Used to have an S3 normally aspirated in Essex blue. It was wonderful when it was going, but in my few months of ownership I hardly did a single journey without some sort of issue. Gear lever came off in my hand reversing once , cracked manifold, cooling fan failures, clutch slipping, etc etc. Your experience brought it all back. Happy days!
It's a Turbo Esprit, a Type 82, not an S3 - Type 85, which is the normally aspirated version. I'm in the process of putting a modified 1981 S3 back on the road. The previous owner put a 3.0 24V Busso in the back. I drive an Excel too.
What an amazing iconic car... Brilliant, We've forgotten how unrelaible and low tech old cars were. But what a character car and a labour of love. Awesome LOTUS. Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious.... Love it
Great Video !! I had a 1973 JPS Europa once and it NEVER broke down...I was always amazed that it fired right up and everything worked on it because the build quality was so so....anyway it was a blast to drive and the handling was amazing.
What a beautiful car, I love all the little noises it makes, the joys of owning a classic car. I really wasn’t expecting the exhaust not to be there at the end 😂
Superb video. Tim was wonderful. His car collection is amazing. As soon as I win the jackpot in the lottery, I'm making a reservation for a week at his place to drive several great cars.
Rumour has it that to get the Esprit in the Bond films 'someone' parked an S1 outside the doors at Pinewood studios and the producers saw it and said they had to have it. If its not true its a fine story!
Brilliant, had as bigger smile on my face watching the video as you had driving the Lotus. Looking forward to the next one….. Real blast from the past.
I've owned an Esprit,Elan Sprint,Europa and an Elise for my sins all are great drivers cars . They need to be maintained properly and if they are they take some beating for pure fun at not daft speeds.
Great video....I lost one of the rear boxes off my 1983 Lotus Excel years ago! I noticed the engine noise change a bit, but didn't think to much of it at the time lol When I got back home like you I noticed it missing...I went back to roughly where I thought I may have lost it and found it...and had it welded back on lol
Fantastic car, I can remember when there was a Lotus garage in Braintree in Essex, called Bridge Motors that sold these new and 2nd hand, was always going their to look at the cars and wishing at 20 that I could afford one, I think they were about 15k new at the time!
Haha, I’m a few years younger than you Ped but my parents had a Mini City when I was growing up which we used to keep a peg in, to use on the choke. Incidentally, the later MPi Mini has a similar fuel cut off switch under the bonnet - a lesson learned with my own first car… Great video as always and what a great set up your friend has. I, like many other comments, might also have dived into the classifieds after watching! Hope you, Mrs P and the pups are all well
I love the Esprit. There was one on display back in the early '80s in Victoria train station in JPS livery as a raffle prize. I was smitten and went around like a love sick teenager for days. A few years ago I had a customer come round and discovered on seeing him off that he was in an S1. He let me sit in it. As a 6ft plus guy, I suffered cramming myself in; I still love them, but from the outside only.
1.DB5 2.DB10 3.Esprit (spy who loved me) 4.Vanquish S and XKR 5.Esprit turbo (for your eyes only) 6.Vantage V8 I think that's the name (timothy darlton 's bond car) 7.The Jaquar that accompanied the DB10 8.Z8 9.750 (or was it 40? Pierce bronsnon 7 series)
This car looks so nice , it just has not dated at all.That JPS inspired livery is an eye catching one.40 years on still fondly remember that great Swede the one and only Ronnie Petterson.
Interesting fact....so I'm told, the car used on the film The Spy Who Loved Me, had part of it's seat trim changed in colour as when it got pulled out of the water( by hidden chain) after the iconic submarine scene the standard tartan on the headrests didn't contrast well on the car with the sea, such was the attention to detail. It was re- trimmed to tone it down slightly......the rest is history.
My first car was a 12yo A Reg Ford Orion and it had certain eccentricities you needed to perform to keeping it running i.e. in the winter you had to pull out the choke at junctions to stop it stalling and finding reverse was like picking a Lock! But I remember when I got a newer car I missed those eccentricities as it added character!
I brought one brand new in 83 ,red with tan, cost £18.125. from the London Sports Car Center on the Edgeware Rd. Can't remember it having any issues amazingly ! Had a lot of fun with it, great car in its day.............
