Lotus' 4-cylinder SUPERCAR!
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- Опубликовано: 14 июн 2019
- The mid-70’s were an optimistic time for British transport. We got the Triumph TR7 and Rover SD1, the Intercity 125 took us across the country at 125mph, and the thunderous Concorde took us over Mach 2. Britain was proving it could still do amazing engineering. Then there was the Lotus Esprit, turning heads with its crisp, folded lines and supercar styling. By using a tiny engine, it would go on to have the largest power output per litre of any car. And it would clean up so effectively in American motor racing that it was effectively banned from competition. It’s been a Bond car, twice in its amazing 28-year long production run, and Lotus keeps tantalising us with glimpses of what it will be in the future.
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I worked at a GM dealership for 13 years and this is the first time I’ve ever heard the phrase “superior AC Delco part” used non-sarcastically
Delco's late 80's electronic fuel injection systems were vastly superior to Bosch's K-Jet system.
That tells you how bad the Bosch system was.
@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 lol
I owned a Europa, an Esprit SE and briefly an S4S (not all at once). I remember the Europa alternator was crap and we replaced it with a GM Delco model which was superior. The Europa also had power windows and the motors were Oldsmobile parts if I remember correctly.
That's utterly hysterical because you're definitely not lying.
It says something that a car designed in the mid 1970's can still look futuristic in the 2020's
Not sarcastic, curious
What does it say?
@@Ib_h7 It says "something"
Not not trying to be a smartass.
It's just kind of interesting. Like the car designers were trying to make a car that looks futuristic 40+ years ago and they did such a good job it still looks futuristic nearly 50 years later.
@@erictaylor5462 It doesn't really look like the same car though, IMO...
@@jamespassas9441 What are you talking about. It is the same car. We are talking about one model of car here.
A car, designed in the 70's to look futuristic, and it still looks futuristic.
@@erictaylor5462 I just think it's changed quite a bit over the years.
It's shocking that they had a 500HP motor and never sourced a proper gearbox for it.
The Esprit could have been a living legend.
Pity that the same gearbox was the Achilles heel of that car.
It was a legend.
I worked at Lotus, Hethel, Norfolk in 1969 on the Lotus P5 Europa with the modified Renault 16 engine.
I left in 1971, but my brother who was a line troubleshooter stayed on and worked on the Espirit.
Great!
I had an 89' Turbo Esprit back in the late 1990's and early Aughts. It still stands today as my favorite out of the 121 cars I have owned to date.
i just bought a 1989 SE BLACK on TAN, los angeles CA
@@Judemc Wow! Mine wasn't an SE. They were really had to find back in the day.
I still like the Esprit. Being 58 years old, it is a trip to memory lane for me. As a young boy i day dreamt about me and Barbara Bach driving this Lotus....
A timeless Beauty achieved by 'simple' clean lines. Genius. There are countless cars then n since that never equalled its looks. A true icon.
It looks pretty for us but aesthetics are subjective
Someone at works got a Lotus Esprit its still a head turner. Still a very nice looking car !
In the early 2000s a neighbor had one and he had to make a set of ramps because it was so low it dragged cross the shallow dip between the street and his driveway. He had a love-hate relationship with it since it seemed to spend as much time on a rollback as under its own power.
Love the look and simple lines of the early cars, before all the bolt-ons, gills and plastic.
There's a fella down the street from me who has 2 of those late 70s esprits. I see him working on them from time to time...
I used to own a white Esprit in the 70's. Made by Corgi 😉👍
Corgi versions required less maintenance.
@@2Truth2you but not by much , mine was red
Why it flopped ?
Corgie models were so cool. I still want a Space1999 Eagle.
I also have a corgi white spree that apparently turns into a submarine
Those of us sitting in the cinema watching Bond being chased around the mountain road will never forget that dive off the jetty into the sea!
The whole cinema erupted into cheering when it reconfigured into a submarine, and laughter came when it indicated a turn!
