007's Lotus Esprit Road Test - Was It Really Slower Than A Van??
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- The Lotus Esprit was the start of the James Bond 007 film 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. BUT with a mere 160hp and a four cylinder engine it is thought by some as slower than a van. Is this fair? was it too slow to be a 007 car? I road test it and tell you how it drives and explain how they turned it into a submarine and made the gadgets like the missile launchers..
Check out Tayna Car Batteries and use the code NUMBER27YT for a further 5% off! - www.tayna.co.uk
This video explains some of the scenes and special effects from the 007 Movie "The Spy Who Loved Me'. All rights for the movie are retained by MGM (www.mgm.com). The use of brief sections of copyrighted content falls under the guidelines of fair use in section 107 of the Copyright Act. The clips were taken from the chase scene on this youtube link: • James Bond 007 - The S...
11
Lotus Cortina??
Apologies.. Slip of the tongue.. I know it’s a standard Ford. As evidenced later in the video when I talk about engine power at 105hp for the V6 versions.
It was a Ford Taunus ghia , Jack. 👍
This movie was filmed in Costa Smeralda,Sardina,but there was another 007 filmed in Cortina,Dolomites,with another Esprit,I think a series 2. Intriguing car,never driven one,in Italy they were extremely rare. I am absolutely convinced they had a great balance for their time and that the chassis was very good,and they were also very light,after all that was Colin Chapman's doctrine,and this make them very interesting cars. They have always been compared with the Ferrari 308,but probably the best comparison is with the Alpine A 310,another car with a similar light philosophy. Even when they were new,the interior seemed fragile and of poor quality,and most of them have deteriorated like this one.This is a car for people who love real driving,without frills.Very,very interesting,expecially for non british followers,I think. And the Alpine A 110 and A 310 should be another interesting experiences to drive. Last but not least,I could not belive that you can fit inside the Esprit!! Ciao Giacomo.
@ David Smith. We cut secret Agent 27 some slack when he says 2.2 litre Cortina V6 when he means 2.3 litre, and Ford Taunus/ Cortina when he says Lotus Cortina.And especially when he says a de Tomaso makes maximum torque where it actually makes maximum power. Because he's such a gentleman 🥝✔️.
@@federicomalignani4957 Your thinking of "For Your Eyes Only". The bronze esprit with ski's on the back is peak 80's bond car for me.
The guy that willed it back to the original owner was a class act
As a 10 year old boy back in 1977, this was the most awesome bond car I had ever seen
I was 12 and felt the same way.
I was 9, had a model for that christmas, played with it to death did all the tricks just didn't spurt concrete, shame really.
I thought I was the only one.....and I was 7...the youngest among uols...😁
Me too! I'm slightly older, but not much. Tbh I think the S4 is even more beautiful, and re-designed by a Brit after the masterpiece of Giugiaro. I should buy one before I die 👍
Do you want to hear a funny story !!!! every time I saw a Triumph TR7 I though it was the bond car !!!! think I was the same age as you
It was in the spring of 1977, months before The Spy Who Loved Me was released, that a strange Esprit body (wheel-less of course) sat on a trailer in front of the only Lotus dealer in St Louis, Missouri. Of course, it was one of the submarine models used in the movie. I was a teenager who happened to be driving past the Lotus dealer so I stopped to take a look at the strange thing. Somebody in the crowd mentioned it was a submarine and it would appear in the next James Bond movie, but that’s all we knew about it. The windshield was just a simple piece of plexiglass (Perspex) with strips of black electrical tape running across it, forming the black “bars”. It was very clear to everyone that there was no way this “submarine” was watertight at all. But it really resembled the real car with tail lights and other authentic trim. It was cool as hell to see something from the movies - and especially a James Bond movie. My guess is that this submarine prop was trailered across the United States to be briefly shown at the few Lotus dealers that existed in the country at that time. Months later, when the movie premiered, it was very special to have seen the submarine that was up on the big screen.
It was not intended to be watertight. It needed to be filled with water or else it would float.
