have been resolved in the 99 or 2000 cars. I cannot remeber the cut off date.

I think the shifter may have also changed at some point in the V8 life span. I heard the early tannies and shifters were aweful. I recently drove an Annv. Ed. and a final edition and the tranny and shifter was so so. The car is a blast to drive and I would compare the performance and fun factor close to that of a 355 and better than 348 or earlier V8s. The chassis is great. The sound is not as great as a 355 or 360. Fun car to drive for the $$$.

 

I owned an 89 Esprit TurboSE. I really enjoyed it. It was a fun car that got more attention than virtually any Ferrari I've ever owned. The 4-banger was a great little motor and it worked just fine for me. I ended up getting so sick and tired of GM service, though (the local Lotus dealer was in a GM dealership), I finally traded it in on a 348. There is NO luggage space in the Lotus. The Lotus also has poor visibility out.

All that said, I don't think I'd choose a 20-year old car over it (unless it was destined to be a classic, and I don't think the 308 will be one). Given the modern advances in motors, suspension, brakes, transmission and tires, the much newer Lotus would make the 308 seem uncivilized.

A comment for you, though, about distance drives in the Lotus. I found it reasonably comfortable. I used to drive 4-5 hour trips in the Lotus. Except for fuel, no stops. Honestly, I never had a complaint about the performance or comfort. However, check out your local service organizations. I realize that you can do minor maintenance, but so much of these cars are specialized parts and tools that it almost makes it impractical to DIY. If you feel the dealer (or independent service) can do a good job for you, then maybe the Lotus is the way to go.

CW

 

Depends what you are looking for, 308 def. is a snail in comparison, but most likely more fun to drive (if you are into that 'feel' that is).

In short drive both, buy what you like more.

 

If you got to think about it buy the Lotus. Better yet buy a Porsche .

 

I agree that the Testarossa can replace both the 308 and the Esprit just fine. But if your heart is set for only either the 308 or the Esprit, it's all depend on how you want it for. I have both the 308, 77 and the Esprit S4, 93.... can't live without either one. The 308 is a very pretty, the shape and body is really timeless while the Lotus is also sexy but less than the 308. But performance wise, the Lotus is far more subperb, plus there is so much you can play with modifications. The 308 is fun to drive but nothing thrilling. Long distance drive is a nono for the 308. It's a car for a museam nowaday. I pay about $800 for major service with belts in Thailand for the Esprit but about $1,500 for the 308. Mechanical problems between the Esprit and the 308 I say pretty much the same, Ferrari in no way more reliable than the Lotus. But Ferrari parts are certainly more expensive...
Buy the Esprit, if you want to enjoy driving fast and thrilling car...
Buy the 308, if you want to have one of the most beautiful icon of the 70's...

Here a link to a test drive comparision of the Ferrari 348 and Lotus Esprit S4:

http://www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/ERoadtests/CAR_Apr93.html

 

I've got an 80 GTSi and an 88 Esprit T.

I've had the 308 for about 5 years, but have yet to drive the Lotus so I can't comment on driving comparison.

The 2V is not blazingly fast by any means but it works well enough for me. I expect the Lotus to provide a little more in the performance deptment, but overall performace isn't my #1 objective. A car is more about how it makes you feel when you drive it. Not what others think of it, not what other cars can beat you to the next stoplight...it's about the joy of driving the machine... whatever your choice may be.

I'm not overly impressed by the build quality of the Lotus Body. Granted she needs works but there are tons of stress cracks and poor panel fit. I've had as many as 4 corvettes at one point, so I know about poor fiberglass panel fit. The Lotus body reminds me more of boat type fiberglass work and auto..it's weird.

I think Lotus after about 94 really started to improve their quality so it's not fair to compare my 88 to a 98.

I'm not really saying anything inportant here other than I bought a Ferrari 5 years before I bought a Lotus... make of it what you will.

 

agreed. The TT Esprit is so much faster than the 308, the 308 is so much better looking.

 

1988 Esprit or 1998 Esprit? I thought 98's were still around $50k.

 

No contest the lotus, its so much newer, so many less problems, handles better and accelerated harder. more rare too!

 

Ferrari Ferrari Ferrarrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiii

 

Keep an eye on this one. It won't go much over 40K if even that.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1998-ESPRIT-V8-TWIN-TURBO-350-H-P-29-000-MILES-CALIF_W0QQitemZ4600358096QQcategoryZ116482QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I had a 1988 Lotus Esprit for a couple of years, and have had a couple of 328s as well.

