Driving My Dream Supercar: The 1982 Lotus Turbo Esprit
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
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Today after many years of lusting after one, I finally get to drive the 1980s icon that is the Giugiaro-styled Lotus Turbo Esprit. Will it live up to expectations though?
#Lotus #Esprit #Turbo
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You and a few other youtubers should find a second car to film from, I'm sick of window and fender views when driving the cars
@@ctr289 to do that requires:
Two extra people (another driver, plus another camera operator)
Suitable vehicle to film from
Suitable roads to film on, possibly closed
All of the extra time
And it won't get any more views because of it. That's the reality.
Remember when everyone went mad for drone shots? They died for a good reason
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii LOVE the Esprit!!! Since I was a kid with my MASSIVE white S2 poster on the wall (my Dad pasted it to the wall so it would stay flat with a nice sheen to it 😏). I've loved them since seeing the Bond movie. My jaw just dropped any time I saw one parked up or driving by, REALLY loved the V8 (in the yellow with that spoiler on the back)... They are just one of my top 10 dream cars to own! I would even buy a basic one JUST to have one! It's the shape & stance, the pop up headlights, in a way, it's kinda like my other favourite car... The Countach... MAN! I damn near fainted watching the Rory Reid/AutoTrader TH-cam video of the NEW LP800-4 Countach!! lol HELL!!! WHAT A CAR!!! 👌😏
😎🇬🇧
That roof mounted Panasonic stereo is possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen 😍😍
I love it too, I am sure Doug Demuro would have spent 5 minutes explaining all the quirks and features, but actually this stereo just deserves a separate video.
I love the story of the Esprit in 'The Spy Who Loved me'. A cheeky Lotus employee parked the prototype outside of the movie studio, until they called them up. During filming the stunt driver couldn't get the feel of the car. So a Lotus test driver showed them how it is supposed to be driven. They put him in the movie as the stunt driver.
The test driver did an absolutely spectacular run, only for the film crew to tell him "would you mind doing all that again and this time we will have the cameras rolling"
The test driver was Roger Becker and infact he was much more then a testdriver for Lotus . He was a project engineer that was involved in the Esprit Elise Evora.... He was in that era the one that was responsable for the fenominal driving capabilities of Lotus Cars
@@gvybinWow, that's a phenomenal story!
@@F8Tributo the subtle correction is funny ash
Wanted to see the “burglar protected” sticker, wasn’t disappointed 👍🏻
Anyone else love this car because it makes you feel 12 again.
Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge on the C64 and Amiga 500!
And obviously James Bond made the Esprit Uber cool.
I knew someone would mention the Amiga!
@@papalegba6796 But this one *is* my dream supercar! Plus, I tried using normal boring titles for years on YT, it doesn't work
@@papalegba6796 I disagree. If you're really into cars for a long enough time, you will have many 'Dream Cars'. I certainly do.
Yup always lusted after one of these when I was a young fella, and spent many hours playing Lotus Esprit Turbo challenge on my Amiga 500. I had to laugh though, the wiper & indicator/horn stalks are identical to my first car - a 1975 Triumph Dolomite - no doubt from a parts bin shared with BL, along with all the other bits I recognise from mass produced british cars of the 70's and 80's - the door handles and so on.
Same door handles as my dad's K reg Morris Marina
The car, production, commentary, and soundtrack were exquisite on this episode. Well done.
Thankyou!
My uncle ran a Lotus dealership in the early 80s and I will never forget the day he came to visit us in an identical spec car to the one you've driven here: white with red decals and red leather interior. I think it inspired my interest in cars, especially as my dad only drove a Cortina estate at the time. My abiding memory is the sound of the turbo whistling behind my head - not something I'd experienced before.
My mate had a JPS and I had a 2 litre MK4 Cortina. He lost his license for 6 months and put me on the insurance to drive him on a Friday and Saturday to the local nightclubs in Essex. Now not everything they say about Essex girls is true but if you're parking up outside TOTS Zero 6 or Dukes nightclubs the chance of pulling a corker goes through the roof😊 You just have to borrow the Lotus and not turn up in the Cortina for the second date
..found that one out quick 😂😂😂 Plus all the gain no pain
😂 I was an Essex lad in the 80s and went to ALL those places, lived em. Elliots was my fav and I never failed 😉, even in a Mk3 cortina 😅
Who else had this toy with the firing orange missle action?