I was 9 that summer and had never heard of James Bond. We were visiting family in the suburbs of Cleveland Ohio and had popped into the mall for some errand or other and there inside the mall, right outside the entrance to the movie theater, inside a velvet rope was the sleekest, sexiest, most mysterious car I'd ever seen! I know in hindsight that it wasn't one of the actual movie-cars because it was silver, probably borrowed from the local dealer as a promotional tie-in, but I had never heard of Lotus at that age either and had no clue what it was- and was too gobsmacked and spellbound by it to look for badges to read! This car SERIOUSLY dripped, nee, SPEWED mystique! There was this geeky slightly older kid with buck-teeth and glasses standing nearby who said, "this car can go under WAAAAter! Heheheheheh!" and mentioned that it was from that movie over there, pointing to the big cardboard cutout-display for The Spy Who Loved Me. I remember the cutout having a very handsome fella with a pistol, and a really swanky sexy lady slinked-up on him, and all these action-shots of helicopters and boats and...the car, as a submarine! Gobsmacked again, I started looking inside the wheel-wells trying to spot the hidden dive-planes and such. I think I saw a rear hub-carrier and thought it was a dive-plane. Such a dweeb I was at that age!
A couple of years later I discovered James Bond and became a HUGE fan, seeing them every time ABC would show them on Saturday nights. My first Bond on the big screen was For Your Eyes Only.
Fast forward to 2010, when I became the proud owner of a 1986 Turbo Esprit in a rare colour. People always asked me if it could go underwater, and I'd dodge answering by countering with, "the real question is, do you really want to be in a submarine with a British electrical system?" :D
Thank you guys for sharing your experiences wirh us. That really brings the 70ties back a little bit and the feelings you had at that time.
I'm born in 1974 and in the eighties I was playing wirh my uncles toy cars he still had from the corgi-brand. He had the bat-mobile with the bat-boat, a car from U.N.C.L.E. and two Bondcars, the Jaguar from you only live twice with a computer display sticker behind the seats and a rocket launcher in the trunk and the Goldfinger Aston with all the gimicks, all original from the 60ties from corgi or corgy or what the brand was called.
In the 80ties my Grandma, my mentioned uncles mother, bought me two Bondcars from corgi. The Goldfinger Aston Martin and the Lotus Esprit who could change into a submarine. Also from corgi just from the 80ties. What was interesting was the comparison of the 80ties and the 60ties DB5. They had both exactly the same gimicks, but the 80ties version was a bit bigger, so that bot cars weren't "compatible" gamewise, and it was more silver, while I think the 60ties version had a little bit of golden tint to the colour.
Kerp having fun with Bond and your memories! Greetz from germany!
Yeah, I'm impressed that there was a Lotus dealer in St Louis at all!
I absolutely love the Esprit and don't care at all, AT ALL, about its use in the Bond films. It's an iconic car in its own right. I also don't care that's it's underpowered by exotic car standards. Look at it. Look at it!
indeed, the Mk1, like the Countach were almost literally, out of this world for the time period
unless you are on a racing track, the sports car experience comes primarily from having your bum 1 inch from the road surface - and all that power will probably just make you fishtail into the nearest lamp post
If I owned that Esprit power would never come into play because I'd drive slow so everyone could see me driving one of the coolest cars ever made! Excellent stuff as always Jack 👍
😄😄😁 it’s a great driving car and looks great too!
@@Number27 best of both worlds! Not many cars have those characteristics!
Loved the fact the guy left Dave the car in his will. He must have been impressed with Dave when buying the vehicle from him.
What a lovely story eh?
As the owner of a 1976 white Lotus Elite, this video really touched my heart. Many people mistake it for the Esprit lol. Mine is undergoing the longest and slowest ever restoration but one day I will have it back on the road. Only wish I could fit in the Esprit. Thanks Jack
And I make 3, I have a white 1978 Series 1 Eclat that will be on the road next year *honest*!
The weather has turned now and the garage holds the car, but I can't work on the car in the garage....so the weather has to be good.
Although in my opinion the Goldfinger Aston Martin is hands down the best Bond car ever, this Lotus is incredibly cool. A 160hp engine in a car weighing only 1000kg is not bad at all from a power to weight standpoint, especially in the mid 1970s. Considering the driving dynamics of the chassis and the low center of gravity, this car would be very fun to drive and still quite fast. This is a very desirable car.
My honda civic could beat that car in a race 😮
@@hotwheels1838 Not in a race to get the girls knickers off.
I've always loved the S1 and the purity of design especially in white, can't help but have the Bond theme in my head. Never seen one let alone drive it so thanks Jack for sharing this one. Looks like so much fun.
