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@@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 RUclips video of the NEW LP800-4 Countach!! lol HELL!!! WHAT A CAR!!! 👌😏 😎🇬🇧
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
@@F8Tributo another fun fact: His son, Matt, used to spend evenings with his dad being driven around in Esprit and Elise. Later in life he himself would be spending his evening testing Evoras, Elises and Exiges as Lotus chief chassis engineer. He bailed out of Lotus in 2017 after Jean-Marc Gales arrived and ruined Lotus, then moved to Aston Martin. After Tobias Moers took control he quits because things were not going well with Tobias running Aston, then made a move to McLaren, only for him to spend an entire year without any project because... McLaren, and he now found himself in JLR as chassis engineer.
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.
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.
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 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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
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 !
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) 😅
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...
The term supercar has become very subjective these days. The Esprit was Norfolk's first supercar. Look at the cars that were being produced at the time by BL, Ford and Rootes (Chrysler) in the UK in the 1970s. By comparison, the Esprit was the equivalent of a spaceship. Growing up in the late 70s & early 80s, living about 45 minutes from the Lotus factory, to the 6 to 10 year old me, the Esprit looked every bit the supercar. To the 50 year old me today, the Esprit is still a supercar and doesn't look out of place parked next to a Lambourghini Countach or Miura or a Ferrari 308 GTB. Judging a supercar by how powerful it is is just one metric. Looks, handling and the way it makles the driver feel are the others. The Esprit had all the "drama" that the contemporary supercars of the day had.
@@EuropaSman BL's output has absolutely nowt to do with supercars. Incidentally, a 308 GTB isn't a supercar, either. There were numerous spectacular 12 cylinder actual supercars around by the time the Esprit appear. A four-pot lash up with iffy fibreglass panels, a gearbox pinched from an old Renault etc is not the stuff of supercardom. If the Esprit is a supercar, then the term loses its meaning.
@@flat6croc I think you missed the point I was making that in the 1970s in the UK there were all the drab & mundane cars on the roads. Don't forget there was the like of Jaguar with the last E types in around 1973 and the XJ-S that replaced it, BL was churning out MGBs & Sptifires, Aston Martin had the V8 that was more of a muscle car, Reliant, TVR & Morgan were small volume with theri sports cars, then out of Norfolk came the Esprit. A spaceship in comparison with at that time contemporary "origami" styling by none other than Guigiaro himself. To put it into context the Esprit was a supercar in comparison to an Austin Allegro, Triumph TR7, Hillman Avenger, XJ-S etc. By the way there is no definitive definition of a supercar. As 9 year old in 1982 watching Tom Selleck drive a 308 GTS in Magnum PI, the Ferrari looked like a supercar because to 9 year old me Ferrari made supercars and that idea stuck. Nowhere is there anything that says a supercar must have 12 cylinders and "X" horse power, and regarding your lash up comment even Ferrari took parts from other manufacturer's parts bins (tractor clutch springs to mind - that's how come Lamborghini started making cars), therefore how can it lose its meaning? The point becomes moot in that case.
@EuropaSman I got your point, I just don't think it's relevant, anymore than observing what Fiat was making at the time and deciding that means a 308 was also a supercar, when it wasn't. The 308 had beauty and drama and exoticness. But it wasn't supercar. Nor was the Esprit. They're both a clear rung down from being supercars. It's not that a supercar of that era absolutely needs to have 12 cylinders and a given amount of power. But the fact that there were 12 cylinder actual supercars with lots of power makes the notion that a four-pot canoe is a supercar totally untenable. Like I said, if the Esprit is a supercar, the term absolutely loses its meaning. Oh, and Gandini designed the Citroen BX. Doesn't make that a supercar.
@@RobertDonnyJr-c4e 911 Turbo is not a supercar. Being a supecar is not just about speed. Which is why something like an EV SUV that's very fast and might even out drag an actual supercar isn't a supercar.
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....