Me!!! What a great memory that’s just brought back, thank you!! 😂
Oh, yes. I loved it✌ I also had the 007 DB5, a Batmobile, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...
Me 😃 probably worth a bit of Money now
Corgi! Plus flip-out Sub vanes Lol!
My parents still have mine. Sadly without the missiles 🤣
The Lotus Turbo Esprit isn't just one of the most iconic supercars of the 70s and 80s, it's a grade A film star. And I would absolutely love and adore one.
All versions of the Esprit have something very special about them.
I had a friend that owned both a Turbo Esprit and later a V8... I got to drive both extensively and I have to say, I liked the look of the Turbo, but I LOVED the Twin Turbo V8 to drive. Both are supercars in my opinion. I'd take either.
I always liked that copper coloured Esprit from "for your eyes only", it's much prettier than in white. Having said that, if I was looking for an Esprit and the best one I could find was in white, I'd go with white.
Me too! The copper one was an absolute beauty. If I ever win the lottery I am having one of those, fully restored. Modern super cars do nothing for me, but the simplicity and brilliance of the Turbo Esprit makes it my favourite car ever. Having seen Roger Moore drive one as James Bond helps too, of course!
Yup, the copper car looked ultra modern at the time.
The white ones tend to explode when you smash the window anyway... and the copper ones are good in the snow.
If you are picking the colour of a Lotus, then it has to be JPS black and gold.
Oh that roof mounted audio equipment.❤❤ That was about the coolest thing on the planet when I were a lad!
I can almost hear Kenny Loggins belting out of it!
Like you I’ve lusted over this car. It was my first wall pin up car and it was then matched by a 288 GTO - what a pair. 😎
288 GTO is another stunning looking car, much better looking than the F40 IMHO
First 30 seconds felt like the opening credits of an 80's TV Detective show 🤣
The Goodyear white wall writing on the tyres on the For Your Eyes Only Lotus, just so 1980s. Brilliant stuff.
LOVE these, having grown up with Roger Moore's Bond on TV.
About 30 years ago my mechanic at the time had one in his garage. A young couple had bought it, and then the timing belt/chain went. Even back then a water pump was $750, and a set of pistons was about $2,000. Too rich for me then, too rich for me now. If that lotto ever comes my way...
I love the look of 80's cars. In my view, it was the last year that cars tended to look really distinctive. In the 90's the desire for more aerodynamics meant that a lot of cars began to look same-same in fundamental ways.
I am shocked and pleased that you fit in that car.
It gives me hope.
I distinctly remember an article in Fast Lane with a head to head between a 308, 911 and an esprit exactly like this one. I've always been team 308 but I do have a soft spot for this generation of esprit. The looks are just so 80's and the interior is a work of art.
A 308 gts and a Turbo Esprit would be quite a good 2 car garage.
@@lucian6395 One could certainly do worse!
Was that the review of the orange/red metallic Esprit, whose looks were described by the writer as something “that could suck the knickers off a nun!” ?
@@MrAjjm65 Hahaha wow, imagine the response to such prose in a mainstream outlet nowadays.
@@kixxalot I think the full prose was, “looks that can suck the knickers off a nun from 50 yards away!” That one piece of automotive journalism has stuck in my mind for the last 40 years! I cannot remember who wrote the article. I think J Clarkson was at Fast Lane during this period…
Love the subtle hints of Bond with the camera placing! i.e biker behind, reflection on windscreen etc
I remember this car being quite formidable in Gran Turismo 4. That's where I fell in love with it.
I remember racing against it on high speed ring in the turbo series and it was faster than it had any right to be
@@kdpwt I'd forgotten about that. Seemed so out of place.
I've always loved Lotus. From F1 to their road cars.
The Esprit was a dream car I knew I'd never have and it's my favourite.
The perm! 😆 Man the 1980s were something else.
Sometimes, I am very glad that the Internet exists. I don't ever want to go back to the days of Top Gear where you only got 5-7 minutes per car. Your show is terrific.
