A Crazy Choice Stopped This Being The Greatest Supercar Of The 90s - Lotus Esprit V8
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- Опубліковано 11 гру 2022
- The Esprit was always on of the best handling mid engine sport cars out but for a long time the four cylinder engine prevented it from being a serious competitor to Ferraris and Lamborghinis. So Lotus built a V8 version which should have been by far the most powerful in its class.. but Lotus' design had a major flaw that prevented this Esprit from taking its rightful place as one of the 90s most revolutionary cars..
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8 - Авто та транспорт
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I owned both a F355 and Esprit and worked for both Ferrari and Lotus in Aero. The Esprit V8 is quicker and handles better.
This particular Esprit is stunning. I've always loved these cars, but I'm especially drawn to this one.
That color is fantastically beautiful.
Any non "safe" colour looks great IMO.
Too many grey white & black cars about.
Who on earth would buy a car the same colour as Tarmac???!
I have 90 esprit se does the coolant resivoir has an overflow drain tube
A decade ago, there were a couple of third-party gearbox upgrades to access the full 500 HP. It would be interesting to see a review of one of those cars.
I've read of people putting a Boxster gearbox on it and then upping it to 500+bhp. Sounded like it was epic.
@@ChristianRThomas A Boxster box, I'm surprised it would handle 500+, why not a 911?
@@davidpeters6536... Because the 911 is rear engined but the Boxter is mid-mounted.
@@howardmckenna Correct. The Porsche Boxster box is the same as a 2wd Audi box, tho ' variations exist to make life difficult for those doing swaps.
Jeff of YT channel 'Homebuilt by Jeff' put an Audi V8 from a 4wd car in his Boxster and retained the Boxster's box
They should have used the Tremec T5 manual like TVR. They handle 5L supercharged version of that engine. The trouble the TVR's were their ladder chassis & out riggers. It will still cost you £20-25K for a 20 year Old Chimera. The 500 Griffith will set you £30K+ for a Good one.
a stroke of genius, illustrating the g forces with those carefully positioned water bottles. Beautiful car.
I learnt years ago when building engines, silicon should be nowhere near gaskets that could contaminate oils, I never use it for sumps or rocker covers, in fact I seldom use it at all, I still use a shellac sealant for water pumps, I am a big fan of Hylomar Blue sealant on cork gaskets for sumps, even on rubber rocker covers, it stays tacky, main key for me is for keeping the gasket in place as you install it plus adds a sealant.
Used blue hylomar since the 70s ,borrowed from the R.E.M.E at Scarborough Barracks Doncaster 🤣🙏💯🇬🇧
Yes I agree, caution where you put silicon, Hylomar is great!
I'm surprised the customer had to pay for the repair, especially since the work was done by a dealership.
Brings back fond memories. I was an engineering placement student at lotus powertrain when they had just launched that product. Tremendous job by the tiny engineering team to design, develop and launch that engine on such a shoe string of a budget. It was at a very busy time in lotus powertrain. The consultancy business was flat out working on a range of projects for GM globally and Opel in Europe. One in particular was a huge project that had virtually everyone in powertrain working on it alongside engineers and managers from GMPT & GME. I learned a huge amount from that year.
Nick The Engineer -- surely you can share what the "huge project' was back in the day... I worked in telecomm and can say stuff like that with the way that technology has developed and launched over the past couple of decades.
TELL ME WHAT THE THING IS SO I DON'T HAVE TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO. Video man get to the point.
*** Edit... Ok. Getting the gearbox wouldn't make a difference since supercars are all about brand name deception to fool the masses. Ferraris and Lambos have done this for ages. Bad quality, zero reliability, perfect for your typical millionaire without a clue, who is only chasing after something that is shiny and has a badge to show his status to his mates and those below him. Lotus knew this which is why they didn't bother.
@Spectacular Spectacular This is not the *Elise*. That is a completely different model.
In Australia here we LOVE Lotus. Only the local red 1982 Lamborghini Countach S gets as many gawkers as the blue metallic Exige. In tiny Newcastle NSW Australia.
I've been studying lotus lately. I will have the new eletre but what would u say is your fav 80s and 90s version and why if u don't mind me asking
One of the most beautiful cars ever made!