The gearbox was not Citroën but Renault - from originally the 20/30 then the later 25. With the demise of the 25, gearbox supplies were in danger and signalled the demise of all Esprits - the last V8 still using the same basic Renault unit. (Remember, Lotus had already used the Renault 16 gearbox - and engine - in the Europa, ingeniously spinning it 180º and swapping the running side of the crownwheel in the diff. This box continued to be used, later in TX 5-speed form, in the Twin Cam Europa)
The s1, s2. S3 and Turbo Esprit had the citroen C35 gearbox. Early Stevens cars had the C35, but most Stevens cars and facelifts onwards had the Renault UN1 with the transition to UN1 happening in the late 80's.
It was an item on original Top Gear. James included a clip in this video. Ex Lotus F1 driver and Lotus engineer John Miles presented the piece to camera that was introduced by William Woolard. I believe the clip is here on RUclips.
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
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.
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...
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.
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.
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 😂
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.
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.
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. 🥝✔️
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
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….
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.
Wonderful review of an epic car. It looks better and better as the years go by - the design is so obviously of its time but also somehow remains current and looks so so good. Even Elons cyber truck is rocking some Esprit angles so that's some sort of compliment I guess. The Esprit has always been one of my hero cars and happy to know it's as good as it looks.
Such an iconic car, I lost interest in ever owning one after watching ed China repair one on a show, they are built worse than a cheap kit car and the electrics is even worse
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
The handbrake location looks painful. I remember getting into one my friend had in the 90s with competition seats. Getting out was VERY difficult, I had to crawl out sideways.
A mate had one of those. Gave me a lft back from his garage around the North Circular one saturday evening - reckon that is one, if not the, fastest mid range accerating cars I have been in. A proper road racer, all the more dramtic because you are literally almost lying down. They don't make cars like that anymore and its a shame. They look cool too and Lotus is probably the coolest badge to have these days.........
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 RUclips video of the NEW LP800-4 Countach!! lol HELL!!! WHAT A CAR!!! 👌😏 😎🇬🇧
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 👀👀
Lotus Turbo Esprit or, Lotus Esprit Turbo? I've always known it as the latter but, never owned a Lotus and am curious if I've got it wrong all these years. Not that it much matters; dream of a car.
I did. It always interests me which components car manufacturers like Lotus take from other manfacturers' parts bins. Even Jaguar did it with the rear lights on the XJ220 that came from the Rover 200. The best one was the tractor clutch used in a Ferrari and that led to Lamborghini making cars. The SD1 units were introduced on the Epsrit S2 and replaced the Fiat X1/9 rear light clusters that were on the Esprit S1.
One of my all-time knee-weakeners. In this colour and spec especially. If it drove like a pig, I'd still want one, and this video has just made my lust deepen.
You mentioned the Stevens Esprit. Went on a factory visit when it was just launched. They showed us the Marine Ply firewall (covered in grp). Interesting to note the link back to Roger Naylor and Frank Costin. Well in My world it is . I’m a little odd like that
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!!!!!
Of course it is. Remember folks, if it’s a British car, Jay can’t help himself. Regardless though, I always liked the Lotus Espeit when I was younger. But, know that I’ve seen one up close, it’s actually pretty hideous. Don’t get me started on the build quality.
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!
Test drove one the other day, I couldn't get over how 'small' it felt, it also felt super fragile to drive, like it was going to come apart at anytime. Perhaps that was due to the fact the car probably needed an engine rebuild after all these years haha
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.
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!” ?
@@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…
Yeah My Dream car as well.... when I was 14 Subsequently owned a S3 SSeven and a Europa. And experienced firsthand exactly how Shite Loutus was. Children could have a better job of detail design and assembling Lotus ''junk' As for handling? Well ... My Gfriends Alfa 1750 GTV could out corner and out brake My europa.. easily. Super7 was Interesting but it felt;; Far faster than it actually was and approaching 100MPH gave one Religion.
How hard is it to find parts for these in Britain (presumably)? We have one here in the states, a 1977 Lotus Esprit S1, and just have the hardest time finding parts unless you fork out an arm and a leg. As far as i know, a lot of the parts dealers are in Britain since Lotus is based there. Ours is still in parts, mainly just cant put it together because the oil pickup tube was bad, and cant find a replacement anywhere. Lovely car tho, the interior plaid is beautiful in the '77 model!