Yup. I wholly agree. Even the S2.2 in white doesn't quite capture it. Purity is the right word.
My uncle bought a yellow S1 in 1983. He had it for 3 or 4 year's & I can remember him saying that it hardly ever ran properly, but I thought it was the best looking car I'd ever seen. He only took me out in it once (I was 18 at the time) & was so disappointed when he sold it & replaced it with a Ford Capri 2.8 injection!
what a fantastic car and a great story. As a boy growing up and drawing cars, the Lotus Esprit was the car I would draw
Hi Jack, you mentioned that CGI wasn’t available when they filmed the Bond film.
What is really impressive is that the producers have resisted using CGI, preferring to do the stunts for real, old school, which is why they’re always a good watch.
Same with the film Ronin.
Some of the brosnan films had terrible cgi and there's some really obvious green screen work in the Roger Moore films.
Also, just because something looks like it didn't use cgi can just mean it's been done so well you can't tell. Eg Fury Road has loads of cgi...
@@casinowilhelm well I’m just going by what the producers have stated.
Great stuff! I had the pleasure of driving a 1977 S1 Esprit in 1995, an immaculate lime green example belonging to a Lotus collector as well as a gold S2. The S1 (Tartan!) was an absolute joy to drive - comfortable, excellent ride and sublime handling. In truth they competed with the 165 bhp 911's, Lancia Monte Carlo etc. I worked at a Lotus dealer at the time and preferred the n/a S3 2.2 over all of them. The Cortina is a 2.3 Ghia Taunus, the European market version. 108 bhp and fairly brisk - a bit over nine seconds to sixty, 110 all out.
I havva picture of a Lotus Esprit S2 in Orange bodypanels
The multiple shells to do each effect (one for the wheels folding in, one for the fairings filling the wheel arch, one for the hydrofoils extending through the fairings filling the arches, etc) were built by Perry Oceanographics in Florida. Another interesting note: the camera car for all the motion shots was owned by Colin Chapman (Chairman of Lotus at the time) because it was the only car, that was also available, that could keep up. Thank you for posting this great video!!!!!!
Edit: That bit about the technician doing the driving was absolutely true. Story has it that the tech was preparing/testing the car for the days filming and Broccoli (Saltzman was out if the picture by this time) saw the guy hot-rodding it up the roads and was impressed. When the guy got back, Broccoli purportedly said “Could you do that again, but this time we’ll have the cameras rolling.”
A few glaring slips this time Jack. It was Roger Becker, a very highly respected man, who’s son Matt went on to inherit the driving skills and after Lotus joined Aston Martin. Both remarkable development engineers. And aLotus Cortina was an entirely different machine to the lowly mark 4 used in the film.
Yes I know on the Lotus Corina.. I knew full well it was a boggo Ford (as evidenced later when I talk about the v6 engine version and power) but I often mix up words. Could be old age or just general idiocy.
I recognise that road from 'Harry's Garage'!?
Years ago when I was in the MS National Guard, we were at annual training at Camp Shelby and I had to take a helicopter to check out some remote locations. My NG pilot had actually flow the helicopter that chased James Bond on one of the movies.
The Lotus submarine was not built in California, it was built in Florida by a company called Perry Oceanographics in Riviera Beach. It was basically a wet sub (SDV). The car body was free flooding. It was driven by a diver ( a difficult task). The components for the sub came from an SDV called the Shark Hunter.
Love the video and what a brilliant story about the generosity of the owner, well done for telling. These Esprits spent too long out of fashion so good to see them getting coverage.
My company bought one of the Turbo Esprit versions of these cars and managers were allowed to use it on the weekends, I can tell you it was the fastest thing on four wheels and on the M4 from a standing start it went straight up to 135 no problem. Bearing in mind most cars of the time struggled to achieve 100!
There was a tie up with Vauxhall and Lotus when developing the engine, to the point that the first season Vauxhall Chevette ran in rallying, it ran a Lotus engine, until someone at the FIA said NO , there after the Chevette ran a Vauxhall motor.
There was even a CF van used to with a twin cam Lotus head used to develop the head ....
Prototype was based on Vauxhall block but Lotus went on to develop their own Aluminium block.