What a great example of a great car. The owner and his wife must be congratulated for putting so much money and time into this car. Jack, this is one of the best videos so far and that is an achievements considering the high standard and natural presentation of all of them. I notice you drive the same roads that Harry Metcalf drives. In Australia these cars are hard to find and the owners tend to hold on to them. Where is the Europa test?
yes ,what about the Europa ,i can´t fit anymore on it but it was a great car
The official fix for balky shifts back in the early 2000’s was Royal Purple gear oil. I was skeptical at first but it worked like magic every time.
Bullshit.
This is good advice for any car. Royal Purple or Redline gear oil always make a manual transmission feel better.
@@lebojay Golden Spectro works wonders in German sportomatics.
Chafed my Corolla 6mt to royal purple and it was the best move I ever made. Shifts are noticeable smoother and easier. It’s wild how purple it actually is.
I'll never stop wanting this car...I wonder if there isn't a transmission swap available for the Esprit...doesn't matter, I've wanted one of these ever since I had the HotWheels version when I was a boy...Awesome video!
Super tune the engine to it's 500hp spec and swap the transmission out with one from a Pantera maybe?? If it'll fit...maybe a more robust gearbox just won't quite squeeze in there.
Porsche Boxter 6 speed transmission will fit in the Esprit
There are transmission upgrade kits out there.
Good to know that there's transmission upgrades available for the Esprit.
You don't need to swap the transmission, you just need to replace the input shaft which many owners have done. There is a enthusiast who redesigned the input shaft into a single beefed up piece with a stronger fifth gear at the end. It's been tested on cars with 900hp and so far it hasn't failed. Now this means that failures get passed down the line to the gears themselves, but you only need worry about that when you get passed the 500hp mark.
That gearbox was the reason the Esprit went out of production - Renault had already stopped using it (in the 25/Safrane) many years previously and had no real obligation to continue with production (the 10-year rule...). The problem for Lotus was sourcing/building a new adaptable or bespoke box. As you say, £5.5 million on the engine was already a hell of a lot of dosh...
Lotus should have tried a Ford/De Tomaso Pantera parts bin for a good cheap mid-engine friendly gearbox, heck, they might not have even needed to pay to have them built under license if the patent had expired by the late 1990s.
Just imagine that 500 bhp and a proper gated manual it would have been a Diablo basher
clearly they shouldve opted for an off the shelf V8 and spent the dosh on a new tranny
Renault told Lotus exactly how many gearboxes they were going to produce and that number determined the number of cars that Lotus was going to produce. No extras for the parts department!
Well, by the early 2000's the "no pop up light" laws were coming, so I'm glad it died and didn't get some hideous redesign.
great review - well done to Sasha and his wife for keeping it going
The Esprit will always be my favorite car. I'd love to see a return of that model, modernized of course.
Great video, the smile on your face when you drive a Lotus is infectious and just makes the video that much better. Loving these reviews of interesting classic cars and your content seems to be maintaining its high level despite the increase in volume, so kudos to you!!
Great car. As an ex Lotus owner and long term F355 owner, I think the V8 Esprit couldn't get near the theatre of the Ferrari. The open gate shift and the sound of an F355 at 8000rpm is one a petrol head must experience in their lives.
Interestingly the new Emira with the V6 manual is almost identical to a Esprit V8/ F355 power to weight I'll be trying one soon. It looks like a bargain and keeper as the world sinks into EV madness.
There are... "advisers" in each and every community, which force the leader to make this or that choice. If they don't follow, nobody can see them anymore.
There are not many cars that would make me want to sell my 996 turbo, but a 355 is one of them
@@sidewayssam the F355 is wonderful. For me, it's peak Ferrari, with the right amount of power for road use and the feel, character and noise IS Ferrari for me. Hence had it 14 years already. A keeper.
@@richardcarter1000 it is an itch i need to scratch. Though without selling my turbo, will take some saving
Yes, I would agree with that. I reckon that having spent so much on the engine, I think changing the gearbox would have pushed the price closer to Ferrarri territory, but it's not a Ferrari so they would have probably lost even more money as a result of fewer sales. People would have just bought the Ferrari.