Having owned such a vehicle the key i found was Use every week Sort out the starting procedure & let it idle for 5 min before you move off Sit slightly closer than you normally do Why Because you have to hit the floor every gear change with the clutch pedal Why Because your clutch will last 3 Times longer You can not as this guy did on the first time he gunned it Catch a gear Just a nick is enough to start the clutch/gearbox problem they can have By sitting 2 notches forward helps heaps Change fluids Never spin the wheels off the mark That is about it I drove mine for 2.5yrs it had a slightly tight 2nd gear when i brought it it had a slightly tight 2nd gear when i sold it Very Very COOL automobile
Colin the caterpillar reference will absolutely baffle international viewers ha ha
I think I would take the Caroline Munro over the Barbara Bach but then I always prefer the British models. I do like that the interior of that car has as many wrinkles as most 80s models now though!
Such lovely lines
What a handsome craft ;-)
Great lines, and creative double entendre. You'll get cancelled if you had them in the bilge they call movies these days.
You might change your mind if you met Barbara in real life I got to hang out with her once when I was a teenager before she was married she was really pretty and the best thing is really nice
Especially Caroline in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. Good lord..
This is by far my favourite interior that i have ever seen in any car ever!
This brings back so many memories of my favorite car in "Test Drive" on the Commodore 64... It just had the best handling of all cars in the game.
I remember as a kid in the early 80s, CAR magazine compared a Turbo Esprit with a Ferrari 308 and gave the victory to the Lotus which they reckoned had better handling as well as being a fair bit faster. A bit unfortunate for Ferrari as the car in the test was the newly introduced fuel injected 308 which was significantly less powerful than the carb version though this was remedied shortly after with the introduction of the QV model. I was torn as loved the shape of the 308 but remember how cool the Turbo Esprit looked in For Your Eyes Only.
I like the mad red interior. Not too badly trimmed for something whacked together in a shed by Bill and Nigel tbh.
Put on the kettle Nigel, we'll have a cuppa while wait for the glue to dry!😂😂
Fantastic review James it’s still a gorgeous looking car nearly as exciting as when I got handheld defender game in the same year 🙌🏻🙌🏻🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I saw one of these next to my school in Japan, the person was really kind and had this for 31 years, it was also naturally aspirated and extreme well maintenance without any tune or bodykits
Nice!
Great review. Perfect spec of esprit. Possibly my favorite dream car and coolest bond car ever. Apparently in the bond movie the stunt driver couldn't get it to skid enough so the Lotus test driver had to do it !
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii LOVE the Esprit!!! Since I was a kid with my MASSIVE white S2 poster on the wall (my Dad pasted it to the wall so it would stay flat with a nice sheen to it 😏). I've loved them since seeing the Bond movie. My jaw just dropped any time I saw one parked up or driving by, REALLY loved the V8 (in the yellow with that spoiler on the back)... They are just one of my top 10 dream cars to own! I would even buy a basic one JUST to have one! It's the shape & stance, the pop up headlights, in a way, it's kinda like my other favourite car... The Countach... MAN! I damn near fainted watching the Rory Reid/AutoTrader TH-cam video of the NEW LP800-4 Countach!! lol HELL!!! WHAT A CAR!!! 👌😏
😎🇬🇧
This is - I think this will always be - my ultimate analogue pocket supercar. It is everything that I look for in a classic sportscar that I simply cannot find in today's offering - be that ICE or EV. Anything that looks that good, handles that well or goes that fast, I could forgive a lot of problems for...
You probably wont see this as its an old video, but the audio balance and fades are perfect in your intro shots. Well done!
The black active suspension Turbo Esprit still exists so I've found out - photos posted on a Lotus Owners Facebook group. It was on display at Lotus on 23 September 2023. I believe it was an employee reunion do at the factory.
Caroline Munro winking at Bond: One of cinema's greatest moments. Great car; great video. Cheers.
Everyone seems to forget the movie “if looks could kill” which is how I fell in love with the car, my dream car and I was able to get a red 94 S4 I love it
Best colour on this retro sports car. Red stripes and black bumper . The 0-60 was accurate. The non turbo was exactly one second slower . And on top of that the turbo would increase on the mid range power nicely . The esprit was great on the snow and winter roads . I had the non turbo. Neighbour had the white with red stripes same a in the vid
OMG I have always been fascinated by this car ever since I was a kid watching James Bond blowing up a helicopter with it.