There was the Lotus 906 then 907 Engine used in Esprit.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_900_series
I still think it’s up there with some of the most iconic movie cars of all time great video Jack
All out speed wasn’t the point of the Esprit, or any other Lotus. The point of any Lotus is handling that is beyond compare, and a driver/car connection that is magical. I’ve owned a 1979 and a 1987 Esprit, and despite the usual Lotus problems, nothing compares to experience behind the wheel, and high speed stability is excellent. Even if they weren’t running at the moment, I’d still pull up a chair and just stare at it because they were so beautiful.
Great comment about pulling up a chair...yep id totally agree🤣👍
They kept that image for so fucking long it's astonishing
A White S1 Esprit has to be on the Bucket List. Not just a fine handling and rorty, travelling slowly through a town, shades on and occasionally seeing a reflection of the car would make a very special drive!!!!
The owner leaving the car to a previous owner that loved the car too is epic stuff.
This is the best video I've seen that you've made. The way you saved the personal story until the end was moving.
Thank you.. that’s really lovely to hear!
Probably one of my utmost favorite cars to have existed . Thanks for the video mate . Cheers.
Who cares, it the coolest Bond car ever 😂
My dream car 😆 then having a woman in your dreams
And for that matter the coolest Corgi Bond Car too!
One of the best Bond movies of all time. Very cool video. Thx for doing it 🫶🏻
Just no - and complete and utter no.
I got a hot wheels model of this beast from the dark ages 😂
The S1 & S2 Esprits had compromised rear suspension. The drive shafts were load bearing and there were a lot of NVH issues as a result. Poor rust protection also meant that the backbone Chassis tended to rot (previous Lotus had the same issue) . I owned a 1984 NA Esprit S3, which had the (galvanised) chassis from the Turbo and resolved all the earlier issues. It had the looks of the first car but the better build quality and reliability of the later models. It was absolutely brilliant and I ran it for years as my daily driver without any issues. Personally, I loved the Citroen SM gearbox
I trained for Fedex known as Federal express in the 80's. The training was at the Old Bell , Stansted Mountfitchet Essex.
On the walls were lots of interesting things including the very original steering wheel from that Bond Lotus. The owner at the time had an Esprit in the car park, he told me he got it from Daley Thompson.
The runner, wow, nice story.
Development over the lifetime of the Esprit was amazing. I drove one of the five race prepped X180Rs and it was incredible.
Damn, he got it left in his will and it came home. Love it! 😍
The Lotus Esprit was my dream car as a kid. I still get butterflies in my stomach when i see one today...such a beautiful streamlined piece of machine. 😍
Ditto! I can vividly recall drawing Lotus Esprit side profiles in the back of my exercise book at Junior school circa 1981! lol I was obsessed with the Esprit styling and I remain an ardent fan.
Lovely story and great car. Made such an impression as a kid in the film. Always loved them, even all the velour!
Such a pure shape. Shame they kept diluting it with every subsequent iteration. I have been obsessed with this car since I saw it on the cover of a classic car mag back in 2000, and as I write this I've got a Corgi model of Paul Murray's last ever S1 produced on my desk, next to one I made myself out of an A4 sheet of paper. There's a restomodded S2 out there with the normally aspirated engine pushed from 160 bhp to well over 200 bhp, making it quicker than the turbo Giugiaro cars. I gather electronic ignition helps make underpowered 70s and 80s cars like this one and the 308 finally feel quick, even in a modern context. Just imagine a Monaco White S1 on slot mags but with upgraded brakes, a/c, door seals and cooling fans, and the type 907 engine kicking out enough power to see off a Honda NSX... Sounds like perfection to me!
Great story. I've never owned a Lotus but if I did decide to get one, a car like this would be my choice. I love the lines, and I'm more into handling than power these days. Fun show, thank you.
This has neither handling nor power. And an interior you have to close your eyes with. It just showed the complete bollocks the 70s British car industry had become and why there really is no British car industry anymore.
30 seconds after coming out of salt water, a british car of that vintage would have turned to dust if it wasn't a lotus with a fibreglass body LOL
Dust? - it's never that dry in England. Soggy Weetabix is the consistency 🙂
🤣🤣👍
Thanks for another iconic car Jack! 🙏🙏
Cheers Jack. The Spy Who Loved Me is one of my favourite 007 films and the first I remember, coming out when I was 7. A few years later in the early 80's, I remember a comparison test in CAR Magazine that pitched the then newly launched Esprit Turbo against a 308 and they preferred the Lotus. In fairness, I think it was one of the early injected 308's which I understand are a bit gutless compared to the carb 308 like Jacks and the subsequent QV so the Esprit Turbo would have been much quicker.