Another great video Jack, I love the stories behind the development and history, and particularly the real enthusiasts that spend so much energy and love keeping these cars running without big financial resources. That Lotus really flows effortlessly around those bends (J's B) Thanks again. Bob M. South Wales
WOW that Esprit is stunning! What an amazing colour, love it! Jack I'm very envious of you, you've got the best job in the world driving all of those great cars! Well done on the channel you deserve every sub and I'm sure there's many more subs to come buddy 👍
Good looking car, loved the selection of OZ wheels they came with including the split rims. Was always put off by the French made parts, especially the gearbox.
As a former '84 Turbo owner, I love these retrospectives on the history of the Esprits. I was always impressed by how easily mine seemed to attain and exceed 140mph. I never actually found its real top end.
My Astra 2.2 Sri would do 145 mph back in the day
@maxmax
MEGALOLZ
If that was in dash.. it is probably way off . And much slower
Your videos are just so much FUN and informative. You also focus on cars that others don't. Thanks
Ah thanks Bill!!
Are you kidding me. You go on and on about the major problems with this car and why it didn't dominate the 90s. You talk about the 355 like it was a God and conveniently forget about even mentioning the true super car killer of the 90s the Acura NSX. In 97 I looked at the lotus and the NSX and bought the NSX. It was the easiest decision I ever made. The only place your lotus won in comparison was it was a few ticks faster but a few go fast goodies I got for Comtech through Acura that was pretty much solved. I've had my 97 since and except for normal wear and tear items it's been trouble free. Hey the lotus was a pretty car. But with an Acura dealer all over Atlanta at the time and the US at the time service was never and issue and it still isn't. I don't usually like to troll car videos but I had to jump on yours. There was a automotive altering Super Car in the 90s and it was the NSX.
Terrific vid as always Jack. Some of your best content coming just lately. Keep it up!!!
Awesome cars. I think they sound special. Thank you for another Esprit review; they always make my day.
Hi Jack, again an excellent find! I personally prefer the S1, but this version is stunning. This car is absolutely beautiful. As always, this video is an interesting little story. Well done.
About parts for other cars looking better on the Lotus Esprit: the wing mirrors look absolutely beautiful on the Citroen CX, which is what they were designed for, but look even better on this Esprit.
Yup. The S1 is unquestionably the prettiest of all Esprits. Somehow everything was always downhill thereafter, though at a fairly shallow slope. Then people (and Lotus) lost faith in the Giugiaro shape and thought it looked dated. Not a view many would share today.
@@ChristianRThomas Agreed. It's sometimes hard to see which of the current (overdesigned) cars will be classics in the future.
Will the shape of the model S or the Taycan become as iconic as the wedge of cheese in 50 years from now?
Another great review. Chapeau to Sasha for such a respectful update to the console.
nice video and car. thanks.
it's another silicon horror story.
i worked for an open wheeler racing team a while ago. the gearbox had been sent away for a post crash repair and the engineering firm had reassembled it using silicon on the mating faces.
as always happens some silicon got inside and blocked the breather and once the box heated up it blew the blockage and put oil over the rear tyres ;
instant crash.
silicon is for bathrooms not cars.
i sympathise with the owners. everything seems well now though
Beautiful example of the '90s styling. If only the transmission had been able to handle 600-700 HP, it would have been a supercar, even today some tuning would have kept it current. Glad this showed up in my feed tonight.
I suspect other components would become unreliable so they would have had to beef more than just the transmission to handle 700 hp and they just didn’t have the budget.
A British car with 600hp is a time bomb not a super car 🤣🤣it would’ve been brilliant to drive “briefly”.
600HP totally feasible, BUT gotta beef up the Tranny!!
... if only you could get an engine to produce a reliable 700hp that you speak of in the 90s
@@bobolulu7615you could boost a L98 Corvette engine to that….. the one that was designed by …Lotus….
Love your work Jack . Superb , humble , honest , on point ,just fabulous
Subscribed. Excellent video lovely colour and spec, put a smile on my face cheers for that, merry Christmas 😊🎅
Thank you for the "POV" from passenger views, and the details of the dash.
Kudos!