It's like everything that makes the Dino cool but evolved and better because it's a Lotus. Perfect color combination. There aren't many Ferraris that cool since the F40... It even has that '80s edge programmed into us from the F40 and Countach posters we all purchased at the book fair. Ultra-cool. Maybe cooler than the F40. Probably cooler than the Countach.
Jay, as a rule, I enjoy your videos. You cover cars I'm not likely to see - much less sit in here in the States. However, I did sit in an Esprit this weekend and it was brutal. Ingress-egress required yoga-like moves and you can see more of the world through the slit in a letterbox. This car seems to force the driver to pay a high, 'body-tax', because of the packaging. To each his own but I wouldn't have such a car.
That very same copper Esprit from FYEO came up on ebay years ago. I watched it like a hawk. Went for buttons (by today's prices). Now that IS one drunken ebay purchase I wouldn't have dared regret!
I remember seeing the Esprit in the Spy who loved me, at the cinema. Loved it then and it will always be one of my favourite looking cars. Although it's a shame that it really wasn't a submarine with missiles and torpedos. Why can't Lotus make a new, electric, car inspired by this design, rather than the insipid ugly ducklings they seem really keen on producing for mass market appeal (and it would be cool if you could drive it underwater)
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 !
In the 60,s Lotus,as well as their GP cars had a couple of sportsracers the 30 & 40.The joke of the time was that the 40 was a 30 with 10 more mistakes............!!!
I typically do like 70s cars, this one does nothing for me, styling looks a bit amateurish, wheels look like they come from an aftermarket catalogue… to me the Stevens cars look much better resolved. Esprit Turbo - Meh, Esprit V8… far more interesting.
I went to the Lotus factory for my 12th birthday in the early 90s and say them making the Esprits also saw the underwater bond car in their museum collection there. Always loved these Esprits and would dream of a Tesla powered EV Esprit S2!
CarVertical: The History Checking Service
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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 RUclips 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
@@F8Tributo another fun fact: His son, Matt, used to spend evenings with his dad being driven around in Esprit and Elise. Later in life he himself would be spending his evening testing Evoras, Elises and Exiges as Lotus chief chassis engineer. He bailed out of Lotus in 2017 after Jean-Marc Gales arrived and ruined Lotus, then moved to Aston Martin. After Tobias Moers took control he quits because things were not going well with Tobias running Aston, then made a move to McLaren, only for him to spend an entire year without any project because... McLaren, and he now found himself in JLR as chassis engineer.
Wanted to see the “burglar protected” sticker, wasn’t disappointed 👍🏻
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 car, production, commentary, and soundtrack were exquisite on this episode. Well done.
Thankyou!
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
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 😅
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..
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.
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.
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.
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 am shocked and pleased that you fit in that car.
It gives me hope.
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.
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!
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 !
Fantastic review James it’s still a gorgeous looking car nearly as exciting as when I got handheld defender game in the same year 🙌🏻🙌🏻🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
The Goodyear white wall writing on the tyres on the For Your Eyes Only Lotus, just so 1980s. Brilliant stuff.
Colin the caterpillar reference will absolutely baffle international viewers ha ha
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) 😅
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
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...
Not sure the Esprit was ever really a 'supercar'. Even in period, it didn't have supercar specs. Really a sports car with reasonable exotic looks.
The term supercar has become very subjective these days.
The Esprit was Norfolk's first supercar. Look at the cars that were being produced at the time by BL, Ford and Rootes (Chrysler) in the UK in the 1970s. By comparison, the Esprit was the equivalent of a spaceship.
Growing up in the late 70s & early 80s, living about 45 minutes from the Lotus factory, to the 6 to 10 year old me, the Esprit looked every bit the supercar. To the 50 year old me today, the Esprit is still a supercar and doesn't look out of place parked next to a Lambourghini Countach or Miura or a Ferrari 308 GTB.
