MG METRO TURBO
Catch me if you can
LOTUS ESPRIT V8
The time machine
YEAR: 1999
Simple like a car drawn by a child, performing like one of the greatest GT, Lotus Esprit was born at the beginning of the ’70s from the pencil of Giorgetto Giugiaro and is one of the most long-lived supercars in history. Having undergone only one restyling, it has otherwise remained unchanged throughout four decades, charting a timeline between sports cars made before and after its arrival on the market. Made to UK standards but Italian in soul—this coupé with its rear mid-engine has starred for decades in many people’s dreams, teenagers’ posters, magazines, and repeatedly appeared in films, even as a main character.
The version housed in Passione Classica’s garage, equipped with the twin-turbo V8, represents the peak of an extraordinary career.
Historical background
A 28-year-old moving with the times
It was the year 1971 when Giorgetto Gugiaro and Colin Chapman met at the Geneva International Motor Show. The latter commissioned the Italian designer to draft a sports car mirroring the styles in vogue at the current time. Giugiaro, father of the square lines style (see Volkswagen Cheetah), accepted and prepared the first silver-coloured prototype, called the “Silver Car” concept, in time for the 1972 Turin Motor Show.
The car presented was a wonderful GT inspired by the lines of the Boomerang that Giugiaro was studying for Maserati in those years. The Silver Car was also already ready for production, thus sparing Lotus the expensive process of adapting it for homologation—and so, Chapman gave the green light for production. Soon, a team of technicians from the English company moved to the Italdesign offices in Turin where they stayed for almost two years.
It is worth noting the bodywork that aimed at combining a new vacuum-assisted resin injection technology—which Lotus learnt from a shipyard recently taken over by Chapman (brilliant!)—and fulfilling the construction needs for homologation. Orders opened at the end of 1975 and shipments were carried out between July and August 1976.
Since then, there have been about 25 interpretations of the same model, between trims and special series, but the main Esprit families are still two: the “Giugiaro” of the early days and the “Stevens” (project code: X180), created by English designer Peter Stevens in 1987. Actually, the latter was merely a facelift to keep the car up-to-date. However, if the paternity of this masterpiece is to be attributed to the Italian genius, it is only right to recognise Steven’s ability to intervene in a virtually flawless work without warping its soul, or better to say, its spirit.
The engine was constantly updated as well. It started with a 160 hp, naturally aspirated I4 and, in almost twenty years of special trims (HC, Turbo SE, S4 to mention a few), the Esprit V8 was born in 1996, equipped with a 3.5 L twin-turbo engine. What had already reached stylistic perfection in 1995 with the S4S obtained a 354 hp engine. The pinnacle of a project that, after a few months of stalling on the market, was brought back as a niche alternative to Italian and German cars, without losing its nature of fun and agile car.
Following a weak attempt at facelifting in 2001, through hideous Lotus Elise-style tail lights, Esprit went out of production in 2004. Together with the Corvette C5, it was one of the last cars to be produced with the fantastic retractable pop-up headlights.
Technical specifications
- BODY STYLE: Coupé
- SEATS: 2
- LENGTH: 437 cm
- WIDTH: 188 cm
- HEIGHT: 115 cm
- WEIGHT: 1,380 kg
- ENGINE: Lotus twin-turbo V8
- DISPLACEMENT: 3,506 cc
- POWER OUTPUT: 354 hp
- FUEL TYPE: Petrol
- DRIVETRAIN: RWD
- TRANSMISSION: Manual
- SPEED: 282 km/h
Driving experience – Watch your speed
…And maybe it is the magic of the pop-up lights that betrays its age. To an untrained eye, the Esprit might seem like a modern car. In truth, this V8 SE from the late 1990s intensely reflects the stylistic trends of the time in its details, such as the rear spoiler painted to match the body, and the semi-reclining driving position, with the elevated gear lever, that sacrifices visibility to the benefit of a sporty aesthetic. The seats are very close to the ground, but the interior is quite spacious and can accommodate bigger people without any issues. In any case, visibility, especially rearwards, is almost non-existent, and the focus is entirely on performance with an attention to the driving experience. I will say it again, the Esprit is a GT: it was not developed to merely set the fastest time, but to let you enjoy long drives with a smile on your lips. Its strong suit is on the motorway and high-speed driving in general, where it is possible to appreciate the Lotus DNA in the form of its great manoeuvrability and really well-engineered weight distribution on the two axles.
The engine, manufactured by Lotus entirely in light alloy, weighs less than 200 kg and has 400 N m of torque, and can reach 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds (in the ’90s…!)—one tenth slower than a Ferrari 355 (but faster in the pickup), faster than a Porsche Carrera and a Maserati 3200 GT. All without a traction control system, which is good to remember if you push too soon when exiting a curve: there is always the risk of getting carried away by the way this twin-turbo V8 performs. The top speed (stated and certified) is 280 km/h: to the driver, the burden of respecting the laws of physics. Otherwise, driving an Esprit is a wonderful experience even within the speed limits, maybe with the roof slightly open or completely removed, to fully enjoy the raspy sound of the V8 in complete comfort.
The SE also distinguishes itself due to some improvements made in the interiors (dashboard and console included) making it more ergonomic and pleasant-looking than the previous series. Whilst driving it will give you great satisfaction, as only a Lotus can do, no doubt when the time comes to store it in your garage you will be left breathless at the sight of it. Like the first time all over again.