As a recently new owner of an Esprit V8, well... about 90% of one (It's a long story), I have done so much research and digging on transaxles then I can care to talk about. I have recently acquired an original UN-1 027 (latest box for V8), and intend to convert it to a 6 speed. It's really quite a long explanation but essentially the conversion changes the location of the gears and in turn makes the box alot stronger in the higher gears (where shaft sheering usually happens), still not sure about stripping the lower gears though and then there's the whole gear translation for the selector that I've been avoiding thinking about.
I have a lathe, mill, etc. in my garage workshop so intend to do all this myself, I also know of a local place that can harden my gears for a reasonable price. Of course my backup plan is the Audi 0A2 box I currently keep tripping over.
Make sure you use a decent high grade, heat treatable steel for the shaft.
It has been my understanding that Giugiaro originally intended the car to have a V8-certainly the engine bay is big enough. But it was the 70’s fuel crisis that forced Lotus to go ahead with their 2.0 4-cyl engine. Also I had heard stories that Lotus was developing the V8 for other projects, and was indeed used in some Corvettes. It would be great to have a video interview with someone from Lotus at the time to tell the story of the V8 development. Excellent video and beautiful car! Esprit’s are truly special cars.
Absolutely LOVE the S4 - and yep - I was at Silverstone, at a car show, decades ago, and there was a Corvette in the 0-60 sprint staging area with me - he had the bonnet / hood up while waiting , and I saw the huge 'Lotus' engine in it, thinking it was a mod, but he explained that it was factory standard!
I also saw with the bonnet up, that the Corvettes had insanely wide tyres that go waaaay into the body / engine bay area... Nice.....
Nick The Engineer (Commented above) said he was an engineering placement student at Lotus Powertrain. He'd know if anyone.
Lotus Corvette made 375 hp which would have elevated the Esprit to top tier supercar status. Yup, a missed opportunity.
@@encinobalboa the 1993 added another 30 HP to that
Thank you for the ride. Nice road for this nice car. I like it !
Excellent video on a great car! Thanks 😮😊
I had an Esprit for more than 20 years and it irritated me a bit that I barely fit in at 6ft 1, even with the seat adjuster taken out, then watched a video of a Diablo and then a Testarossa that the reviewer BARELY fit in at 5ft 10. I really loved that car (Esprit)and appreciate it more every day. I've driven other mid-engine cars but the Esprit just didn't have the bad habits other mid-engine cars have, like snap oversteer. Would love to get an Emira!
That's exactly right about it not being as temperamental as a lot of other mid engine cars, you don't have to pray every time you let off anywhere near a corner, lol.
A great looking car. Have a bit of a soft spot for Lotus as my Step Dad owned an Excel for many years and the Esprit made a big impression on me at age 7 in the Spy Who Loved Me. Have never driven an Esprit but I did hire a 355 for a weekend getting on for 20 years ago. Two highlights of the 355 where it's lovely gear change and the thrilling engine note at high rpm where it clearly has the Lotus beat but I agree the weak link was the steering which I found too light and lacking feel.
This is has become one of my fav. UA-cam channel - love every episode
What an amazing series of cars Jack, thank you. must admit I would never pick that colour for a car but now I see it I love it. Nearly as pretty as the S1 but not quite.
A friend of mine lent me his for over a month while he was out of the country and mid-divorce, it really is a wonderful car to drive. Handles like a Lotus, the V8 burbles and cracks and does not want for power. Brakes are good, interior is much better than earlier cars. I really enjoyed it. I have a photo of the fly yellow Lotus in my garage next to my black Lamborghini Countach parked next to it. One of my fondest memories from the past. Esprit V8 is a wonderful exotic, if you can drive one, please do! Thanks for the video! Brought back memories.
Fantastic video, thanks.
Always loved these, bad luck with the engine but glad they stuck with it. Also really loving these reviews Jack!
Great video jack
I've always been a fan of the lotus esprit 😊
I once read in a car magazine, that the Renault transmission was "like making a long distance call to Paris for a gear change".
lol...brutal
It wouldn't have been Geremy Clarkson by any chance, that man who is up there with Colin Chapman in terms of car design and engineering imo. 😂😂 What a wanker. Now driving Tractors which are far more suited to his abilities. Guess France can't play football either. 😂⚽
@Brian Thomas... extra brutal...☠️
@@TheLRider No it was either Car and Driver, or Motor Trend stateside. It was a review head to head of the Esprit and its competitors.