Well Jay, yet another brilliant video where you are 100% on the money and excel further when driving one of the greatest cars that ever has been, is or ever will be made. You only confirmed the deepest truth about the excellence and legend this car represents, even beyond Bond, that makes those who love it love it even more. Hope you get one soon, cheap and working better than expected!
Almost alongside your piece on the Aston V550, this is totally unexpected and wonderful! What an epic epic motor! I love it! Love love love it!
There is no better looking wedge than the Turbo Esprit in my humble opinion.
Thank you Jay. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
So many years dreaming of the esprit. It will live forever as a loved icon for my generation.
Great vid! Have owned quite a few Esprit’s, S1 and S3 turbo’s….love em! Great review, many thanks, keep great vids comin 👍
Absolutely love how EVERYTHING on the interior is wrapped in leather. The older Cadillac’s had that, and were cozy af
This, this right here, is why I watch this channel! So good, on so many levels 😊
Jay, thank you for the 80's throwback music. 🎉
That made this video much more enjoyable. 😊
That clumsy concoction of chords was not music..
What a great car, I’m getting all sentimental, had an Esprit 20 years ago, fantastic fun, a real drivers car, no ABS, no power steering, seems so basic now, but that meant it was a relatively simple car to keep on the road….
Great review James and I love your “rampant fangirlism” of this amazing car… exactly how I feel about my copper fire dry sump 😍
It’s a very special car, not only is it one of the sexiest cars ever made, it’s so much fun to drive 🤩
Whistle huff whistle huff whistle flutter. I have a dry sump too, 1094, wouldn't part with it for the world. If the road is damp, it'll break traction on boost in 3rd gear. Always gets a response from the passenger that does....
I really enjoy when you’re into a car and sharing your love for it even if i don’t care for the car personally is great ❤
Have been my dream to drive one since The Spy Who Love Me....Then got head over heels when seeing in For Your Eyes Only... absolutely remarkable car . I always prefer this model than the later models
Wonderful!!! I'm guessing almost every chap of a certain age who's into cars will lust after this car. I WANT!!!!!
the coolest looking thing
I love this channel. You're enternainting and in the same moment you teach us something about cars we used to hang on our walls. Keep on going! Greetings from Germany.
Danke :)
Was going to correct the "back to the 80s" comment with "back to the 70s" since the Esprit was released in the late 70s, but you're technically right if you say "Turbo Esprit", so I'll allow it (factory turbos that is) 😅
A friend of mine owned an 82 then an 86 model in which I learned how to drive a manual. I felt like the luckiest teenager in the world. What an amazing car. Jane's, I feel the same way you do about it. Great video again!!!!!
Dude I'm not just saying this because we share the same name, but your videos are always top tier. And the production quality is phenomenal
Great vid 🙂
Loved Esprits since I was a little kid after seeing The Spy Who Loved Me on release at the cinema back then, and yesterday, finally got to sit in one (just sit, not drive !) at the Stars and Cars event in Bolton, the smile still hasn't gone away !
What a fantastic intro, the music and the struggling to start Lotus..... brilliant!
I didn’t expect to see such an awesome interior. The leather package and stereo 👍👍👍
I’ve rewatched the introduction to this video on loop now and I just can’t get enough of it
Wow wow wow. James your Channel is the best. So many different cars.. I really love this car. Thanks for reviewing this one. Greetings from The Netherlands.
The opening "cough" and 80's music were spot on :D
The perfect spec turbo esprit..drove one 20 years ago and loved the handling
I love your enthousiasm for this one. I own a rare S2.2 (88 units made) for over 10 years and before diving into motorcycles, I have driving many miles with my Esprit. I also do all restoration and maintenance on it.
Lovely video and lot´s of information. Just the review the car deserves .
I loved my Esprit but pretty sure l funded my mechanics retirement with it. Jesus that thing never stopped having something wrong with it! But those looks 😍 The poster of it in my garage is all l need & much better on the pocket 😂
Such a cool car! Great video James (as always).
That intro was beautiful! Really the icing on the sweet cake that the rest of the video is!
