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143CAR.com - My Car: Ron Joe's 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE
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- Опубліковано 20 бер 2013
- Do you think a modern supercar is too boring, too safe? Think a Ferrari Testarossa too slow, and a Lamborghini Countach too common?
Watch Jonathan of 143CAR.com as he interviews Ron Joe - owner of a 1990 Lotus Espirit. One of 1546 ever built, and the only left hand drive Canadian registered car with 13,000 kilometers on it.
You have to be a bit crazy to own an old supercar, and Ron Joe proves this by even letting Jonathan drive his car...for a bit. Will he spin it? Crash it? Find out in the video!
Thanks to Ron and Chris Joe for graciously offering their car for this video!
Video Credit: Pure White Studio
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Web site: 143Car.com
This Design by will always and forever be unique and iconic of Lotus
total agreement!
One of the sickest car designs ever
I love my Turbo Esprit,, The connection between car and driver is real and serious relationship
Awesome to hear Jenna! Thanks for watching and commenting!
you are so right, wonderful cars
Fuel injection actually showed up in 1986 with the Esprit HCI models. It was a Bosch unit, and very temperamental. In 1989 General Motors bought Lotus and the 1990 Esprit features a more mdern and reliable AC Delco engine managment system.
I've always been a massive Esprit fan. I love these SE models. Thanks for a great video.
+Fezza.es Thanks for the kind words and watching!!
loved this car I gran turismo2. lotus also sold to gm in 1986.
Hi chandrab. Watched your video and your SE looks stunning. Great job with the video! And totally agree - 0 - 60 in 4.7s is pretty damn impressive. Stats wise, there are many cars that beat that today but the thing you don't catch in statistics is the feeling you get when you are in this car. Congratulations on owning one! Thanks for watching!
Dude...you totally left out the other James Bond movie FOR YOUR EYES ONLY featuring this Lotus with an awesome security system....KAAAAABOOOM!
haha sorry my bad! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nice review man. I get the same feeling every time I drive my 1994 Formula Red NSX around. Driving slower than everyone else, but with a constant smile on my face.
Thanks Josh! That NSX is a special car for sure! I'm trying to secure one for a similar video; stay tuned. And for me, its all about the "smiles per gallon". Cheers!
Sweet, look forward to it!
Love that car. My dream car. Will end up with it one someday, since its affordable now
Haha make sure to save up for any repairs
Owned one for 22 years. Your description at the end is right. 10:12 onwards
I have a passion for exotic vehicles as well. The more wedgy, the better. And the Esprit has "exotic" in spades. It would be a dream to own one. There is a guy on YT "Poncho's Speed Shop" who rebuilds the V8 twin turbo models addressing all the weaknesses the cars have (pistons, timing belts, transmissions) thus being able to boost the HP to what motor can easily provide.
Agreed! And good to hear that there are gearheads out there that feel the same haha. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Harry Mundy, who designed Lotus TwinCam, was offered the choice of payment for his work of £1000 cash or a royalty of £1 per unit. Colin Chapman had signed a 1000 unit purchase agreement with Coventry Climax for the FWE engine used on Lotus Elite, and was on the last stretch of making 1000 Elites and accepting FWE deliveries in 1961. (The Elite's final factory production volume was 1030, with over 1200 registered with the Lotus Elite World Register currently.)
Mundy took the cash, and the TwinCam went on to be made 55,000 units and beyond.
+Simon Hammond Thanks for the info! I'm sure Mundy was a bit annoyed...
Looks cool with the Gold Wheels...like a flashback to 1970s F1
Yah I thought so too. The owner told me it was a special "anniversary" edition of the Esprit, but when I did some research I couldn't find anything about it so I left that detail out in the video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
You car is very well maintained...it looks awesome...I have a 2005 Elise,. but I am really drawn to the early Esprits...I really like the early Turbos...they just look like they purpose.
Yah the car was absolutely gorgeous! Wish it was mine, but unfortunately it is not. If it was, I would drive every day haha...and thus it would not look like that.
Well...if not yours, at least it shows you have great taste...! Cheers
Ha thanks Shawn! Same could be said about you
Thanks thumper5311!
I used a GoPro Hero 2 HD for the internal shots. Yeah I was quite surprised when Ron told me that he has done nothing but give it oil changes over the years, but he definitely did not drive it as much as you have there. Congrats on having such special car!
Hi !
Amazing video, and great editing job. No matter if it's a 23 years old car, the Lotus Esprit SE still looks stunning. The 80/90's age was the best for exotic cars : old fashion manual gearboxes, no traction or stability controls, just pure mechanical cars, and driving those cars is still absolutely addicting. Anyway i agree with you, Lotus are special for sure, i own a 1998 Lotus Elise S1 and it's an amazing car.