This film cemented (Bonded?) my love for this car, whose lines utterly unmistakable.
Thank you for this video of my all time favourite dream car.
Yeah Felix it was unforgettable alright!
The Spy Who Loved Me was the first Bond movie I saw at a cinema. That car chase! It was like a bunch of angry cats going after a cheeky mouse! And the run off the jetty and turning into a sub - they couldn't have chosen a more suitable car for the job.
It is hilarious to me that this beautiful exotic car is partially made of all kinds of parts from other regular cars.
Thanks for introducing its history to us - well done.
Wait... GM once did something good for another car company!/ WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?
Yeah, typically they would say: 'Here you have our Chevrolet, now your job is to stick your badge on it!"
Actually they were buying 83 Turbo Esprits at the Chevrolet Proving Grounds and testing the suspension for what would be the 85 Vette. I own one of the two cars they bought. They also let Lotus race the X180R because it only had a 4 cylinder engine. They beat their ass time and time again. Thus leading to the ban of the car. Car number ten in the video now resides in New York state and a sister to it is in Maryland still. And yes I am an Esprit fanatic. The best street Esprit ever built was the S4S which was totally debugged and the one to own if you can find one. The V8 engine is nice but the transmission was never capable of not being know as a glass house
GM is doing a lot more now for every car company on the planet.
Scrapping one model after the next AND skipped lot’s of quality.
@Kyle Matthew You probably shouldn’t disclose that you hacked you’re friend’s account. What does hacking have to do with the Lotus Esprit?
I think Americans care about the British brands on the whole. Sell it to BMW and it would be different.
i said it before and i will say it again, this channel needs more views and subs!
When you showed the 1993-94 ad “All work and no way may makes Jack a dull boy” put a big smile on my face. I ripped that ad out of a magazine and put it on my room wall.
I Loved my '88 Turbo Esprit ! Red over Saddle Tan. Very fast little car !! 3 years w/ NO problems~~! I had the only one in Athens, Ga. Always on the Police Radar~~~!
Sir Connery had the AM DB5 and Sir Moore had the Lotus Esprit as a Bond car, magnificent car !! The most beautiful Lotus of all time !
Nice to see the InterCity 125 get a shout out, the train is still going strong after over 40 years in service.
Yeah - I love them!
Albeit without the screaming Valenta turbochargers which did an impression of the Beatles arriving in New York, 1964 as the powercars passed.
I have the food mixer (Kenwood A701) designed by the same person who designed the 125 (Kenneth Grange) - the train wasn't designed by committee, or at least the concept wasn't. The food mixer is good looking as well!
Little known fact; the rear lights on an InterCity 125 are from a mk2 Ford Capri
@Andrew Sully And with a much smaller engine!
The Esprit Turbo was my childhood dream car. At 49, I have to make do with an Evo X that's probably quite a bit quicker, but doesn't look anywhere near as good.
Ohh... poor you sir...😀
Get one....I did 20 years ago and loved it. But it was quirky especially when you're used to Toyota build quality. And then eventually after about a year it was time to move on. But no regrets. Here I am still watching videos about the car. In my opinion the best looking car ever to hit the road.
Love your pieces. Great research, visuals and no extraneous pontification. Well done. Thank you.
I am enjoying watching this channel
Keep up the good work
But stop putting ya face up every 2 minutes. Ya look sick man!
@@tonywillans7556
! ?
i have to say i am enjoying your shows a lot, myself and my Dad were mechanics and i got to work on a lot of the cars you cover with my Dad so i get a great trip down memory lane, great job keep up the good work
Your work is superb. The historical, social and economic insights add real merit to the stories you tell.
