1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo HCI | MotorWeek Tire Tracks
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- For nearly 30 years, the Lotus Esprit was a staple of the mid-engine sports car world. It was at the start, and remains, a bargain compared to classic exotics from Ferrari and Lamborghini. With this in mind, our Roger Mecca wanted to discover for himself if the very British Esprit really is worthy of the same attention as its classmates from Italy.
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In 1987 while driving my POS 1982 Ford Escort, I was driving to my high school, I was at a stop sign getting ready to turn right, a white Lotus Esprit drove right by me. At 16, that was the most futuristic badass looking car I ever saw in person. 34 years later I still remember this memory like it were yesterday.
87 accord would be futuristic compared to 92 ford
@@myes344 Seen A Ford Escort yesterday on 695 west near Harford Road Historic Tags
About that same time I saw a Esprit ad in magazine during study period in high school. I promised myself I would buy an Esprit some time in life. Fast forward 25 years and I bought my own 1991 Lotus Esprit. I never get tired of it. Great community. And where else can you actually interact with the former Lotus CEO and management who actually built your car!
@@chandrab very true!! I enjoy the Esprit group on Facebook, one of the only reasons I keep my Facebook account!
@@chandrab Well done. I remember the first one I ever saw in the parking lot where my father worked...it was stunning then and now. The HCI is my favorite. Just has mean street presence. I have come close to getting an Esprit a couple times, but the stars just didn't line up. Have an Elsie though, and I love the Lotus philosophy...although the company itself is pretty quirky..
I love Jeff Wong. You could feel the emotion in his voice talking about how engaging the car is. That, my friends, is a car guy.
Esprit has always been one of my favorite looking cars.
5.5 seconds is still impressive in 2021
Just needs modern tires to greatly enhance performance
It’s fast but many cars (which aren’t even sportscars) are faster. Take a BMW 540d xDrive for example; it does 0-60 in 4,6 sec. and that’s a 4-door sedan. The Acura TLX Type S in the other video does it in 5,1 sec. Not to mention modern sportscars which are twice as fast at
And it doesn't sound like a dual clutch cow fart either
@@LeoM-zt3pl cow fart ehh?? I thought the double clutch sounded like a triple stacker beef queef
@@Montblanc1986 not so sure that's a good idea. The chassis & suspension of older cars can suffer when the additional loads of modern rubber increase grip levels significantly. I have a similar era 944 Turbo on period correct Yokohama A008P's that have a modern compound but the original design, size/ratio etc. all of which seems to be a happy medium (extra grip, just not too much). BTW the biggest issue with the Esprit, virtually all models, is getting the correct tyre sizes for the original (wider rr to ft) wheels. For some, simply N/A.
It will always be a gorgeous car. somehow Giugiaro got all the dimensions right. In pictures, it looks bigger, but in real life, it is a small car. It is short, extreme low but wide and that gives it a nice stance.
I am the lucky owner of a rather rare 1980 esprit S2.2. This was made for only 1 year (88 examples). It came the same year the famous essex drysump turbo esprit was launched . The S2.2 is not turbocharged, so less powerfull, but it is really light weight with only 1000 kg . It steers and handles so wonderful
That futuristic 80s synth backing track gets me hyped
Beautiful color.
Ah, my all time number one favourite car.
These things have been kinda forgotten during the last 20 years, which has helped keep prices low. Now that people are starting to understand how special they are I've been seeing begin to creep up. If you want one and you can afford it now, I'd get one now while they're still a bargain.
I cant afford one but how much?
@@myes344 they come to rest around the $30k mark for a decent example. Last one on BaT sold for $35k a few days ago, it looked almost mint.
Lots of buyers remorse. I’m a huge Lotus guy. Most “inspired overnight” buyers have no idea what it takes to own one correctly. The maintenance, parts, quirks….it will end up on a pedestal in someone garage or back for sale. Most people should stick to Mustangs and old Porsche….Lotus Esprits just aren’t for rookies.
@@myes344 whatever the price, be sure to keep $3,000 readily available for maintenance. Also, ensure you can get to a certified or at least experienced and comfortable Esprit mechanic.
Had a 86 Esprit Turbo, white with red leather. I miss it, they are a wonderful car.
Sorry, but 0-60 in 5.5 seconds is still very impressive today. That is still shove in your seat and force a grin on your face quick. It is an excellent car by a phenomenal company. If only the reliability were better on these, not that any supercar back then was anything to write home about anyway, the Esprit would have attained even bigger status. Great Retro review. Very nice car. Owner deserves total props.