Thanks simondaddy! Much appreciate the kind words. I hope to feature another Lotus in the near future as I love the spirit of Lotuses.
Very nice example in red! Even the gold OZ’s work with this color. Had a black ’89 SE for almost 14 years. No major problems. Many sentiments expressed here like Quirky, Personality, & Relationship, ring true from my experience. Mods: reworked turbo, S4 chip, K&N, Eibach+Spax. Probably momentary 300hp at best. After smokin’ the Toyota brakes, I put S4 wheels on so Brembos would fit. As the car aged, lots of little repairs (normal). Finally got tired of writing checks to Appleby & Claudius.
Superb writing and film making. If this is a typical video on your channel....SUBSCRIBED!
Thanks @PrototypeSpyGuy!
The stock Renault box is allegedly good to about 400hp. Lotus detuned the V8 to a stated 350hp for dependability. There’s a rebuild kit for this trans to take over 500hp from tuned V8’s.
Thanks for watching and commenting raffaele81r and glad you enjoyed the video. I completely agree with you - old school supercars are just mega cool. That's not to say that new super cars are "not as good" - if anything they are technically more impressive but I'd like to think that cars are so much more than a collection of mechanical and electrical components to form a book of statistics; its an emotional object that should be cherished. The Elise S1 is a special car - just wish we had those!
i have the same passion as you, thanks for making this video'
+positivesecret thanks for the kind words!
Hey Joe O; thanks for watching and commenting. From the bit of research I've done it seems that the original Lotus' came with a Citroen C-35 gearbox that was designed for lower torques (around 200 lb-ft) but this was later changed out for a Renault UN1 gearbox (after 1988 I believe, which would cover this car) as it was rated for a much higher torque rating. I didn't see any mentions of the Renault UN1 having issues. Hope that helps!
Now this car belongs to me 😍
That's awesome to hear! Hope you are enjoying it!
Thanks Smickey Spanky! Glad you liked the video. I think modern cars certainly have their merits, but I feel like something has been lost in the pursuit of statistical performance. Thanks for watching!
there is a lotus esprit SE for sale in my area and this just makes me want it even more, i never knew only 1500 were made this is such an amazing car too bad i cant afford it right now and im hoping to have the money before its sold
Yeah it was interesting to listen to Ron Joe talk about his car. To be frank, I was a bit surprised that he wasn't a "Lotus fan", but you can see that he treasures this car quite a bit. I normally don't like gold wheels (unless they are on a Subaru) but I loved how they looked on this car. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks Rob - your support is greatly appreciated!
Lotus Esprit SE was also prominently featured in Basic Instinct & If Looks Could Kill
Hey SoCalFreelance - thanks for watching and commenting. You are correct; there's also a few other movies the Lotus was featured in as well, although I only mentioned Pretty Woman in the video since I found it interesting that Porsche and Ferrari turned it down because of the prostitute relation.
Thanks stuthelotusguy! I'm not sure I really was able to showcase this but the moment I saw the SE down the street my jaw completely dropped on the floor. And as you pointed out - the car had been very reliable to the owner. And thank you for watching! If you like what you saw please subscribe (and pass it on to your fellow Lotus enthusiasts)!
Hi 907EFI - sorry you are correct. The 2.2L turbo engine was not Cosworth at all; I just remember reading somewhere that it was "Cosworth" but you are right.
Not that fast? I mean 0-60 in 4.7 seconds isn't slow.
Hey dude! Yeah you're right its not slow, but in terms of supercar speeds its not that quick either. When you can have a hot hatch meet that 0-60 anyway :)
143CAR Fair enough, not by modern standards, but it sure is for 260 hp. Goes to show how effective a mid engined layout is. And to be fair, at least in the US, a used Esprit SE is cheaper than most new hot hatches.
143CAR
Why compare that 1990 Lotus to anything now? In 1990 your VW Golf or Mitsubishi Eclipse was dog crap next to it !
Hi Michael. Yes according to the owner it was the only Lotus SE. And it happens to have 13,000 kms on it (pretty good for a car from the 90s I think). Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hello. The Fella's on Lotus Talk thought you did an outstanding job as well. Keep them coming!
hi WOLF WP! Kinda wish it was, but its not. We shot this in February and I'm still a bit surprised at how nice the weather was at the time. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Appreciate the kind words RetroJaysFTW!