Thanks for teaching it. It has been 23 years without getting it. It is the car of my life. It has to be a joy to drive it
Wow amazing story, I owned 3 1977 lotus and they are amazing , thanks 👏
Excellent Video as always thanks for taking the time to make and upload a nice trip down memory lane
A little Correction, the Berreta CX4 Storm isn't a Submachine gun, it's a PCC ( Pistol Caliber Carbine ). it's a semiautomatic carbine designed for civillian, police and security use. the MX4, a different model based on the CX4, DOES have full automatic firing capability, which is what renders that particular model, a Submachine gun.
My favourite Esprit is the custom one in that Ghost in the Shell movie. Classic.
I really enjoy your videos. Thanks. Timeless race and sports cars have more curves than lines, on the whole. This will always be the case. It's not hard.
Damn, this car looks good. One of my new favorites from Lotus
During holidays, my brothers and I always were sketching exotic racing cars in our caravan when it rained. The Esprit often was the basis of our streamlined utopian car dreams. I'm 54 now, and have driven most of my dream cars and my conclusion is that the extra cost and headache doesn't make up for turning heads.
Colin Chapman was a gift from God. Almost every car made since his time til now has either a Lotus engineered component or Lotus design within the vehicle especially on the steering and suspension side which is what Lotus is all about. Privileged owner of 3 Lotus and miss them all.
Had a ‘98 Esprit, loved it for 5 yrs. and still miss it. It’s design might have been getting ‘long in the tooth’ but it was, and is, still a head turner. If it wasn’t for human ‘break downs’, I would definitely still have it!!!
Extremely informative presentation thanks. You keep it simple, precise and not bogged down in too much technical jargon and opinionated side tracking. Please more........
Excellent vids, keep up the good work!
"Brother" of the DeLorean ;-) Love it, maybe I´ll restore one in the Future. Already own a DeLorean and LOVE the Lotus too !!!
You can always go back to the future if it doesn’t pan out…
18 minutes of Lotus Esprit Story but no mention of the video games? What a shame.
Pretty sure licensing the cars to game companies at least helped keeping the company afloat a little longer.
Really enjoy watching your videos. The final version of the Esprit is still one of the best looking ever, along with the DB7 and Diablo. Please do the Jaguar S-Type and it's heritage, including Lincoln.
Yeah - that's one I've thought about doing with its Ford connection.
Fantastic bit of history I enjoyed every bit thank you
Pedantically it's been a Bond car three times. 'The Spy Who Loved Me' had a white Lotus Esprit S1, and in 'For your Eyes Only' early on Bond uses a white S3 Lotus Esprit Turbo which has an over engineered theft protection system. After the white car is destroyed he gets another S3 Lotus Esprit Turbo, this time in a bronze colour.
The white mk1 is gorgeous
One of the first off the production line eventually used as an essential character in the plotline of an epic Bond movie, guaranteeing sales for years..... that's the Esprit story
A friend of mine had a white one. Was in it daily. I even drove it a couple of times. It was an eye catcher
Amazing car for it’s time! Very interesting story of it’s development. Thanks 😊
Thanks for this video! I had never realised this was the same car all the while!
Very Informative Thanks !
excellent vid thx
Great story, thanks so much 👍
I have been obsessed with the Eslrit since I was 7 years old, so basically since it was introduced. Unfortunately, I am too large to drive one, but still think it is the best looking car ever made.
Brilliant! Like a Chinese takeaway I devour each mouth watering episode hungrily then 20 mins later I want another one!
You have cooked up a tasty recipe for success Mr BigCar. Nice one 👍
Your channel is going to become huge!
This guy does a first-class with his videos. As good as any professional organisation.
Informative video thanks. The last version is my favorite have a great day
Thanks, you too!
My dad had an early turbo just after he got rid of some sort of lower end Ferrari (348 maybe) and speaking only as a passenger and on the evidence of one long road trip to Scotland, the Lotus killed it. Where the Ferrari was brutish, noisy, rattly and uncomfortable, the Esprit felt more refined, more supple suspension, less engine roar, better bolted together with no squeaks or rattles, and the midrange power surge when the turbo kicked in was like nothing I've been in before or since.