A friend had one in 1985(red with gold BBS wheels) and it broke down all of the time (usually serious of course). It had hardly done any miles then. It did look very striking it has to be said.
The Lotus Esprit is brilliant. Like you (and many of us who grew up around the same time) I was underwhelmed when I first saw the Aston Martin DB5 in a Bond Film. Of course I have grown to like it since then.
What a lovely classic car. I love the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger but my favourite bond film car is the white Toyota 2000GT Roadster from you only live twice.
My favourite car to draw pre-1982 was the TR7 - another wedge shaped pop up headlighted British car - when they were working they were my dream car (shame most died of rust - I've not seen one in about 20 years now)
Great vid Pete! Love an S3 Esprit, either this colour scheme or the Copperfire of the Bond car. Definitely on my list... Then, imagine my surprise to see that they live about 300 yards from us and I've never seen the car before at all! Small world!
Brilliant 😂 but looks so much like a kit car. I also loved the “what does Lotus stand for”. I loved the Esprit back in the day and not just because of Bond. I loved the fact that so much performance was squeezed out of a 4 pot 2.2! I had a 1988 Toyota Supra with pop up headlights and absolutely loved them (practical as well as they stayed clean during the day), the 3 litre straight six might have had something to do with it as well, and the fact it had Toyota’s typical reliability. Manual choke - how times have changed! Also, how many young drivers will have ever heard of points or a rotor arm. Those were the days! 😂😊
I had one of the last Esprit’s , the V8 Gt. It’s absolutely gorgeous to look at but sadly I didn’t drive it enough so sold it last spring. A real pity Lotus just didn’t get the mechanical build quality up as they could have sold many many more, although the glass fibre / resin bodywork always was excellent.
always for me - the White S1 Esprit,.... simple, stunning and perfect. Not overly keen on the additional spoilers and kit on the S3 - BUT,.. still lovely though
Lotus need to be properly maintained and tuned. This looks like a very nice example. Problems are only serious if they are neglected. Esprit also featured in Pretty Woman movie.
I had a JPS Elan +2 back in the day. Kept it for 3 months, changing into 3rd the gear stick came off in your hand. In the end I could refit it with one hand whilst still driving.
@@PetrolPed Yeah, 40 years later I converted the Elise that had blue lights and sirens. ( Still got it 😂 ). Enjoy the industry Peter, the happy memories will last forever and the stories get funnier the more you tell them, ask the wife 😂😂.
Lucky man. Looked absolutely great when it was new and with my 1970 eyes, looks just as good today. Roger Moore was not a fan however. Saw him in 2012 when he was doing the "In conversation/evening with..." thing in various theatres talking about his life. Cars came up, and whilst he liked the Volvo P1800, his experience of the Lotus was similar to yours. He found them difficult to get in and out of, cramped and when the Director shouted 'Action" would invariably start billowing steam and over heat. Great man, great car, great review 👍
In 1982 I had cause to drive a few miles in a brand new JPS Lotus Esprit. I had always lusted after the Esprit, as it looked so gorgeous: but after driving it those few miles I was content with just admiring it from afar. Though quite exhilarating to drive, it was just not practical or that pleasant for an every day drive.
The Lotus engine was already tuned and gave quite a lot of power for its displacement. Hence the light boost. Lotus also has a tradition of gradually increasing the power in models to get more sales. The Renault gearbox limited the power, the SE was really pushing it.
Did you know that Roger Moore considered buying a Lotus Esprit but Lotus would only give him a 2 pound discount so he didn't buy one. They actually used two Lotus Esprit's in For Your Eyes only the other one being a white one which got blown up when someone (the stuntman Bob Simmons) tried to break the window with the gun butt. Apparently when the film was shown in America the audience cheered because at that time in New York many people were getting their cars stolen and they wished their cars would explode when someone tried to break into them. We first saw the reddish Lotus Esprit Turbo in Q's workshop when Bond quips to him "Oh I see you managed to get the Lotus back together again". For me For Your Eyes Only will always be the best Bond film, great locations, great action together with a glorious musical score by Bill Conti.