Judging a supercar by how powerful it is is just one metric. Looks, handling and the way it makles the driver feel are the others. The Esprit had all the "drama" that the contemporary supercars of the day had.
@@EuropaSman BL's output has absolutely nowt to do with supercars. Incidentally, a 308 GTB isn't a supercar, either. There were numerous spectacular 12 cylinder actual supercars around by the time the Esprit appear. A four-pot lash up with iffy fibreglass panels, a gearbox pinched from an old Renault etc is not the stuff of supercardom. If the Esprit is a supercar, then the term loses its meaning.
@@flat6croc I think you missed the point I was making that in the 1970s in the UK there were all the drab & mundane cars on the roads. Don't forget there was the like of Jaguar with the last E types in around 1973 and the XJ-S that replaced it, BL was churning out MGBs & Sptifires, Aston Martin had the V8 that was more of a muscle car, Reliant, TVR & Morgan were small volume with theri sports cars, then out of Norfolk came the Esprit. A spaceship in comparison with at that time contemporary "origami" styling by none other than Guigiaro himself. To put it into context the Esprit was a supercar in comparison to an Austin Allegro, Triumph TR7, Hillman Avenger, XJ-S etc.
By the way there is no definitive definition of a supercar. As 9 year old in 1982 watching Tom Selleck drive a 308 GTS in Magnum PI, the Ferrari looked like a supercar because to 9 year old me Ferrari made supercars and that idea stuck. Nowhere is there anything that says a supercar must have 12 cylinders and "X" horse power, and regarding your lash up comment even Ferrari took parts from other manufacturer's parts bins (tractor clutch springs to mind - that's how come Lamborghini started making cars), therefore how can it lose its meaning? The point becomes moot in that case.
@EuropaSman I got your point, I just don't think it's relevant, anymore than observing what Fiat was making at the time and deciding that means a 308 was also a supercar, when it wasn't. The 308 had beauty and drama and exoticness. But it wasn't supercar. Nor was the Esprit. They're both a clear rung down from being supercars. It's not that a supercar of that era absolutely needs to have 12 cylinders and a given amount of power. But the fact that there were 12 cylinder actual supercars with lots of power makes the notion that a four-pot canoe is a supercar totally untenable. Like I said, if the Esprit is a supercar, the term absolutely loses its meaning. Oh, and Gandini designed the Citroen BX. Doesn't make that a supercar.
@@RobertDonnyJr-c4e 911 Turbo is not a supercar. Being a supecar is not just about speed. Which is why something like an EV SUV that's very fast and might even out drag an actual supercar isn't a supercar.
First 30 seconds felt like the opening credits of an 80's TV Detective show 🤣
Love the subtle hints of Bond with the camera placing! i.e biker behind, reflection on windscreen etc
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....
The gearbox was not Citroën but Renault - from originally the 20/30 then the later 25. With the demise of the 25, gearbox supplies were in danger and signalled the demise of all Esprits - the last V8 still using the same basic Renault unit. (Remember, Lotus had already used the Renault 16 gearbox - and engine - in the Europa, ingeniously spinning it 180º and swapping the running side of the crownwheel in the diff. This box continued to be used, later in TX 5-speed form, in the Twin Cam Europa)
No, he's right. Early Esprits had Citroen gearboxes (from the SM), later Esprits used Renault boxes.
The s1, s2. S3 and Turbo Esprit had the citroen C35 gearbox. Early Stevens cars had the C35, but most Stevens cars and facelifts onwards had the Renault UN1 with the transition to UN1 happening in the late 80's.
Perfect car with the perfect spec.
Does Harry Metcalf still have his turbo lotus esprit..??
@@johnchurch4705 no he's sold it. His was a Turbo Esprit HC (higher compression), the last of Giugiaro styled Esprits.
If my memory is correct then i think the active suspension used gyroscopes and might of been shown on BBCs Tomorrows World? Correct me if im wrong 😁
It was an item on original Top Gear. James included a clip in this video. Ex Lotus F1 driver and Lotus engineer John Miles presented the piece to camera that was introduced by William Woolard. I believe the clip is here on RUclips.