Absolutely fantastic…thank you👍👍
Excellent, I had an turbo esprit loved it best super car alway got a thumbs up. Never let us down did 2 trips to France and one to Belgium. Problem with esprits is prices low for years and to many DIY mechanics. Only thing really is make sure carbs rebuild and fuel tanks replaced for alloy so you don't get rust in fuel system. If you can get a esprit with sunroof which is pull out and makes it sort of targa top which is Fab in the summer. If original late HC model best as forged pistons.
Its hard to find a cooler car than a early Esprit Turbo! great video as always :)
Next to the Countach this was my favourite 80s super car. Wonderful nostalgia driven video!
As soon as I saw the thumbnail of a white Lotus Esprit I immediately thought of Barbara Bach. So just for that I say thank you James.
You have literally driven my dream car!!! I, too, have loved that ever since I saw it in For Your Eyes Only
What a masterpiece!!!! One of the most beautiful designs ever. I have an identical spec one.
Good video and loving the comments too, so much nostalgia and genuine love from the 70's born. An Esprit Turbo (or Turbo Esprit) was also on my wanted list but as my wife doesn't like the wedgie 70's/80's look a curvy car won out, Loti are always on my radar and it's good to chat to owners at classics meets as they are a good bunch (and also appreciate my Chimaera).
I’ve also always hankered after one of these, but the later V8 with the body kit and spoiler. But now you’ve shown me that roof mounted stereo, I may have to adjust my target... love it!
There's are reason why Steve Cropley at Car Magazine 1982 called the Turbo Esprit...Hethal's Crowning Achievement. Glad the Editorial Glory meets the Scientific Facts. I always knew it would. 🥝✔️
Harry Metcalf did a drive from Oxfordshire to Cortina where the Bond film was shot. It was very good across that long distance.
Car Wizard *and* JayEmm have Esprits on TH-cam? They must be the next big thing! Seriously, love the Esprit, it looks fantastic. And I have fond memories of Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge on the Commodore 64.
Lat time I saw one of these it spat pistons at me a 90 mph. I did feel sorry for the poor fellow. Such a nice motor.
Had this up on my wall as a kid, next to the testarossa and countach. Fantastic video.
Cheers Andy, enjoyed watching that.
Love that car. My first ever track ride was at Goodwood in an Esprit and it blew my mind but it was about 1982 and I had a Citroën GS Pallas.
Owned a white Esprit S2 for several years - yes, expensive to run and many times I decided to sell it, but once I got in it to drive to the dealer I couldn't part with it - it was my dream car having grown up with Lotus GP Team as my heroes...
You’ve answered a question I had about early Esprits - whether they felt vintage compared to how a modern car handles. With understandable high expectations from an icon, its gratifying to see its still great fun and usable in the 21st C.
Brilliant as always! Absolutely love these, always have. They just look incredible, even today. Plus, pop up headlights are automatically cool.
Can’t believe the Porsche owner didn’t give a passing wave though 👀👀
Yeah they're like that
Achingly cool. Childhood memories abound. Lovely spec on this example
God that intro music could literally be my hype song to get me up for work in the morning😂another great video James hope all is well!
Love it! Another car from the fantasy garage of my misspent youth!
Great video. Love these cars!
1987 in Stockholm did I see a black Turbo Esprit with the text Lotus file with red paint in the back and beige leather parked. I hav loved them sense that evening.
A gorgeous car that embodies everything 80s. I hadn't ever seen the Europa and wow, what a wild design!
I too have lusted after one of these for years- and eventually got to drive one a few years ago. And like you, I was not at all disappointed. They say never meet your hero - but I am glad I did. Still fancy one - but thing the running costs to keep it on the road would be massive. Cheers
Always loved the Esprit. Used to see one in the town where I live, back in the day. British racing green with gold graphics. Great looking car.
In the 80s my parents used the petrol station at West Horsley in Surrey because it was cheap, and had attendant service (remember that?). It was also home to Bell & Colvill, Lotus (and other exotica) dealers. The forecourt was stuffed with Essex Turbos and S1 Esprits plus Porsches, Maseratis etc. etc. The petrol pumps have gone now but B&C are still there selling Lotus, McLaren, Morgan, Subaru etc.