And maybe Dino 246 apart, it is the best looking car ever. Looks rocket fast standing still.
Only just came across your channel, can I just say you are doing a great job 👏🏻
Thanks Matt!
Great video. I just discovered this channel and I'm binge watching.
One of the best and fun sport car I ever own Lotus Esprit, sold it many years ago looking back it was the best fun I ever have with the car in my younger days, many peoples complaining about the car breaking down, I never a single problem with all the years I run it and run it hard handling nothing can beat it ! still and is the best looking car on the road!
Great video!
This was a fun, laid-back ride, thank you! I think I'll check out some more videos from you.
Glad you liked it!
This guy hasn't made a bad video.. if you like cars you'll love them all.
A lecturer I had at uni had a wonderful green s4. I drooled.
Luv and Peace.
Turned up to drop this exact comment, I guess we're creatures of habit.
Great looking car
I saw one for sale in a second hand dealership. I went home, changed into a suit and returned to ask to test drive it. The salesman was more than happy to let me. So I'm tooling around the bays of Wellington and sped up to overtake a car that was actaully doing the speed limit of 50 km/h. The nerve of him ! Anyway, there was a Traffic cop coming the other way. I saw him make a U turn to come after me so I floored it, drove through some back streets to and through the bus tunnel ( totally illegal ) and back to the dealer. I parked the car, told the salesman " You never saw me " and ran off and jumped on the nearest bus. I never went near that dealership again but I was impressed with the car. My Rover 3500S never felt the same again. I bet that cop was annoyed.
The exterior of the 77 looks amazing.
Wonderful video ! Great work! ... and my dreamcar of all times..
Many thanks James!
I really like this car it's m'y favorite i think up there with the Plymouth superbird and AE86
Beautiful evolution.
Love the Esprit!
One of my favorite cars ever..
the Lego Test Car. One of the best Technic Sets ever
By far the best Bond car ever! :)
Agreed!
Adam Poll The BMW Z3 would probably the *the* worst. There's simply no way James Bond would be driving around in what was BMW's version of the Mazda Miata - i.e. a cheap, affordable roadster. On top of that none of Q's gadgets in the car he claimed it came equipped with were used.
Nothing topped the Lotus Esprit turning into a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me.
Bond drives any old junk that's parked about. He's more interested in getting to the next shag!
Toyota 2000GT is on line one.
Nice video.
I saw an Elite [the original Elite from the 1950's] on a freeway here in Austin, Texas, and was utterly astonished at how small it was. The only one I have ever seen.
About twenty years ago, I went to an auction determined to buy an Esprit, but discovered that not only was it difficult for me to enter/exit, but near impossible for my much larger partner. Regretfully, I passed.
Thanks for your great videos and good luck with the new channel
I’m a MKII MR2 Turbo enthusiast but I have always had a huge appreciation for Lotus. Luckily, my local MR2 specialty garage also specializes in Lotus Esprit, so I get to see some pretty special ones.
Lotus fans should check out ATS Racing in Texas. If they do Lotus as well as they do MR2s, you guys would love them.
My two favourite cars. The mr2 and this lotus. Both amazing
Giugiaro has the biggest balls of any human of all time, they are practically universes!
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about other mens' testicles?
You sound like the movie personality Paul Bettany, you have a soothing voice. I love this automotive history for gear heads .
"Dubbed the red car" and when I thought I was blown away by the creativity of "the silver car"
This is my dream car
Just great content and channel. No two second cuts and pure facts. And those lego cars❤
5:00 Ooof. Nice interior.
Hello, but never knew that FORD, UK, had used the NAME. XR4 TI, THIS CAME TO THE USA, AS A ‘MERCUR XR4 TI, SOLD UNDER THE MARQUE ‘ MERCURY, CHEERS From NJ, USA🏴🏴🏴🇬🇧🇺🇸
Flyby Airplane ....actually, it was named the Merkur xR4ti....