It was always a dream car for me - they say never meet your hero’s but I got to drive one once. And it did not disappoint at all ! I was on a private test drive and the owner told me to give it some stick as “easy to slide it around”! I took it very carefully but gave it a boot in a straight line and was certainly quick - but no quicker than the Cooper S I bought instead. I don’t regret not buying it - would have been great to own but the repairs costs would be a constant I fear
Hi Ped Enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Can I request some more “Classic Car” videos if you have the time and vacant space in your programming schedule. On a personal note the 60 profile tyres do not look out of place.😉 I do recall that minor stoppages was par for the course and usually sorted without a call to the breakdown services.🤭
Lucky enough to own a S3 turbo loved did did buy cheap and spend time on it . Fab lovely to drive really comfy when in. With sunroof out like a targa top. Fast enough not to expensive to run. Different too, no ferrari or porsche snobby stuff. All ways a thumbs. But theY need using regular so all ok skool electrics work. Make sure coolant hoses and fuel pipes replaced . Carbs all serviced will be fine. Oh old steel fuel tanks can rust and block fuel system.
have been a passenger in a lotus, you sit very low to the ground. great experience going out in one. definitely one of the all time favourite bond cars.great video.
Great video, brought me back to my childhood memories of a poster I had of this lotus model on my bedroom wall. I bet the guy in the mini had a good time following you guys too. 😎 amazing car.
Love this video, bought back memories of my Esprit Turbo. Had the same issue when changing gear meant hitting your knuckles on the radio. You develop a different grip on the gear lever after doing that a few times!
I have exactly the same car (same JPS colours too) and it has been thoroughly reliable. They really need to be maintained by a Lotus specialist annually which is surprisingly affordable. They are reliable cars when looked after properly.
Met a Lotus drivers club at a hotel in the highlands. The Cars look great, they were still waiting on two to arrive because they had broken down and you could see the ones in the Car park were cherished and look after but the quality was shocking. It took them twice to shut anything, bits tapped back on you name it. But to me that’s all part of it, yes thy are built cheaply but looks so great on the road.
Always loved the Esprit, for much the same reason as anyone else our age. Never pushed the button and stuck with Elise/Exige options. Not so worried about the driving dynamics now - accept it’s a 40yr old car and it’s a much about owning it. It’s a toss up between one of those or a 308! That’s a good bit of road, the Battle Road. Have a right old giggle on that most days. Surface is awful (and usually covered in crap) but some cracking sections.
Loved this. Particularly fact as you say, driving these vintage (in my case slightly later classic Impreza) driving them up to 60 on twisty roads is best thing of all time…
There was never such a thing as a Esprit Turbo S3. It's either a Esprit Turbo or Turbo Esprit. The Esprit S3 came afterwards and is normally aspirated.
It's also a April 1984 registered car, the owner might be confused by the private plate (912 is a Lotus engine type, but should be 910 for the Turbo). The factory sunroof gives it away, they were only introduced for the '85 model year, along with a modified chassis with Toyota based front hubs and brakes, replacing the previous Triumph setup.
I don't think there's anything special about the engine in the Esprit, so this could be a prime candidate for the 'Electric Classic Car' treatment. I'm sure that Moggy could convert this to an EV without adding (too much) to the kerb weight for a much more reliable car, which could be used as a daily driver. (Look up owners' videos about Teslarossa conversions.)
Car Magazine, November 1981, Mel Nichols and Roger Cook take the Esprit Turbo to Glasgow through the Yorkshire Dales….one of the greatest drive stories ever.