Very few things more pleasurable than finding a new channel you love and bingeing videos for daaaaays.
Great video Jack, really interesting to hear how they made the film. Amazing story at the end too!
The biggest engine in the Cortina of that era was a 2 litre.... Also what Jack didn't mention was, the Esprit was designed for downforce. Which kept it on the seabed, hence the rudders were added to keep it going through the water and off the seabed.
Actually, there was a 108hp 2.3 litre V6 version available as well. Ford Taunus already had it for the Mk3 but the Cortina did not get it until the Mk4 version.
@@dontommaso2760 My apologies, you are very correct
@@nicholasknight9360 No worries - I had the opportunity to drive one many years ago and it was a bit more responsive than my 2 litre version but it would never have caught the Lotus...especially not on those winding roads...
Still my personal favorite Lotus auto of all time and my top 3 foreign car I would love to own. Excellent video, Jack. Keep up the good work on your vids!!
Lovely thing! - Seventies-tastic interior is great: The manic all-over the place speedo might well be just a kinked or dry drive cable but it's perfectly in character.
Interior is an utter eyesore.
@@ngc-fo5te True but that,s how they designed them back then
Thinking about it: this car fits the Roger Moore Bond like a glove. This car is elegant and charming with a light touch. Just like Roger Moore as Bond.
Not like the more heavy-handed sort of Bond. Like Sean Connery or Daniel Craig. A big proper Bentley or a brutish Aston is more suitable for that sort of Bond.
Thankyou Jack. A fabulous review and I enjoyed the references to the Bond movie. Using a Lotus was always a risk after the Aston Martin cars but its exotic looks and story line overcame that prejudice but we must remember that this was still a fast, exciting car in the late1970s.
Glad you enjoyed Mark, thanks!!
@@Number27 was the turbo version the lotus in prettywoman that r. gere couldn’t drive a stick shift. That was a cool car and colour
Love your reviews! Great to see you the Esprit covered so well, and a view of the drive. And a lovely background story about the owners - Thanks Jack.
Thanks chap!!!
FYI - As the missile was launched from underwater, technically it was a SLAM (Submarine Launched Air Missile), not a SAM (Surface to Air Missile).
Remember, back in '76 this was such a fresh/different car from the boxes on wheels that were on the roads at the time... and it was British made! About the same time the Rover Sd1 was launched and a similar feeling of excitement and heralding a new and cutting edge design available to the motoring public.
Yep another beauty the SD1 is👍
@@jamesgallagher1992 Yup along with the Dolomite sprint/the Austin princess
I was 6 years old when my dad took me to see Spy Who Loved Me. I fell in love with the Esprit on that day and I’m now 51 and always promised myself a pre-1987 facelift Esprit. I’m not sure whether I want one in case it shatters my dreams. It’s absolutely stunning design has never left me and perhaps I’ll get to drive one one day and that will make or break the dream for me. Great video! Note: I believe the underwater cars were built by Perry Submarines for the movie.
Over the last 50 years I have had 3 S2 Europas and 2 Esprits, 77 S1 and 87 Turbo which I still have. The Europa was a better handling car the Esprit more of a GT car but still handled well. I love them both.
Its really one of the all time greatest automobile designs. Its just so cool. Captures a time of my car loving youth that brings a smile.
Great video. That film is one of my favourites - best plot, best Bond girl, best car and best theme tune (in my opinion only of course!) But who wouldn't love hurtling along the roads with Barbara Bach next to them? Love the story about that particular car and even though that model isn't that fast I would love to own one.
Very nice car. The chocolate interior has really grown on me over the course of this video. Looking forward to the next car video. Keep up the good work.
Another British marvel from Lotus.
There is another cool chap from UK restoring his MK2; It shows how well this car has been thought, designed.
Thanks for this nice review.
I agree it is a worthy Bond car. The styling alone is so good. Slower than a van? Well a Transit is a shed on wheels so a lot of wind resistance there if you take a standard van and no engine mods, nothing against Transits before someone chimes in! It does restore your faith in humanity when you hear a lovely story like that. I bet the chap was quite moved, I think I would have been. Thanks for the video Jack.👍👍
Slower than a van? Well, if Sabine Schmitz is driving the van...
