At $59,500, Is This 1997 Lotus Esprit V8 A Legendary Deal?

According to its ad, today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Esprit has 24,000 miles connected nan timepiece and already 1 motor rebuild nether its belt. That mightiness not bode good for early longevity, but we'll still person to determine if its value makes it a short-term bargain.

Several years ago—pre-pandemic, successful fact—I was tasked to judge nan Jaguar people astatine nan Dana Point Concours. Over lunch, 1 of my co-judges explained to maine that he had gotten into Jags aft nan marketplace for his erstwhile passion, Ford Model As, had bottomed out. He was (and remains) a bully spot older than I, and explained that nan logic for nan driblet successful liking was that group who had grown up pinch nan cars were now dying disconnected and nan younger spate of enthusiasts lacked that connection. That was an epiphany infinitesimal for maine arsenic I abruptly realized nan generational quality of car collecting.

Such a thought could power nan determination regarding nan 1960 Imperial Crown Southampton coupe we looked at last Friday, and its $23,500 value tag. How galore of america grew up astir royal cars for illustration that Imperial? I know, I didn't. Regardless of age, we each seemed to admit nan monolithic Mopar astatine that asking price, giving it a coagulated 65% Nice Price win.

When you see nan longest-lived car aliases motortruck model, immoderate simply look evergreen. Chevrolet offers 2 of these: nan Corvette, which has been astir since 1953, and nan Suburban, which has been a nameplate for nan Bowtie Brand for an astounding ninety years. The 1 caveat to those statistic is that neither nan Corvette nor nan Suburban has remained nan aforesaid complete those years. Aside from nan nameplate and nan type of group who bargain them, each has undergone important changes crossed aggregate models.

While not arsenic long-lived arsenic either Chevy, nan Lotus Esprit is notable for its quarter-century accumulation run, as, moreover though it was massaged and modified complete that time, it remained substantially nan aforesaid car throughout. This 1997 Lotus Esprit twin-turbo V8 was built conscionable 5 years earlier nan model's demise and could beryllium considered nan eventual look of nan line. This is besides 1 of nan past cars sold successful nan U.S. to person pop-up headlamps, adding to nan aura of it being a vestige of a past era.

For nan longest time, Lotus sold roadworthy cars arsenic a intends to money its racing endeavors. Another measurement nan institution generated rate was done nan waste of engineering services to different carmakers. Lotus' engineering chops are legendary, but that didn't quell nan astonishment successful nan mid-1990s that nan mini cottage car shaper had developed its ain V8 motor and was dropping it into nan formerly four-cylinder-only Esprit.

The mid-engine Esprit was nan only exemplary to transportation nan V8, and erstwhile it went retired of production, truthful excessively did nan mill.

An all-alloy over-square creation built for precocious revs, nan 3505 cc motor featured a flat-plane crank and 1 turbocharger per bank. While tin of hitting 500 horsepower, concerns astir nan lifespan of nan Esprit's Renault-sourced five-speed manual gearbox led Lotus to detune nan motor to 350 horsepower.

According to nan ad, this car has 24,000 miles connected nan timepiece and has a rebuild of some nan motor and nan turbos successful nan books conscionable 500 miles back. The rebuild is claimed to beryllium "full performance" and nan activity is said to beryllium thoroughly documented.

A peek nether nan motor screen reveals everything to beryllium successful place, pinch thing retired of bid aliases different alarming. The remainder of nan car appears likewise cleanable and original, pinch immoderate exceptions. The seller claims nan car to beryllium successful fantabulous style and to "need nothing," though nan front-quarter image successful nan advertisement shows a scrape on nan area of nan bumper, and location is immoderate gouging connected nan rim of nan 1 instrumentality shown, apt caused by a ham-fisted tyre mounter. Those tires, by nan way, are Michelins, truthful location was nary cheaping retired there.

Another point to statement while we're connected nan extracurricular is nan rear panel. That has a quartet of information tail lamps—the aforesaid ones utilized connected nan later Lotus Elise. That creation came connected nan 2002 and later Esprits and has been added here. Originally, this car would person had a sheet that integrated tail lamps from nan Toyota AE86 Corolla liftback.

Inside, nan compartment is awash successful biscuit-died leather and cramped quarters. A Momo steering instrumentality pinch a Lotus halfway has been fitted on pinch a GReddy Profec boost power connected nan dash. Everything other appears to beryllium banal and successful acceptable condition, albeit a hodgepodge of parts from different carmakers.

A cleanable title ties nan front connected this Esprit's wrapping, and that brings america to our coming task of determining whether aliases not this Esprit V8 is worthy nan $59,500 nan seller asks for its sale. They do statement nan car's rarity successful nan ad, and that's meticulous arsenic this is 1 of only 1,237 non-GT V8s built. Does that make it desirable, however? It's existent that much of america person grown up during nan Esprit's reign than person done truthful nether that of past Friday's Imperial, truthful nan entreaty is apt greater.

What do you say? Is this Esprit V8 worthy $59,900 arsenic it's presented successful its ad? Or does that value person you refusing to presume nan Lotus position?

You decide!

Nice Price aliases No Dice:

Denver, Colorado, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

H/T to Jerry Cleveland for nan hookup!

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