Dig those crazy panel gaps, man! In the 70s, I worked for Alan Foster at the London Sports Car Centre. Amongst others, we hheld the Lotus franchise and, when the Esprit was announced, the biggest moan dealers made was about the number of cylinders the car had, compared to what had now become its direct competitors. The old Elans and Europas were well-suited to small four cylinder lumps, but the Esprit was Chunky's idea of going up-market and that LV220 was a big disappointment, especially with the noise it made. The slightly later Elite, the four-seater, had the same marketing problem. A Stuttgart flat six or a Modena V6/V8 sounded so much better, and WERE better! Our demonstrator, a white S1, was delivered to us before the announcement embargo was lifted, so all the badges were taped over. Alan asked me to get it PDI'd and put enough miles on it to run it in. Already hating Lotus and not in the best of humours, I got in, ripping open a fingernail on the Marina door handle in the process and then had the trailing edge corner of the driver's window stab me, followed by a whack on my head from the door frame, all put me in a really foul mood. Pulling out in to the Edgware Road, I gave it a boot-full and, TWANG! the throttle cable parted company, leaving me to slither to a halt on tick-over. I have many Lotus tales, most of them probably litigious, so I'll leave it there. Never liked the things, never have, never will! Sorry Pete!
What a stunning car, I have always wanted to own one! Tim's is super clean and loving the cleaning look with it being detrimmed down the sides! Hilarious you lost the exhaust, just shows how awful the UK roads!
Hilarious! DeLoreans have this fuel cut out too, there it’s called the inertia switch and it’s located in the footwell. Quiet easy to activate when braking on a steep downhill slope. There are many similarities between the two cars thanks to Colin Chapman and Giorgetto Giugiaro. One has to love these quirky 80’s cars!
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![It's now cheaper to run a Diesel than an EV ! [Must know numbers for EV ownership]](/img/n.gif)
I have 3 Lotus, 89 Esprit SE Turbo, 82 S3 Esprit and a 76 Elite. Had them for 18 years and never once been stranded or had issues.
PETER!!!! PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. MORE CARS OF THIS ERA TOOK ME RIGHT BACK TO MY TEENS FANTASTIC!!!!
Will do 👍
With you. The Esprit is my favourite. The S3 is stunning.
Used to have an S3 normally aspirated in Essex blue. It was wonderful when it was going, but in my few months of ownership I hardly did a single journey without some sort of issue. Gear lever came off in my hand reversing once , cracked manifold, cooling fan failures, clutch slipping, etc etc. Your experience brought it all back. Happy days!
It's a Turbo Esprit, a Type 82, not an S3 - Type 85, which is the normally aspirated version. I'm in the process of putting a modified 1981 S3 back on the road. The previous owner put a 3.0 24V Busso in the back. I drive an Excel too.
I thought someone would point this out. I have an ‘83 S3 which I’m driving and gradually improving, documenting it on my channel.
I was about to point that out too! Glad someone else beat me to it.👍
I'd be interested in seeing your Busso engined Esprit.
What an amazing iconic car... Brilliant, We've forgotten how unrelaible and low tech old cars were. But what a character car and a labour of love. Awesome LOTUS. Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious.... Love it
Extremely special you got to experience this beast even for however short a period. Very cool. Tim is doing great things with RGN Classics.
Couldn't agree more!
Great Video !!
I had a 1973 JPS Europa once and it NEVER broke down...I was always amazed that it fired right up and everything worked on it because the build quality was so so....anyway it was a blast to drive and the handling was amazing.
Amazing design and definitely iconic but also built down to a price. Lotus. Bless'em.
What a beautiful car, I love all the little noises it makes, the joys of owning a classic car. I really wasn’t expecting the exhaust not to be there at the end 😂
Superb video. Tim was wonderful. His car collection is amazing. As soon as I win the jackpot in the lottery, I'm making a reservation for a week at his place to drive several great cars.
That is mega 👍
Fond memories of playing Turbo Esprit on the ZX Spectrum in the 80s…….fantastic game!
Great computer 👌
i still have my 128k up the loft somewhere with joystick that plugs into the power pack that plugs into the back of the computer @@PetrolPed
I love these Lotus Esprit's, they are so timeless! In my opinion they are as good looking as the Italian Wedge the Countach!
Rumour has it that to get the Esprit in the Bond films 'someone' parked an S1 outside the doors at Pinewood studios and the producers saw it and said they had to have it.
If its not true its a fine story!
Brilliant, had as bigger smile on my face watching the video as you had driving the Lotus. Looking forward to the next one….. Real blast from the past.
I've owned an Esprit,Elan Sprint,Europa and an Elise for my sins all are great drivers cars .