Why can we no longer have wedge/spaceship looking cars like this ala 4th gen Camaro, Dodge Stealth , Eagle Talon etc. I know , crash standards. 80s-90s cars have that amazing futuristic sharp look that is timeless 👌
Don't forget the Isuzu Impulse! (another Giugiaro design)
The Esprit had supercar styling, and it hung in there with the big boys in the 80's. Mostly because of it's relatively light weight. But my next door neighbor owned one, and it cost him between $5K-$9K a year in normal maintenance. When he looked into the continued oil loss, the dealer pointed out in the owner manual that you need to plan for "controlled oil seepage". It was the owner's dream car (and I love the styling as well) but after a few years he sold it and got a JCW Mini Cooper.
Hi Jeff!! See you at the next Cars and Coffee whenever it's warm again LOL
One of my 80s favs for sure!
Timeless jewel!!
I almost bought one but I decided to go with a 911, looking back at it all these years later I wish I had got the Esprit.
I've heard the Esprit even does pretty well underwater. Or maybe that's just in the movies.
Only if modified by some bloke called "Q".
That's just in the movies. In the real world it's historically been Esprit owners who were "underwater".
Lotus' mantra was "Simplify, then add lightness." not "Performance through light weight"
5.5 to 60 ain’t bad. Even today
0 to 60 5.5 seconds is very good faster than irocs.. great looking car fit this period
Ill take it.
Jeff is a true Esprit fan. A good gutairest also.
I miss my Esprit HCI
80s! ❤️
The one j rode in in detroit back then , I noticed the engine noise alot. Plus it didn't take road bumps well. But was quick, and beautiful.
One of my dream cars... I dont think I'd ever fit in one though haha
I have a 94 S4 , an S3 Is def on the list
Good luck finding one of these for 50k they’ve gone up in price just like everything else this days and now thanks to you the cat is out of the bag and prices will go higher thanks motorweek
In retarded voice thAnK YoU mOtER wEEk
“Perfection is achieved, not by adding music, but when the music has been taken away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
It was James Bond’s car too. For your eyes only. One was blown up, and the other had Luigi Ferreira strangled by hit man Emilio Lock in it.
I would consider getting one of these except parts are impossible to find.
Que sensacional esse lutos carro desse é muito bonito 👍😁
Esprit S3 is N/A. Turbo Esprit is not an S3. As mentioned it does not have PAS, but the brakes are PA. PAS is only for cars, that are too heavy.
I Really Wished The Company Still Built Replicas Out Of The Lotus Espirt.
Throwback😎
That a real DUST DEVIL
One day…
arent the transmissions bad on these
Almost bought an Esprit Turbo for my first car. Due to reliability and umm, giving a 16 year old a car like this, my dad put the brakes on that pretty fast. Ended up getting a third gen Trans AM instead which wasn't much of a difference lol
In acceleration, not much difference.
In every other way, worlds apart.
My car is rear wheel drive. 50/50 weight distrubition. No power steering from the factory.
No ac no radio from me 🐙😎
is john davis ok???!!!!
Of course the prices are rising…
James Bond had the dope one tho 🏁
Cool but its not an S3 or a Esprit Turbo thats a Turbo Esprit the S3 was a N/A car and the Esprit Turbo came after 1987
WHERE IS JOHN DAVIS
In Korn
@@elnyoutube123 I hear he's got the life these days
@@LeoM-zt3pl I heard he's here to stay
That opening ad guy is getting pretty tired sounding!
3:38 ok , what is up with that shift boot 😮
This review is only about 30 years late. Too bad, good praising review back then would have guaranteed we'd still have new Esprits.
Ha.. I thought it was an Esprit with aftermarket/upgraded HCI.. Heads, Cams and Intake..
Pretty sure it had power brakes…
Nice car but its british, reliable always a concern.
Those are not the original rims
I feel like i just watched an info-mercial.
I thought it was an Isuzu.
Funny...but the Lotus Elan M100 used an Isuzu engine. It's a cool car too.
.................. Usually Serious
Just be nice to the transaxle.......
Mile after mile on the back of a tow truck...
I'd rather have a Pantera. The series 4 looks like a longer fiero.
"Me love you 'Wong' time!" "Five dollars is all my mom allows me to spend."
This better than lambo.
And tell girls this is lambo.
That's how you lose the love of your life. By lying to a girl who knows that a Lamborghini is no Lotus.
To buy this Esprit over the 1988 or beyond Esprit is just machoistic . There has got to be someone brave enough to have took out the manual the changed the car to like a 4 speed auto, i wanna find that person get and get that car.
As a car and conveyance they got better with every update. But S3 is the sweet spot for the improved suspension set-up and galvanised chassis, functioning aircon, trim quality, Turbo power & brake upgrades as well as the earlier hard edged Giugiaro style.
I hate these videos when they just talk when they should do testing instead.
Too many words
2:13 not impressive? Watch your TLX Type S review 🤣😂🤣