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.
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
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.
Just right for those days when you are working as a Marine Biologist.
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...
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.
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!
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 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 😂
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 :)
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.
OMG I have always been fascinated by this car ever since I was a kid watching James Bond blowing up a helicopter with it.
ProductionISE.???? Is that a thing Jay m.?? Either way it tickled me. Great video again. Please keep up the hard work.✌️👍🇬🇧
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. 🥝✔️
What we really want to know; does it actually turn into a submersible?! These were my favourite sports car of the time, as well
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
the coolest looking thing
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….
nice Marina door handles ;)
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.
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.
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.
Wonderful review of an epic car. It looks better and better as the years go by - the design is so obviously of its time but also somehow remains current and looks so so good. Even Elons cyber truck is rocking some Esprit angles so that's some sort of compliment I guess. The Esprit has always been one of my hero cars and happy to know it's as good as it looks.
Totally agree with you, it's design really has stood the test of time - and you can't say that about some other more exotic brands.
So true! Italian design is exceptional in so many ways. 😍🤩
@@claudiomarangone614 very true - I have an 80s Lancia by pininfarina and it looks amazing !
Such an iconic car, I lost interest in ever owning one after watching ed China repair one on a show, they are built worse than a cheap kit car and the electrics is even worse
Harry Metcalf did a drive from Oxfordshire to Cortina where the Bond film was shot. It was very good across that long distance.
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 ❤
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!
The handbrake location looks painful.
I remember getting into one my friend had in the 90s with competition seats. Getting out was VERY difficult, I had to crawl out sideways.
Jay you can’t just keep releasing fantastic videos so soon after each other, how am I supposed to find time to sleep?
A mate had one of those. Gave me a lft back from his garage around the North Circular one saturday evening - reckon that is one, if not the, fastest mid range accerating cars I have been in. A proper road racer, all the more dramtic because you are literally almost lying down. They don't make cars like that anymore and its a shame. They look cool too and Lotus is probably the coolest badge to have these days.........
I was looking at the thumbnail thinking: "There's something off about that Delorean" 😅
I'd have one in the Copper Fire colour, it's just glorious
Jay, thank you for the 80's throwback music. 🎉
That made this video much more enjoyable. 😊
That clumsy concoction of chords was not music..
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 RUclips video of the NEW LP800-4 Countach!! lol HELL!!! WHAT A CAR!!! 👌😏
😎🇬🇧
I've always loved the S4s and the Holy Grail Sport 300.
One day 🙄
Lol if that is truly your dream car, you are one crazy man !! 😂🤟🏼
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
This is by far my favourite interior that i have ever seen in any car ever!
Absolutely love how EVERYTHING on the interior is wrapped in leather. The older Cadillac’s had that, and were cozy af
Lotus Turbo Esprit or, Lotus Esprit Turbo?
I've always known it as the latter but, never owned a Lotus and am curious if I've got it wrong all these years. Not that it much matters; dream of a car.
Early G cars were Turbo Esprit, the Stevens cars from 88 on were Esprit Turbos.
Top man. Thanks for clearing that up for me.@@robertltomlinson
Lovely car! Did you know the rear light clusters are from the Rover SD1?!
I did. It always interests me which components car manufacturers like Lotus take from other manfacturers' parts bins. Even Jaguar did it with the rear lights on the XJ220 that came from the Rover 200. The best one was the tractor clutch used in a Ferrari and that led to Lamborghini making cars. The SD1 units were introduced on the Epsrit S2 and replaced the Fiat X1/9 rear light clusters that were on the Esprit S1.
Great vid! Have owned quite a few Esprit’s, S1 and S3 turbo’s….love em! Great review, many thanks, keep great vids comin 👍
One of my all-time knee-weakeners. In this colour and spec especially. If it drove like a pig, I'd still want one, and this video has just made my lust deepen.