They need to be maintained properly and if they are they take some beating for pure fun at not daft speeds.
Cool cars 👍
Well said sir and every one is as uniquely beautiful. Ferrari...pah. lol
Great video....I lost one of the rear boxes off my 1983 Lotus Excel years ago! I noticed the engine noise change a bit, but didn't think to much of it at the time lol When I got back home like you I noticed it missing...I went back to roughly where I thought I may have lost it and found it...and had it welded back on lol
That’s what Tim did 😂
Fantastic car, I can remember when there was a Lotus garage in Braintree in Essex, called Bridge Motors that sold these new and 2nd hand, was always going their to look at the cars and wishing at 20 that I could afford one, I think they were about 15k new at the time!
Haha, I’m a few years younger than you Ped but my parents had a Mini City when I was growing up which we used to keep a peg in, to use on the choke. Incidentally, the later MPi Mini has a similar fuel cut off switch under the bonnet - a lesson learned with my own first car… Great video as always and what a great set up your friend has. I, like many other comments, might also have dived into the classifieds after watching! Hope you, Mrs P and the pups are all well
I love the Esprit. There was one on display back in the early '80s in Victoria train station in JPS livery as a raffle prize. I was smitten and went around like a love sick teenager for days. A few years ago I had a customer come round and discovered on seeing him off that he was in an S1. He let me sit in it. As a 6ft plus guy, I suffered cramming myself in; I still love them, but from the outside only.
1.DB5
2.DB10
3.Esprit (spy who loved me)
4.Vanquish S and XKR
5.Esprit turbo (for your eyes only)
6.Vantage V8 I think that's the name (timothy darlton 's bond car)
7.The Jaquar that accompanied the DB10
8.Z8
9.750 (or was it 40? Pierce bronsnon 7 series)
Beautiful car,my favourite in the Essex Petroleum colours
This car looks so nice , it just has not dated at all.That JPS inspired livery is an eye catching one.40 years on still fondly remember that great Swede the one and only Ronnie Petterson.
Interesting fact....so I'm told, the car used on the film The Spy Who Loved Me, had part of it's seat trim changed in colour as when it got pulled out of the water( by hidden chain) after the iconic submarine scene the standard tartan on the headrests didn't contrast well on the car with the sea, such was the attention to detail.
It was re- trimmed to tone it down slightly......the rest is history.
Nice 👌
Owner has a good sense of humour.
He sure does 👍
Doorhandle was used by Peugeot in their 505 to..slick design and great feel to open with it. That car looks amazing!!
My first car was a 12yo A Reg Ford Orion and it had certain eccentricities you needed to perform to keeping it running i.e. in the winter you had to pull out the choke at junctions to stop it stalling and finding reverse was like picking a Lock! But I remember when I got a newer car I missed those eccentricities as it added character!
I brought one brand new in 83 ,red with tan, cost £18.125. from the London Sports Car Center on the Edgeware Rd. Can't remember it having any issues amazingly ! Had a lot of fun with it, great car in its day.............
A friend had one in 1985(red with gold BBS wheels) and it broke down all of the time (usually serious of course). It had hardly done any miles then. It did look very striking it has to be said.
The Lotus Esprit is brilliant. Like you (and many of us who grew up around the same time) I was underwhelmed when I first saw the Aston Martin DB5 in a Bond Film. Of course I have grown to like it since then.
What a lovely classic car. I love the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger but my favourite bond film car is the white Toyota 2000GT Roadster from you only live twice.
Oh yes 🙌
Great fun to watch that video, PP. Bring up the others from the 80s, what a great time that was.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video. I remember those days too, where every drive was an adventure, and I never left the toolbox at home. 🙂
Same here!
My favourite car to draw pre-1982 was the TR7 - another wedge shaped pop up headlighted British car - when they were working they were my dream car (shame most died of rust - I've not seen one in about 20 years now)
fabulous thing, although a little unfair to criticise a 40 year old car for faults ! still think they are one of the best styled mid engine cars.
Great vid Pete! Love an S3 Esprit, either this colour scheme or the Copperfire of the Bond car. Definitely on my list...
Then, imagine my surprise to see that they live about 300 yards from us and I've never seen the car before at all!