Hi Jack I love the lotus,especially the newer type as being more refined.
Superb feature and thanks Andrew 😊
With those gauges, Sasha will now be able to see that moment the engine self destructs again... because it will happen... it's a LOTUS....!
One of my favorite cars as a child; i've seen many of them here in Italy, between 90's and early 2000, i think it's been a success here, at least in my city XD
More common color was the classic yellow, followed by red and british green.
Gorgeous. Lovely cared for and maintained example.
These cars always reminds me of a big MK2 MR2 somehow
Thanks for sharing 👍
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the Lotus Espirit. They just look cool to me! This one in particular is beautiful.
I was completely unaware this car existed. What a beautiful fun car. ♥️
Great video and story this is my neighbours car,it truely is loved liked and subbed👍
Sounds great, and REALLY good looking!
Jack. Great vid. Love that colour. When you flash the pop ups you need to double flick, as the first flick pops ‘em and the second one flashes. Ooeer! 😁
What an amazing color, and those wheels, Bwoah some of the best looking wheels out there.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Excellent channel.
Your videos are the best.
Always loved the Esprit. Back in 1980/81 my mates uncle had a S1 in red. It was a Red letter day when you saw anything like this on the road. 👍👍
Good to see your subscriber numbers going North; proof the new formula of the channel is widely appealing
Love these Espirits. Great review. Was nearly as excited to see the MB Trac for a second on camera as I was the espirit 😂
I LOVE the esprit, always have. I prefer the cleaner styling of the earlier cars but a lotus V8 is a special thing 👏 fair play to the owners, awesome colour as well.
A fantastic car and a fantastic review. I've often wondered if anyone had ever retrofitted any other transmissions into the Esprit, A ZF 5 DS-25-2 Transaxle out of a Pantera perhaps?
Not when the company was owned by GM!
Wow!! Superb car, lucky owner. Great video 👍
The styling to this day is just beautiful. I think it will still look great in a hundred years.
Brilliant and entertaining video Jack
My favourite Esprit but mad money now
You looked like you had fun in that on those great roads 👍
Thanks buddy! Hope you have a great Xmas!
@@Number27 you too pal
Aaaahhh... my favorite crazy-Lotus-biased-brit is reviewing the Esprit V8 😁
I know the result before clicking it... and you delivered! I agree with you at 100% - the Esprit is seriously underrated. The S4 interior is trimmed quite well and even hold up quite well additionally. Also a lot of the original issues are sorted (but not all of them as you already stated). The V8 may be a special one (never driven one tbh), I assume I would go for a late S4S Model (maybe a GT3). Love these reviews, keep them comin! Like!
I think the interiors are much better than people give them credit for and the driving position is to die for. I never much liked that rouched leather in the S4 though, and it looked especially bad with age and with a cream interior. It just ended up looking filthy. What will work in that car, which didn't in the G cars or the Excel of the period, is the heating fan. That really was a pathetic thing.
Another great history lesson. You drove a fantastic example.
one of my very favourite cars of all time
That color is perfect. It's such a fun and unique car and it does feel like it was a missed opportunity, if only they had a proper gearbox. But it worked out because you can still find them for reasonably cheap.
I read that the exhaust system they got in the UK was pretty underwhelming because of noise restrictions, and in typical lotus fashion they didn't have enough money to develop one that sounded good and still passed the regulations. It sounds pretty nice with a proper exhaust. One day I'll upload a video of the noise :) there is a not very good quality on my youtube page.
Hey, Jack: As I mentioned before, I too have a special place in my heart for the Esprit. However, when Lotus changed the engine from a 4-cyc. to a V-8, I read an article from "Car & Track" magazine that Lotus consulted Ferrari for the engine design, or purchased the V-8 from Ferrari (I can't remember that far back). Cheers!:)
Well done, Jack, thanks. I've wondered about the Lotus V8 since it was new -- just why it never seemed to take hold as a 'great' car. Now I'm confident that I get it. Too bad these are exotic enough to be very expensive, if yours needs a sorting-out. Luckily, here in the US, I have access to a very wide variety of Corvettes, many being incredibly affordable, with which to satisfy my V8 sports-car cravings. In Britain / Europe, where Corvettes are effectively 'exotic', and that opportunity is off the table, I'd have to look very seriously at this car.