Certified SE – Passione Classica’s Lotus Esprit V8
True collectors know the documents and certificates of a historical car are as important as the condition of the car itself. This Esprit is a clear example. It carries all the Italian documents—its historical relevance is already recorded in the vehicle registration certificate, for car tax and insurance reductions—the operation and maintenance manual, the invoices of all mechanical works, and the exhaustive Lotus Heritage Certificate.
The car, as they say, “matches number and colour,” which means manufacturing data fully corresponds to the current state of the vehicle. This is the only Esprit in New Aluminium Dupont (code B35) with left-hand drive of all 1999, out of only 10 units produced for the European market. As mentioned before, light grey has a particular value for the Esprit because it is reminiscent of the Silver Concept prototype’s colour. An additional detail that sets this specimen apart is the Jaguar Grey interior finish, made upon special request at the time of order.
Bought from a Belgian collection, Passione Classica’s Lotus Esprit V8 is in excellent shape, even the underbody. One of the most beautiful cars in history, and one of the most significant investments when it comes to supercars. I am convinced Lotus was forgotten by collectors for many years due to its past alternating between international success and darker periods, constantly swinging between bankruptcy and bespoke production. However, its hometown is now finally ready for a rebirth worthy of its name: a true resurrection.
The Chinese Geely (see: Volvo) took over the British company a few years ago and has publicly stated its intentions, showing a packed agenda that in the following years will see numerous models come to life. This phenomenon, started by the Emira Coupé, will inevitably raise the fortunes of every Lotus, especially the queen Esprit: one of the most beautiful and relevant supercars in automotive history. It embodies a historical heritage, an award-winning racing past, and several protagonist roles both in films and videogames, from 1976 to 2004. This Lotus is not only historical, it is a true time machine.
Driving experience – Watch your speed
…And maybe it is the magic of the pop-up lights that betrays its age. To an untrained eye, the Esprit might seem like a modern car. In truth, this V8 SE from the late 1990s intensely reflects the stylistic trends of the time in its details, such as the rear spoiler painted to match the body, and the semi-reclining driving position, with the elevated gear lever, that sacrifices visibility to the benefit of a sporty aesthetic. The seats are very close to the ground, but the interior is quite spacious and can accommodate bigger people without any issues. In any case, visibility, especially rearwards, is almost non-existent, and the focus is entirely on performance with an attention to the driving experience. I will say it again, the Esprit is a GT: it was not developed to merely set the fastest time, but to let you enjoy long drives with a smile on your lips. Its strong suit is on the motorway and high-speed driving in general, where it is possible to appreciate the Lotus DNA in the form of its great manoeuvrability and really well-engineered weight distribution on the two axles.
The engine, manufactured by Lotus entirely in light alloy, weighs less than 200 kg and has 400 N m of torque, and can reach 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds (in the ’90s…!)—one tenth slower than a Ferrari 355 (but faster in the pickup), faster than a Porsche Carrera and a Maserati 3200 GT. All without a traction control system, which is good to remember if you push too soon when exiting a curve: there is always the risk of getting carried away by the way this twin-turbo V8 performs. The top speed (stated and certified) is 280 km/h: to the driver, the burden of respecting the laws of physics. Otherwise, driving an Esprit is a wonderful experience even within the speed limits, maybe with the roof slightly open or completely removed, to fully enjoy the raspy sound of the V8 in complete comfort.
The SE also distinguishes itself due to some improvements made in the interiors (dashboard and console included) making it more ergonomic and pleasant-looking than the previous series. Whilst driving it will give you great satisfaction, as only a Lotus can do, no doubt when the time comes to store it in your garage you will be left breathless at the sight of it. Like the first time all over again.
Certified SE – Passione Classica’s Lotus Esprit V8
True collectors know the documents and certificates of a historical car are as important as the condition of the car itself. This Esprit is a clear example. It carries all the Italian documents—its historical relevance is already recorded in the vehicle registration certificate, for car tax and insurance reductions—the operation and maintenance manual, the invoices of all mechanical works, and the exhaustive Lotus Heritage Certificate.
The car, as they say, “matches number and colour,” which means manufacturing data fully corresponds to the current state of the vehicle. This is the only Esprit in New Aluminium Dupont (code B35) with left-hand drive of all 1999, out of only 10 units produced for the European market. As mentioned before, light grey has a particular value for the Esprit because it is reminiscent of the Silver Concept prototype’s colour. An additional detail that sets this specimen apart is the Jaguar Grey interior finish, made upon special request at the time of order.
Bought from a Belgian collection, Passione Classica’s Lotus Esprit V8 is in excellent shape, even the underbody. One of the most beautiful cars in history, and one of the most significant investments when it comes to supercars. I am convinced Lotus was forgotten by collectors for many years due to its past alternating between international success and darker periods, constantly swinging between bankruptcy and bespoke production. However, its hometown is now finally ready for a rebirth worthy of its name: a true resurrection.
The Chinese Geely (see: Volvo) took over the British company a few years ago and has publicly stated its intentions, showing a packed agenda that in the following years will see numerous models come to life. This phenomenon, started by the Emira Coupé, will inevitably raise the fortunes of every Lotus, especially the queen Esprit: one of the most beautiful and relevant supercars in automotive history. It embodies a historical heritage, an award-winning racing past, and several protagonist roles both in films and videogames, from 1976 to 2004. This Lotus is not only historical, it is a true time machine.
Price
€ 85,000.00
The cars in my garage