Yes! Im glad someone else gets it regarding the classic supercars. They have WAY more charisma and road feel versus the compuer controlled crap they make now. I love Gallardos and all that for what they are but nothing compares to The Esprit, 328, Countach, etc, etc. AWESOMENESS.
That is an awesome car, I love your editing man. Keep it up with your videos!
Thanks semajthethird! Its a pretty special car. There's always "tommorow" (ie to buy it back). ;). Thanks for watching and commenting!
I'm glad you have some video on this car. I'm about 6 months away from purchasing the exact same model. Any extra info you would have for me would be awesome. That is a very beautiful Lotus.
wow thats awesome! i would say do your research - which is kind of a cop out response :). Honestly, when i was looking it seemed like there were quite a few issues with these cars, but this owner didn't seem to have any of them, although his turbo wasn't really spooling up properly during the time of this shoot.
This link may help, although i'd also join a Lotus forum and ask the members (who most likely know quite a bit more than me):
blog.caranddriver.com/1989-96-lotus-esprit-turbo-buyers-guide-what-you-need-to-know-econo-exotics/
Good luck with the search!
143CAR. Thank you very much for your reply, I appreciate that. Thank you for the link as well. I'll take you up on your advice, thanks again. Reggie.
That is REALLY cool. I'm assuming you are referring to the oak tree you aim for going down the corkscrew? I can't believe that those Porsche guys ignored you; how can you ignore a supercar??
Nice video. You should definitely try out the twin turbo V8 - you won't be disappointed!
Thanks wysia! Greetings from Canada. Hope you enjoyed it. Please forward to your friends!
aw man i was getting nervous just watching you drive. lol i can relate. whenever my friend's drive my car, nomatter how good they are, i can't help but not like the whole situation.
Thanks HeavenzBreaker. The driving was complicated by the fact that the owner told me where 1st gear, when in fact it was 3rd gear =P. Thanks for watching!!
the gold rims on the red is so sick!
yeah totally agree!
Excellent video !!!!
Nice video, good work, lovely cars.
Edward Sonzay Thanks Edward!!
I absolutely love the Esprit but have always been hesitant to buy one because of its subpar reliability record and scarce availability of parts. So I drive a stock MR2 turbo for now.
I have a little twist to your English supermodel comparison. Having an Esprit is like dating a stripper. You keep throwing money at her hoping she'll give you the ride of your life.
Thank you for making this video!! I enjoyed it very much!
+mk2mister2 HAHAHAHA that is a great twist! Wish i had thought of that! Thanks for watching and commenting. Its little comments like this that keep me editing videos! Sad but true haha
I can appreciate any car who is true to what they are supposed to accomplish, but I do have more of an affinity towards sports cars.
To answer your question about the Elise, it really depends on what you value in a car. For driving thrills (and especially in North America), the Elise will be hard to match. You can find faster cars, but nothing quite as pure or visceral as an Elise.
Don't forget Highwayman had one in the back of his truck!
Hey CommanderGrog! Thanks for watching and your kind words.
I completely agree with the comment about using the GoPro microphone; the only reason why I ended up using it was because some idiot (ie me) forgot to turn on his mic during the shoot. Oops.
Completely agree with your comment about how supercars SHOULD be; you should garner respect because you can keep the car from crashing, not because you can cruise down some popular downtown strip revving your engine in neutral. Thanks again!
Ok, let's get something straight here guys. Stop comparing yesterday's cars, hot hatches and what not, to cars that were at their time, the cars you drooled over vs the crap Golf or Sirocco of that era. You enjoy these and any other classic cars for what they are and drive them to experience that car, with that amount of power, that type of look, sound and technology. When you are done loving on it, then you get in your truck. suv, or Toyota camry and go to work, shop, beach or whatever the hell you want to do with your daily driver. Plain and simple !
what he said is my type of flavor.. its class within itself in todays modern times
+Tyrone Neeley thanks for the kind words. Yep this car is a total legend!! Thanks for watching!
np
Great job!
But I’m left with many fond memories including Angeles Crest Hwy., Laguna Seca (aim for the oak tree!), Button Willow west loop, but most of all Big Willow (good for 1:40 with DOT race tires & a mediocre pilot). Once got put in a group with two POC guys in 993 Turbos (400hp). They chased me around Willow Springs for 20 minutes but couldn’t catch me. Only after did they stop ignoring me & start talking to me!
Hey KJTUSKJTUS - thanks for watching! Hope you are able to realize your deram - the Esprit is one special car!
Respect! Greetings from Poland!
Great video! Well done.
Thanks Firelione12! Please subscribe if you liked what you saw!