The buyer who left the original owner the car in his will was such a sweet story omg
Spy Who Loved Me was the 1st Bond movie I saw - no Betamax yet. So the Esprit will always be the 1st Bond car for me. The big question mark is the Z3.
A favourite, though I prefer the S2. White was always a great colour for all versions. Looking forward to Europa, someone used to drive a JPS liveried example past me on my way to school, the tease
uplifting story thanks for sharing. My dad worked in the motor trade and once brought home an s2 Esprit in yellow. loved it ( I was about 9 years old . Remember my dad saying you've have a job getting this to skid ! unlike the old 5 series bmw he'd also recently brought home !! I love the S3 you had , I don't know how you parted wit that beauty.
Such an iconic shape, as a child of the 80s that was the shape that we all drew as a generic "supercar"
Super vid, Jack. Love that car - the one Lotus I'm still waiting to own. Likely to stay that way! The S1 performance is always secondary, simply because it's an icon. You may have made some comparison with the S1 Elise?
What a beautiful end to the story in this video.
Hi there! Very easy to "BOND" with that car! Love it!
I fell in love with this car the first time I saw it in The Spy Who Lived me and it’s been my favourite car ever since.
It’s just beautiful.
One of my favorite Bond movies. Thank you for the great background stories of the Lotus Esprit.
As a youngster,we passed the Lotus garage on our way to our holidays.Always seeing an Esprit was amazing😍
Bond car crossover content is always appreciated, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was Roger Becker, sadly no longer with us but his son has become an excellent development driver.
Great car and a true icon. Looking fwd to the Europa video as I own one of those. An S1 to be precise.
Ah Great, fab cars those! Thanks for watching Sylvia!
Crazy to see that car on your channel. In 2020 I saw that exact car at a car meet and met the person who owns it and he told me the same story about selling it but getting it back. It’s nice to see it in better condition now as it was waiting on some work to be done.
Hey!! Great to hear you’ve seen it in person.. thanks for watching!
Great story and a great car! Thanks for the entertaining video Jack!
I always loved these cars I almost got a white S1 in 93 but ended up getting an AM V8 still Bond!
But have come full circle and now have a 160 Elise!
I almost bought one of the 3 (or more) Esprits used in the film. I was working with a band who were doing full production rehearsals at Pinewood Studios just after the filming of The Spy Who loved me.
Outside our studio was the Esprit used for internal shots covered with a tarp.
I needed a new hobby project and this was perfect.
Interior was complete, all electrics and glass present, chassis present but no running gear, suspension/engine or transmission.
I could have made an offer, a low one at the time, but decided not to when i discovered the gbox was from a Citroen Maserati.....that put me off.
That massive film stage with the huge fake subs and rather nice boats and yachts strewn about was still as they'd left it.
(Oops imay have posted this comment b4😅)
👍✌️🇬🇧
As the owner of an S1 it's nice to see all the positive comments
Amazing video, love the story at the end, what a cool guy to pass it back to the original owner.
Amazing to think Lotus still lives !
The one non-original item I noticed on the car is the three spoke steering wheel. Both the S1 and S2 had a two spoke steering wheel.
OMG the Cyber truck influenced by Giorgetto Giugiaro, thanks so much for the insight.
Thank you for making such interesting videos.
Your work is world class.
So nice of you, thanks!
You should do a slow driveby dropping a small fish out of the window. 😂
😄😄😄😄😄😄
Love that LOTUS! Now I’ll have to go watch that BOND move again.
OMG I remember watching that Bond movie and fell totally in love with this Lotus. Will always have a place in my heart for this car.
i had one. lotus mechanic improve the twin cam with a racing head. I did 0-6- in 5 sec & 140mph before i took my foot off the gas. kick down was impressive for overtaking. Grip was unbeleivable. Loved that car.
They attached an ordinary broom under the car when it came out of the water to cover up where the buried towing cable was leaving a mark in the sand!!!
Also I notice the rev counter on that Series One you have borrowed from David is bouncing around well !!!!
Fun fact: When the lotus is coming out of the sea, we see a shot of a small boy, that boy is Richard Kiel's son, the man who played the villain, Jaws.