Small world!
Right on!
Brilliant 😂 but looks so much like a kit car. I also loved the “what does Lotus stand for”. I loved the Esprit back in the day and not just because of Bond. I loved the fact that so much performance was squeezed out of a 4 pot 2.2! I had a 1988 Toyota Supra with pop up headlights and absolutely loved them (practical as well as they stayed clean during the day), the 3 litre straight six might have had something to do with it as well, and the fact it had Toyota’s typical reliability.
Manual choke - how times have changed! Also, how many young drivers will have ever heard of points or a rotor arm. Those were the days! 😂😊
I remember taking the distributor cap off and drying the rotor are and pints out every time I drove through a flood 😂
The Esprit Turbo (white with red stripes) is my favorite of all simply because it was my first dream car.
A classic taking me back to my childhood. Thanks Pete & Tim for the nostalgia & have a good weekend 👍
Thanks, you too!
I had one of the last Esprit’s , the V8 Gt. It’s absolutely gorgeous to look at but sadly I didn’t drive it enough so sold it last spring. A real pity Lotus just didn’t get the mechanical build quality up as they could have sold many many more, although the glass fibre / resin bodywork always was excellent.
always for me - the White S1 Esprit,.... simple, stunning and perfect. Not overly keen on the additional spoilers and kit on the S3 - BUT,.. still lovely though
Lotus need to be properly maintained and tuned. This looks like a very nice example. Problems are only serious if they are neglected. Esprit also featured in Pretty Woman movie.
I had a JPS Elan +2 back in the day. Kept it for 3 months, changing into 3rd the gear stick came off in your hand. In the end I could refit it with one hand whilst still driving.
Skills 👌😂
@@PetrolPed Yeah, 40 years later I converted the Elise that had blue lights and sirens. ( Still got it 😂 ). Enjoy the industry Peter, the happy memories will last forever and the stories get funnier the more you tell them, ask the wife 😂😂.
Drove the Esprit Turbo S4 once, and only once. It was fabulously fast and very yellow. Late 90s and my Boss bought one as a toy.
Lucky man. Looked absolutely great when it was new and with my 1970 eyes, looks just as good today. Roger Moore was not a fan however. Saw him in 2012 when he was doing the "In conversation/evening with..." thing in various theatres talking about his life. Cars came up, and whilst he liked the Volvo P1800, his experience of the Lotus was similar to yours. He found them difficult to get in and out of, cramped and when the Director shouted 'Action" would invariably start billowing steam and over heat. Great man, great car, great review 👍
Hey awesome video actually owner has a good sense of humour 😅😅😅
He sure does 👍
In 1982 I had cause to drive a few miles in a brand new JPS Lotus Esprit. I had always lusted after the Esprit, as it looked so gorgeous: but after driving it those few miles I was content with just admiring it from afar. Though quite exhilarating to drive, it was just not practical or that pleasant for an every day drive.
I used to joke that the door handles on my Allegro estate where from the Lotus Esprit.... LOL...
😂😂😂
The Lotus engine was already tuned and gave quite a lot of power for its displacement. Hence the light boost. Lotus also has a tradition of gradually increasing the power in models to get more sales. The Renault gearbox limited the power, the SE was really pushing it.
I’m a 100 percent with you on the Lotus but I was more interested in the Yamaha XT 500 when I was young 🏍️
Fair enough!
Gotta love a Morris marina door handle
Cool aren’t they 👍
Toyota
What a great wheel and tyre combination. They look so good. Bring back proper high profile tyres. Your cars suspension will thank you.
Did you know that Roger Moore considered buying a Lotus Esprit but Lotus would only give him a 2 pound discount so he didn't buy one. They actually used two Lotus Esprit's in For Your Eyes only the other one being a white one which got blown up when someone (the stuntman Bob Simmons) tried to break the window with the gun butt. Apparently when the film was shown in America the audience cheered because at that time in New York many people were getting their cars stolen and they wished their cars would explode when someone tried to break into them. We first saw the reddish Lotus Esprit Turbo in Q's workshop when Bond quips to him "Oh I see you managed to get the Lotus back together again". For me For Your Eyes Only will always be the best Bond film, great locations, great action together with a glorious musical score by Bill Conti.