So did Lotus come out with a 1991 Espirit "Hooker Edition"?
+CEOkiller sadly not. Would have been awesome if the wheels were clear and the car was white with studs though. Eye makeup around the headlights would have been a nice touch also.
Is the transmission a renault source that craps out overtime? I know the S4 have that transmission! Im interested in a 93 turbo SE!
I had my video friend's help with this one; he had a Canon EOS 5D and 6D I believe that we used together. I guess the point I was trying to make is that this is an old school super car - and thus A. you need to know how to drive manual in order to do so, and B. the car needs to be respected. And because of this, you need to have some skill in order to drive one. Its not the kind of car you get in with no experience and just drive, which makes me appreciate them more. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for watching! I try to be as technically correct as I can, but its obvious that I stand corrected here. I appreciate you watching! BTW - headroom may be an issue at 6' 2". I am 6' 0" and my hair was brushing the hair liner.
Nothing else feels like a lotus
Great video. What camera's besides the GoPro did you use? I need to make a video like that of my SE. I'm not sure I'd call the Esprit dangerous at all...they need to be respected like any fast car in bad weather conditions and driving at the limit. The car is built like a tank, there has been some horrific crashes people have walked away from. There was only one death a few years ago that I of...some jackass in france driving dangerously with his kid in the rain...the kid survived.
Easily one of the best looking sports cars built.
she's a real looker for sure! Those gold wheels make it for me. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Nicely done video - what dash camera did you use for such a wide angle?
I have an 88 and really enjoyed this - been driving mine daily 7 days/week since Oct 2011 - far more reliable than the reputation suggests.
Absolutely beautiful! This reminds me of the posters I saw of this car as a young lad. I saw this car in person for the first time a few years ago in yellow. Thanks for sharing the riding experience btw :)! Doesn't like to be shifted at 2500 Rpms? Something to keep in mind if I get my hands on one. Quick question tho... What's the redline on that 2.2?
+1blisslife Thanks for the kind words! Yeah it is a beautiful car for sure and one that made my mouth drop as soon as i saw it. The engine doesn't like being shifted at low rpms because its really been tuned to run at the higher rpms; down low the engine feels lumpy and lethargic and up top it feels much smoother. I don't remember exactly what the red line was on this Turbo SE, but my mind seems to be pointing towards 6500rpm for some reason. Thanks for watching and commenting!
+143CAR Same here! My mouth dropped in awe when I saw the yellow one! I noticed in your video that it kind of has a aircooled VW engine hum to it, but maybe it's just the Mic's feedback or my ears perhaps? Idk, but I like VW's as much as Lotus! I was playing around with the rpms of my special car(Honda Prelude 4th gen 2.3L) I always changed gears around 2.5k-3k, but took it to abt 6k for the first time today & the engine responded great! That while listening to blazing beat ;)! Hope you get a chance to test drive one of these out there in Ontario because they drive great! Greetings from SW Texas :)!
i love this car
You are not alone on that one. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Danm bro great video. My dreamcar
Thanks Black $yco! your kind words are much appreciated. Please subscribe if you enjoyed what you saw!
The car in Pretty Woman was silver. Was this car painted?
Amazing video, love old sports car! :D
Vancouver! Haven't seen this car yet though.
+Celan Fernan yes! Owner keeps it locked away most of the time. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks twstrchasr! Please subscribe if you liked what you saw here!
damn good ride
That was -very-very good . Professional absolute. Thank You
Difficult & expensive to maintain? Had an 89 SE for
almost 14 years. Bought it with 17K miles & sold it with 54K including
occasional club racing & TT. Result: no major problems, zero drive train
problems. The turbo 4s are known to be bulletproof. GM ownership brought AC
Delco electric, very good engine management, & better fuel injection than
the Bosch cars. Rebuilding the front suspension with new bushings & bits
costs some bucks. What eventually kills you is owning a 15 year old car, any
car unless it’s a Honda. Little shit like switch gear, window motors, &
other wear items get rare & pricey. Car was very entertaining though. On
the track, you could feel all four contact patches individually searching for
& finding grip, all through the seat of your pants.
Hah well it depends on your definition of "tall". I am 6'0 and as you can see the video I really needed the space under the sunroof to properly sit in the car. Otherwise my hair is touching the liner for sure. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the info X180SE - are you from the Lotus forums? I've heard that the Renault box doesn't "feel" as nice as the Citroen on the S1s but I'm assuming most people would appreciate the reliability gains.