I used to know British Leyland's "Mr Turbo". He was rented out to Lotus to do the Esprit Turbo. It wasn't ready in time for the film, but he & his other half got tickets for the premiere. 😀
Absolutely love the esprit and would love one if I could afford one and I to would keep it standard but it is a shame they never put a more powerful engine in it still its a beautiful-looking car and I love them.
I owned a 77 esprit and it was amazing, I also had an elite and eklat 77 as well, amazing cars and I wouldn’t compare them with anything else 👏👏👏👏
The Series 1 used GM Opel Ascona/ Vauxhall Cavalier Rear drive Independent Front Suspension uprights. Lotus and DMC them eventually shared the revised IFS and IRS chassis, built for mass production from the later Eclat/ Elite upright...which were able to use Ford based hubs. The offsets front to rear are hugely offset in Series 1, and that's what gives the car it's Europa Sprint style pin- sharp steering. Like William Lyons, who used Standard tooling to produce the iron SS100 and later XK engine blocks, Colin Chapman was a master of reusing OPPs...Other Producer's Part's. The alloy 907 Slant 4 Twin Cam shares the Vauxhall iron slant Fours bore spacings.
Really interesting, thanks!
The Vauxhall engine bottom end was used when developing the heads. Apparently they had 3 Vivas fitted with the Vauxhall engine with the Lotus heads for development work.
@@katywalker8322 👍. This is why the Twin Cam 2300 HS and HSR Vauxhall Chevette compliance via the FIA from 77 to 79 was so complicated. The Lotus 16 valve cylinder heads fit on the stock 2300 Bedford Victor Magnum iron cylinder block head studs.
@@deanstevenson6527 , my father gave a test driver a lift from Hethel in the 1970s. He mentioned the 3 Vivas, which apparently they took to Vauxhall every week (Vauxhall wanted to see how the engines coped with the extra power). Apparently they would have fun with conventional fast cars on the journey - letting the get ahead and then catching up and flying past as a group!
The Bond car that beats this is the Goldfinger Aston.
Someone who nearly became my father-in-law bought one of these on their launch, he was a Lotus fan, however, he sold on a 246 Dino to make the new purchase! First mistake. I could understand his admiration for the Lotus, it looked the business for '76, the build quality was however atrocious, I took several photos of the shuts, ill-fitting leaky seals etc for claims against the manufacturer. Don't think it was ever resolved. He liked it so much though; and always said it was easy to drive over a long distance, unlike the Dino. He bought the revised JPS limited edition later. It was like most Lotus cars, after a few years use they look worn out. My comment was always the same. It will never be a Dino.
Used to be one down Spring Road when I was a kid... We used to believe that it was the exact car from Bond... It was identical. But likely not an actual movie car. So so cool though.
One of my dream garage
One of my favorite cars to look at… so beautiful! On several occasions I looked at buying a used one… but so far it has not happened… but I have not given up hope…
I loved this video. As a huge Bond fan I remember going to the cinema in 1977 to see the movie and was so excited to see the Lotus in action and just as excited to get the Corgi model (which I still have - in a tatty box). Too young at the time to drive I really wanted to drive one, still do! I have owned a variety of car since and miss the ‘analogue’ driving experience of older cars, that connected feeling. What a fabulous story of ownership as well. Thank you 🙂
In Australia, those Cortinas topped out with a 4.1 liter straight-6. Terminal understeer to make twisty roads extra exciting, but loads of torque and very quick in a straight line.
Great vid, my favourite bond car of all time.... such a heart warming story on how the car found it's way back to the owner too.
It will always be 'Wet Nellie' to me as it was nicknamed by the filming crew! Two things of note on the film version: 1st, the missile came from the boot, not from roof as you point out (although a periscope of sorts did emerge from the roof during the underwater conversion) and 2nd, during one of the underwater turns, the opposite rear indicator was blinking. Also, when the 'vehicle' hit the seabed, the driver's door briefly opened. That would explain the fish that dropped out of the window when it emerged from the water onto the beach!😅
I had an S4S back late 90's - I loved it but it jesus it was a handful - I totally get the - enough power - light - well set up handling. Love it!
Hi Jack, if you looked more carefully you would see the missile coming out of the Black rear window not the white roof , just saying .
I love how that chap left it to him, what a lovely thing to do.