Bravo Giacomo, grazie per il video!
Another great upload. The location looks very familiar - is it the Cotswolds?
Great car, very interesting video, as ever.
We’ve always loved the esprit at Vint-tro. Great review Jack, thank you 🙌🏼
Thank you chap and happy Xmas!
Always a gorgeous looking car from whatever angle you look at it
Nice car and nice all round shape. Who knows why companies make some choices? Thanks Jack once again..👍👍
My god these cars are so beautiful! Always loved the Lotus Esprit! Especially the one this guy had (the blue one) and the V8 that he was driving. The Esprit is the quintessential definition of the term: Timeless Design
This car always brings me back to "If Looks Could Kill" with Richard Grieco and Gabrielle Anwar. Good stuff!
Love how that car evolved. There's always second guessing about the engine choice (more importantly the transmission choice), but that one sounds amazing. Also, I think the Julian Thomson version would made a more convincing submarine!
Always loved the look of these 😊 lovely in that hue too. Off to the classifieds…
Cwipes, that is the kind of horrific bill that would put me off Lotus ownership, which is a crying shame because I think the Esprit is still a stunning looking and performing car.
Great to see her back on the road again
Thanks Jack for all your videos, especially this! :) Please make a Volvo 480 Turbo review if it is possible!
Great video as always 👍 The V8 was another example of Romano Artioli's over the top spending, sure the Esprit needed a beefier engine but to spend that much to re-equip an end of life 20 year old design with such an engine reminds me of his OTT attitude with Bugatti. I love the guy and what he created but he did like to spend!
That colour really suits this car - and the wheels just "look" right.
Such a pity that the oft quoted acronym *L.O.T.U.S* reared up to bite the owner although that is mostly due to the shoddy engine rebuild 🤔. Thanks to Sasha and yourself for sharing this upload.
I was thinking the exact opposite on the colour
I'm not much of car enthusiast.. I'm a biker but if i ever had the cash this is my all time favorite it just has everything it looks super sexy and not garish. Awesome review.
Another great video Jack. The burning question for me though is do uou prefer the V8 Esprit or your old Evora S?
I was lucky enough to drive an S1 a couple of weeks ago for the next issue of Classic Cars magazine, and I would love to own a V8!
And mine is even better, having been completely rebuilt and professionally set up. It handles like it's on rails.
Love the style in that color!
He should sue the lotus dealership that did the shoddy warranty repair (if they still exist).
😂🇺🇸
Damage happened during a track day, no warranty applies
Definitely, but it's likely Andrew Smith is correct.
I think they`d stand a reasonable chance of winning the case, even if it failed on a track, as the fact bad workmanship would have caused the failure no matter how it was being driven, & an engineers report would confirm that.
Love all the mid engined lotuses can't wait for the Europa test you promised!!!
What a great color!
👍👍👍
They should have stuffed an Chevy / Lotus LT-5 in the midships. Then it would have been not just a great car, but a legendary car.
nobody talks about the Lotus Esprit S4S it had 300hp from a 4cyl. This has double the cyl and just 50 more horses, I am much more impressed with the S4S
Mr 27 merry Xmas,in advance
Great car and video! A puppy that grow up! Your face tells the story about pull and i think it took you for a walk like puppy do!
Wow, what a beauty. The owner has done a great job and it looks great. A little rough on close inspection in some parts but that means you can drive it and have fun and not baby it for fear of damaging something. I would be so tempted to swap the gearbox out and unleash the full 500hp though.
Another great video 👍🏼 Am I right in thinking this is Harry's Garage stomping ground?
Great review. Always loved them. Now, makes me wonder, what would the equivalent from TVR in period? Hmmm… 🤔
Love the blue colour and how they put it into interior. Really disappointed about the gearbox, really hoping someone made an upgrade kit that let you use all that horsepower. Nice review. Keep up the good work.
Nice video👍
Top Class post 👌👍