No way 😳😂
It was always a dream car for me - they say never meet your hero’s but I got to drive one once. And it did not disappoint at all ! I was on a private test drive and the owner told me to give it some stick as “easy to slide it around”! I took it very carefully but gave it a boot in a straight line and was certainly quick - but no quicker than the Cooper S I bought instead. I don’t regret not buying it - would have been great to own but the repairs costs would be a constant I fear
Thank you ! marvelous car ! I have a Sunbeam Lotus with the four cylinder but no turbo.
I like very much this car and the choke system..so clever !
Glad you like it!
Hi Ped
Enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Can I request some more “Classic Car” videos if you have the time and vacant space in your programming schedule. On a personal note the 60 profile tyres do not look out of place.😉 I do recall that minor stoppages was par for the course and usually sorted without a call to the breakdown services.🤭
Lucky enough to own a S3 turbo loved did did buy cheap and spend time on it . Fab lovely to drive really comfy when in. With sunroof out like a targa top. Fast enough not to expensive to run. Different too, no ferrari or porsche snobby stuff. All ways a thumbs.
But theY need using regular so all ok skool electrics work. Make sure coolant hoses and fuel pipes replaced . Carbs all serviced will be fine. Oh old steel fuel tanks can rust and block fuel system.
Hello PP. loved these as a kid. Sod’s Law that it would misbehave on film. I still have my toy in the loft.
What a car my all time favourite thanks for showing us
What a car this is the aqua transformer one in James Bond those underwater shots are gorgeous keep it up PP
My favourite Bond car was the white submarine version. Just love it.
have been a passenger in a lotus, you sit very low to the ground. great experience going out in one. definitely one of the all time favourite bond cars.great video.
Thanks 🙏🏻
Great video, brought me back to my childhood memories of a poster I had of this lotus model on my bedroom wall. I bet the guy in the mini had a good time following you guys too. 😎 amazing car.
Glad you enjoyed it 👍
Love this video, bought back memories of my Esprit Turbo. Had the same issue when changing gear meant hitting your knuckles on the radio. You develop a different grip on the gear lever after doing that a few times!
Fantastic, Pete! I'm pretty sure Tim's collection will be pretty much my dream garage.
Mine too!
I have exactly the same car (same JPS colours too) and it has been thoroughly reliable. They really need to be maintained by a Lotus specialist annually which is surprisingly affordable. They are reliable cars when looked after properly.
Nice 👌
Perfect design..modern face..comfortable model 👏👌
Thank you so much 😀
My favourite bond car too. Loved the colour and the skis on the back!
My favourite James bond film is moonraker brilliant film love jaws in the movie
Met a Lotus drivers club at a hotel in the highlands. The Cars look great, they were still waiting on two to arrive because they had broken down and you could see the ones in the Car park were cherished and look after but the quality was shocking. It took them twice to shut anything, bits tapped back on you name it. But to me that’s all part of it, yes thy are built cheaply but looks so great on the road.
My dream car!
Always loved the Esprit, for much the same reason as anyone else our age. Never pushed the button and stuck with Elise/Exige options. Not so worried about the driving dynamics now - accept it’s a 40yr old car and it’s a much about owning it. It’s a toss up between one of those or a 308!
That’s a good bit of road, the Battle Road. Have a right old giggle on that most days. Surface is awful (and usually covered in crap) but some cracking sections.
Loved this. Particularly fact as you say, driving these vintage (in my case slightly later classic Impreza) driving them up to 60 on twisty roads is best thing of all time…
Yep 👍
seeing the rover SD1 rear lights the morris marina door handles you know you have a parts bin car.
There was never such a thing as a Esprit Turbo S3. It's either a Esprit Turbo or Turbo Esprit. The Esprit S3 came afterwards and is normally aspirated.
This was my favourite super car when I was a teenager especially in this livery.
Mine too 👍
Fantastic car if your that vintage . Don't give it a hard time for stopping . These little issues can be sorted out .
Very true!
