![]() ![]() You’ll pay £300 for a re-core, or £700 for a wider stainless steel three-core unit and more modern fan arrangement.’ Giugiaro bodies can sometimes suffer stress fractures along weak points like headlamp pods, door edges and side flanks. ‘Radiators normally last seven to ten years, because they rot away at the front. It also leads on to other things mounts and pipes you don’t normally consider. ‘As with all Esprits, check when the cambelt was last changed failure will result in bent valves – an engine out, cylinder head off job costing £2500-plus. ‘It’s a simple car to maintain,’ says Geoff Downhill of Salisbury-based specialist Esprit Engineering. It’s aided by a positive gear change and decent brakes, but it all comes back to that steering wheel it’s the centre of the Esprit universe, and the driver’s gateway to tactile pleasure. It offers a smooth yet punchy 160bhp, enough to see it race from 0-60mph in 6.5sec – not quite supercar pace, but not far off. And while it lacks the Turbo’s clout, the S3 is no slouch. The 2.2-litre Twin Cam provides a stimulating soundboard – not overly intrusive, but enough to titillate. Swift direction changes won’t upset its inherent balance, and I’m engendered with the confidence to push harder. ![]() Fire the S3 into one of Hethel’s tight corners and it’s an intuitive delight, remaining neutral as it dissects it with the aplomb of a master surgeon’s scalpel. Best of all is the optional ‘sunshine roof’, which on this lovely clear-sky day sees me surrounded on all sides by a sea of blue – even if the correct name for the interior’s similar hue is silver.įirst impressions are dominated by the steering feedback and handling, both of which sparkle. The helm controls are perfectly to hand and the Smiths gauges, rather than earlier Veglia items, are intelligently set in a wraparound binnacle. Initially the seating position feels pure supercar comedy, legs out almost horizontally as if fully reclined on a sun lounger, yet it’s immediately comfortable, and it works. However there is a distinct nod to Eighties modernity in its body-coloured side sills and front spoiler, in place of the matt black items of earlier models. Yes, Martin Start’s white Turbo Esprit of the same vintage has Bond cool, but shorn of most of its excess adornment – slats, scripts et al – Barrie Cornes’ stunning Glacier Blue S3 is a lesson in design simplicity. Even today, some 47 years after the arrival of designer Giorgetto Giugiaro’s ‘Silver Car’ design study that presaged it, the silhouette still enchants, beguiles and turns heads in equal measure – its sharp-suited body and low-slung snout screaming that a piece of exotica has just rolled up. And while S2 prices are still rising, it’s the naturally aspirated Series 3 variant that is the most attainable of the original shaped cars, both in terms of price and availability.Īnd my what a shape it is. Those with an Esprit de corps for the first and second generations are likely foaming at the mouth at our decision to jump straight to the third, but S1 values have peaked and dropped off slightly. Mr Giugiaro, I’ve been expecting you – just perhaps not in Esprit S3 form. 1998 Lotus Esprit GT3, 1985 Lotus Esprit S3 Turbo, 1998 Lotus Esprit V8 GT and 1989 Lotus Esprit X180 Turbo – comparison retro road test These are the cars our market experts think won’t stay at these prices for ever.ġ987 Lotus Esprit S3 vs. We’ve sifted through lots of variants from its 28-year production run, balancing values with performance, and taking on board owner and specialist advice, to take five of this year’s best buys to the test track at their Hethel birthplace. Factor in some legendary appearances on the big screen and the Esprit’s cult status was assured. Supercar looks were soon backed up by supercar performance. In the former it was a cottage producer of scintillating, deftly handling sports and racing cars, but the new arrival changed everything, propelling it into the big league. There are two Lotus ages: pre- and post-Esprit. We take five Esprits back to Hethel in the name of finding the smartest 2020 buy The early ones may have already bolted, but for now there’s a wealth of great-value ways into owning Lotus’ game-changing supercar.
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