Is this car brand still available? I don't see it much anymore
Hi ViceN53X! Yes Lotus still exists despite the somewhat turbulent last year or two its had with management. in my mind, Lotus makes some of the best drivers cars out there. Where are you located? Availability might be varied depending on your location. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Same colour and interior as my Lotus Esprit SE
I've owned my 91SE for 8 years and it's been very trouble free. Any of the GM era are very reliable. I don't know what my wife would say if I compared this car to a british super model. It's still pretty fast, how many cars can do 0-60 in 4.7 today...was it extremely fast in 1990, but still fast today. Check out the video of my SE (can't link to it, just click on my ID and look at uploaded videos)
It's quicker to 60 than a Testarossa by a full second. (4.5)
Thanks for watching and the kind words simondaddy1! If you like what you saw please subscribe to the channel thanks!
Just got a Lotus Esprit. Where did he buy the golden rims?
i think he actually got the stock ones painted if i recall correctly.
So he says he really wasn't really into Lotus why did he buy it I live in the states in Virginia and I have been studying Lotus learning about Lotus since I was a child one day I will have one
why do the new test drivers always stall the lotus 4 and v8? pump the rpma and rip the clutch
Hey Joe - thanks for watching and commenting. I have to take full responsibility for stalling the car, but the owner also told me 3rd was 1st, so that was part of the problem. Once i figured out where 1st was, it was fine :)
Are these cars small,..like, very small? because I hate big cars. I see a 1989 Esprit SE for sale online for 18,000, but idk if I should get it or not. pleez help me!
Hey 11033066099 - thanks for watching and commenting. I wouldn't call the Esprit a "small" car, and is roughly the same size as an entry level Ferrari.
I would recommend you do your research before you buy into these things; the Esprit is not a car you just buy and drive off the lot. It will be an investment in time and patience at times but will reward you back for your efforts. Good luck!
Thanks IDOWTFIWANNADO hihi! Yeah it was a pretty special car for sure!
Is that car, dangerous to drive? Or only if driving fast?
Probably at the limit, I'm sure the MR weight distribution and flexy chassis would mean for some surprise spins. At the speeds I was going it felt totally fine.
This car is also in Basic Instinct.
The car that Edward picks up Vivian in belonged to producer Nancy Gross. IMDb.com
I realy enjoyed your video. But you shouldn't record sound using the GoPro (sounded like it) but use a better microphone positioned betweend you and the driver, instead :). Personaly I own an Esprit S4 and a Porsche 944 Turbo, and everything you were saying about the Lotus was spot-on. I really like that there is no traction control and other fancy computer stuff. It's just you and the machine; and if you are not carefull, it will kill you. And if you ask me, that is the way supercars should be.
10:16 "It's not that fast any more"
Huh?? sub-5s to 100km/h will ALWAYS be fast, especially for a turbo 4
+Elan Jacobs I think in terms of modern super cars, sub 5s is not that fast anymore. I'm not saying its NOT fast, just relatively speaking. Thanks for watching and commenting!
+143CAR Also, imagine if it had a gearbox with the shift speeds of a modern twin clutch. I think an extra 0.3 secs would shaved off that time. The power to weight ratio of the Esprit SE is comparable to a lot of heavy modern supercars, I suspect.
Chris Wood I'm actually pretty happy this car doesn't have a twin clutch. :)
143CAR Hell yes!! I'll have to be dragged kicking and screaming to flappy paddle shifting.
Yeah, I agree. Even though I think the gearbox in the Esprit was from a Renault saloon.
the example with the british supermodel 😂
interesting car, though personally i dont see why one would want one unless they truly are a lotus fan
I would get an Acura NSX at that price point, faster and similar if not better handling, all the while you can actually drive it without worrying about finding parts when it breaks
All good points khan brah; and if I had the money for a 90s supercar that would be the one I'd pick too. But honestly seeing the Esprit in person, you do realize it is something very special. To each their own I guess!
143CAR
That seems to be the case. For craftsmanship and pure uniqueness, without a doubt the Lotus beats a mid engined Accord any day. I personally am willing to sacrifice performance if it means the other car has more soul. Although I've never driven either, so I cant exactly say which one fits that bill!
khan brah yes I'm still waiting to drive a NSX. Hopefully we'll have one we can drive soon!
Was reADING WIKI AND IT SAID INTIAL HP WAS AROUND 500HP BUT DETUNED TO 350 AS TO NOT DESTROY THE GEARBOX IS THAT EVEN TRUE?
@AMG Heaven - haha to be honest i don't know. Do you trust everything you read on Wikipedia?
from lotus III
Can a tall person fit in this car?
It was also in Basic instinct
sorry too distracted by Sharon Stone to notice.