4:30 Those are Rover SD1 rear lights I believe?
lovely old car that i always wanted one
What a stunning vehicle I love it so special more pleased on any esprit 👍😍
Glad you like it!
The Esprit soldiered on until 2003.
The Lotus test driver was Roger Becker, who's sadly no longer with us.
Stunning.
Dream car!
Always liked that colour scheme, which was replicated by some other manufacturers over the years in more mundane cars.
I stopped driving on UK roads because they are so bad. I moved to France and the roads are perfect and empty, true driving pleasure.
Yep 👍
Looks great and I hv similar tyres on the Quattro, its all part of the suspension for ride comfort ☺️
Right on!
Great video Pete.. love the car!!
Thanks 👍
It's also a April 1984 registered car, the owner might be confused by the private plate (912 is a Lotus engine type, but should be 910 for the Turbo). The factory sunroof gives it away, they were only introduced for the '85 model year, along with a modified chassis with Toyota based front hubs and brakes, replacing the previous Triumph setup.
You need to get out more 😜😂
Thanks for the pointers 👍
I would break down too if I was a Lotus and you drove me wearing a Porsche jacket 😎
😂😂😂
I don't think there's anything special about the engine in the Esprit, so this could be a prime candidate for the 'Electric Classic Car' treatment.
I'm sure that Moggy could convert this to an EV without adding (too much) to the kerb weight for a much more reliable car, which could be used as a daily driver. (Look up owners' videos about Teslarossa conversions.)
Car Magazine, November 1981, Mel Nichols and Roger Cook take the Esprit Turbo to Glasgow through the Yorkshire Dales….one of the greatest drive stories ever.
Yes. Great & evocative review. It’s clear the Espirit was a fabulous & v quick car back in the day. Ped didnt even floor it by the look s of it!
Best thing about the morris was the doors handles....
Anyone else go straight to Pistonheads after this?!
Hahaha
Eric and Margaret
Yes also looked at the RR Silver Shadow.
LOTUS spells Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious.
Envy, envy!!
Well classic Lotus ownership is never dull is it 😂👏👍
You got that right!
Dig those crazy panel gaps, man!
In the 70s, I worked for Alan Foster at the London Sports Car Centre. Amongst others, we hheld the Lotus franchise and, when the Esprit was announced, the biggest moan dealers made was about the number of cylinders the car had, compared to what had now become its direct competitors. The old Elans and Europas were well-suited to small four cylinder lumps, but the Esprit was Chunky's idea of going up-market and that LV220 was a big disappointment, especially with the noise it made. The slightly later Elite, the four-seater, had the same marketing problem. A Stuttgart flat six or a Modena V6/V8 sounded so much better, and WERE better!
Our demonstrator, a white S1, was delivered to us before the announcement embargo was lifted, so all the badges were taped over. Alan asked me to get it PDI'd and put enough miles on it to run it in. Already hating Lotus and not in the best of humours, I got in, ripping open a fingernail on the Marina door handle in the process and then had the trailing edge corner of the driver's window stab me, followed by a whack on my head from the door frame, all put me in a really foul mood.
Pulling out in to the Edgware Road, I gave it a boot-full and, TWANG! the throttle cable parted company, leaving me to slither to a halt on tick-over. I have many Lotus tales, most of them probably litigious, so I'll leave it there.
Never liked the things, never have, never will!
Sorry Pete!
What a stunning car, I have always wanted to own one!
Tim's is super clean and loving the cleaning look with it being detrimmed down the sides! Hilarious you lost the exhaust, just shows how awful the UK roads!
Beautiful car, also my favourite Bond car. Pete muttered the pronunciation of Giugiaro though. 😖 I believe it’s pronounced (phonetically) JU-JAR-0.
Probably 🤷♂️
The squeaks and rattles would drive me insane,.. great car to look at, but you would have to be either stupid rich, or on meds, to buy and own one. 😂
Hilarious! DeLoreans have this fuel cut out too, there it’s called the inertia switch and it’s located in the footwell. Quiet easy to activate when braking on a steep downhill slope. There are many similarities between the two cars thanks to Colin Chapman and Giorgetto Giugiaro. One has to love these quirky 80’s cars!
Brilliant! Very amusing.
👍