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!😂😂
You mentioned the Stevens Esprit. Went on a factory visit when it was just launched. They showed us the Marine Ply firewall (covered in grp). Interesting to note the link back to Roger Naylor and Frank Costin. Well in My world it is . I’m a little odd like that
The perfect spec turbo esprit..drove one 20 years ago and loved the handling
I would much rather hear the car than your dreadful music.
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.
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!!!!!
Of course it is. Remember folks, if it’s a British car, Jay can’t help himself. Regardless though, I always liked the Lotus Espeit when I was younger. But, know that I’ve seen one up close, it’s actually pretty hideous. Don’t get me started on the build quality.
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!
The original & S2 look so much better than this turbo version! 🤯🤯🤯😎😎😎👍👍👍
Test drove one the other day, I couldn't get over how 'small' it felt, it also felt super fragile to drive, like it was going to come apart at anytime. Perhaps that was due to the fact the car probably needed an engine rebuild after all these years haha
The Spy Who Loved Me....ish beauty!
Or, For Your Eyes Only?
Its hard to find a cooler car than a early Esprit Turbo! great video as always :)
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.
@@ldwp6395 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…
Yeah My Dream car as well.... when I was 14
Subsequently owned a S3 SSeven and a Europa.
And experienced firsthand exactly how Shite Loutus was. Children could have a better job of detail design and assembling Lotus ''junk' As for handling?
Well ... My Gfriends Alfa 1750 GTV could out corner and out brake My europa.. easily.
Super7 was Interesting but it felt;; Far faster than it actually was and approaching 100MPH gave one Religion.
How hard is it to find parts for these in Britain (presumably)? We have one here in the states, a 1977 Lotus Esprit S1, and just have the hardest time finding parts unless you fork out an arm and a leg. As far as i know, a lot of the parts dealers are in Britain since Lotus is based there. Ours is still in parts, mainly just cant put it together because the oil pickup tube was bad, and cant find a replacement anywhere. Lovely car tho, the interior plaid is beautiful in the '77 model!
It's like everything that makes the Dino cool but evolved and better because it's a Lotus. Perfect color combination. There aren't many Ferraris that cool since the F40... It even has that '80s edge programmed into us from the F40 and Countach posters we all purchased at the book fair. Ultra-cool. Maybe cooler than the F40. Probably cooler than the Countach.
Jay, as a rule, I enjoy your videos. You cover cars I'm not likely to see - much less sit in here in the States. However, I did sit in an Esprit this weekend and it was brutal. Ingress-egress required yoga-like moves and you can see more of the world through the slit in a letterbox. This car seems to force the driver to pay a high, 'body-tax', because of the packaging. To each his own but I wouldn't have such a car.
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
Sidelights by Mini Clubman, taillights by Rover SD1, door handles, stalks, switches and buttons by Morris Marina. 😅
That very same copper Esprit from FYEO came up on ebay years ago. I watched it like a hawk. Went for buttons (by today's prices). Now that IS one drunken ebay purchase I wouldn't have dared regret!
I remember seeing the Esprit in the Spy who loved me, at the cinema. Loved it then and it will always be one of my favourite looking cars. Although it's a shame that it really wasn't a submarine with missiles and torpedos. Why can't Lotus make a new, electric, car inspired by this design, rather than the insipid ugly ducklings they seem really keen on producing for mass market appeal (and it would be cool if you could drive it underwater)
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 !
In the 60,s Lotus,as well as their GP cars had a couple of sportsracers the 30 & 40.The joke of the time was that the 40 was a 30 with 10 more mistakes............!!!
I typically do like 70s cars, this one does nothing for me, styling looks a bit amateurish, wheels look like they come from an aftermarket catalogue… to me the Stevens cars look much better resolved. Esprit Turbo - Meh, Esprit V8… far more interesting.
If you make it to the west coast of Canada, give me a shout.. I have a 1970 Europa S2 and a 1986 Esprit Turbo HCI you can play with! Time to play!!!!
I went to the Lotus factory for my 12th birthday in the early 90s and say them making the Esprits also saw the underwater bond car in their museum collection there. Always loved these Esprits and would dream of a Tesla powered EV Esprit S2!