It sounds to me as though you plan to take some long trips in the car. Don't know what your physique is like, but if you're 6' or over, the Lotus cockpit is going to be very cramped. And there is no dead pedal or anyplace comfortable to relax your left foot/leg. At the end of 4 hours you will be very cramped indeed.

The 328 is not much better. It does have a dead pedal, but too awkward to be really comfortable.

In either car the thing on long trips is to wear very slim shoes, then work your left foot carefully past the clutch pedal so that your leg can extend. If you need the clutch, you can get your foot out very quickly BTW.

Neither the Esprit nor the 308/328 has cruise control. On long trips you will have to pay constant attention to your right foot/leg accordingly. Moreoever both of these cars react very quickly to the slightest accelerator change. If you're not paying attention, you can easily zip from 65 to 80 and not even notice it until the CHP does.

A/C is important to you in your area. Both the Lotus and the 328 have very good systems. Don't know about the 308. Someone here recommended a Testarossa. Had one of those (89), and it was subject to chronic A/C icing-up on very hot days = no A/C. Same problem with the Mondial-t.

Luggage space is about the same in the Esprit and the 328/308, minimal. Also bear in mind that it is right next to the engine in both cars, so anything that doesn't like heat (aerosol cans, lady's makeup, etc.) will have to ride in the already-tight cockpit with you.

If you break down somewhere en route, Lotus and Ferrari dealers, or savvy repair places, are very few and far between. Both cars require flatbeds for towing if needed: more inconvenience & delay.

What I guess I'm saying is that Loti & Ferraris are most rewarding as local, short-trip exotic toys. If you want to take long trips with luggage, great personal comfort, reliability and support, get a new C6 Corvette. Testdrive an Esprit, a 308, and a C6 and see if the logic of this doesn't jump right out at you.

If for some reason you don't like the Corvette, check out the Cadillac XLR. Costs a bit more, but refined accordingly, and again a very nice car for trips in any kind of weather.

 

I also looked into this exact same thing some time ago (about 12 months now), and ended up wanting the Lotus over the Ferrari, just the style and age were it for me.

however the further i looked i found out just how unreliable the V8's are, they blow engines quite regularly, and as such i just brought a really late model Elise instead.

i wouldnt change my decision now at all, until i can afford a 355 or Diablo.

 

i love and want my own 89 to 92 lotus esprit turbo. i have had 3 carb 308's and you just cannot beat the lotus for its bang for the buck appeal and excellent driving character. i simply would not get another 308 for that kind of driving. you can get a nice 89SE for under $23k. i dislike the S4S and almost bought the black one that is in north carolina at a dealer for sale. that car needs to much to spend $29,900 on.

buy a nice 89 to 92 4 cyl turbo. the carb 308's are fun, but you can find parts for the lotus ANYWHERE, CHEAP. as the car has stuff from other manufacturers. i refuse to pay some guy these high labor rates when i work on $50mm airplanes all day. working on the car yourself is a big plus for me.

if you cannot get a 328, then get a Lotus. a carb 308 will not keep up with one , and my 77 308 gtb was "fast" in 308 terms.


i dislike open top cars, as suck, i hated the squeks and rattles my 78 308 gts had. my 77 GTB was solid. the only bad thing i can say about the lotus is : the damn pedals are very close together, even for my size 10 feet, and the lotus souds and flexes like an old corvettte going over rough roads. i have yet to take the top off my lambo to see if its any better than a 308 gts or the lotus. save your pennies after buying the Esprit and get a 308 gt4 as they are a bargin for what you get. i didnt like mine or my urraco..... too slow, and i dont need the 2+2 seating.

time for a V12.

 

I would have the lotus

 

I went through the same thoughts about a year ago or so. I was up in the air on buying a 308 or an Esprit. Looking at the 2 cars with a price point about 17+ for a 88 or newer Esprit and atleast 25+ for a decent 308. An 88 Esprit will handle better move quicker and be better on your wallet when it comes time to repair. As my first sports car I choose the Esprit but I will get my horse someday. I did and do have an added advantage to my Esprit purchase. OUr local Lotus club are very active in both drives and helping out with repairs (engine rebuild, tranny rebuild or anything like that no problem).

I really can't comment on the v8 Lotus but for the money I would look at a S4s it should keep up with the 8's and for some reason holds it value better than the other 4 bangers.