Beautiful car
great thanks !!!!!
Those 2010 concepts still look fresh
I’m sure that’s where Audi got their ideas for the R8
It seems if you get your car banned from racing, you know you're onto a good thing.
Look at the audi quattro. What a machine.
@BEST it sounds like they felt threatened by the future.
Also the 91 r-32 Nissan skyline Godzilla was banned in the Australian touring car championship after coming 4 times in 4 years consecutively in a row against the Aussie Holden commodore/,Ford falcon v8s...
pretty vehicle indeed!
ahh those sweet allegro door handles ;) great video! indeed the "new" lotus esprit and all the other cars the crazy CEO at the time had planned in 2010. there was no way they were all coming off...
I enjoyed watching the Video
I like the Peter Steven relift from '89
9:28 voice says 0-60 time is 6.1 seconds, graph shows about 5.3. 14:42 voice says 0-60 time is 4.7 seconds, graph shows slightly over 5 and top speed doesn't match either.
Still a beautiful car!
I think the mid 70's original design is probably the most beautiful car ever made, even if its specs aren't that impressive.
But that seems to be the case with so many of the so called super cars. They look great, but at a great cost.
Usually it's the handling and the driver comfort that suffers...
@teppolundgren "I think the mid 70's original design is probably the most beautiful car ever made". Hmmm, I think the Ferrari 250GTO might have a few words to say about that...
@@djxjxixsmjxjskjzxn1853 Well, you can always ask a Ferrari 250 GTO what it has to say about it. Let me know what it told you...
@@SpaceCattttt I think you already know: it said "the Lotus is an ugly fucker and either teppolundgren has very low standards or needs to get his eyes tested".
@@djxjxixsmjxjskjzxn1853 - I'm pleased you didn't get stupidly aggressive over this....
*laughs in BMW E9”
This channel is Absolutely Fabulous. I spotted a digital equipment corp terminal. Thanks
:-) Nerd!
Watching a car video and I notice a computer terminal. Guilty as charged.
Each of your stories is so loveable and this is one of my late childhoods favorite cars...never forget this car has also a main role in the film Pretty Woman and "it corners like its on rails" ...
Thanks Don!
S4s model...
Romulus Descendens and don't forget basic instinct with Sharon Stone driving one.
I bought a new Turbo HC when it was released. It suffered many problems from day one such as wipers not functioning, headlights stuck, etc. The handbrake was by my right foot, a stupid position, making stopping and starting in traffic a nightmare. The accelerator and brake pedals were offset, so I had sit slightly laterally. I often described it as the woman you make passionate love to but cannot have a proper relationship with. After five years I had had enough. In 1992 I purchased one of the first Honda NSX’s in the UK and lived very happily with it until 2020. What a difference!
Geez, why did you sell?
@@kenlee-97 I had enough of the problems associated with the car. I bought a Honda NSX and thereafter life was bliss.
@@trevorspiro945 yeah, Trevor, I can understand the Honda was LITERALLY the total opposite of the esprit in almost every way possible.
So why did you then sell the nsx?-
We're you offered a price that allowed you to recover your original purchase price back in 1992?.
BTW, the next was $199,000 Australian dollars back in 1990 got manual trans.,
while the automatic was 3,000 dollars more, price then jumping all the way to $212,000 - for a 1996 3.2 litre series 2 nsx model.
@@kenlee-97 I left London and moved to Brazil. I couuldn't take it with me!
Good looking motor
When they built the Lotus Esprit they built an absolutely amazing vehicle absolutely amazing vehicle
Many years ago, I could NOT believe my eyes, but I saw the LOTUS , SIGN @ a MERCURY DEALER IN SUMMIT NJ , I should have gone in to ASK QUESTIONS. Cheers From NJ USA🇺🇸🇺🇸
There is again a Lotus dealer in Summit selling the Evora at this time