1987 Lotus Esprit

Description

This 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo is the perfect supercar for our times. With gas getting more expensive by the day, Colin Chapman's philosophy of "adding lightness" created a machine that performs like an exotic but pulls down fuel mileage almost like an economy car. Better yet, no matter where you go in this red cruise missile, you'll be treated like an A-list celebrity, thanks to its timeless good looks and legendary reputation for performance.

We're more accustomed to seeing these in white, thanks to the exploits of our favorite British secret agent, but in brilliant Signal Red it looks every bit a match for its Italian competitors. The body is fiberglass, styled by Giugiaro, and completely hand built by artisans in England who only do it the old fashioned way. This was the final year of the wedge-shaped Esprit, as it would be facelifted rather extensively, so if you want the original look, this car is the one to own. It's almost completely original and the 42,442 miles are undoubtedly authentic, making it a fantastic survivor in the strictest sense of the word. Fit and finish are on par for a hand-built English car, and it shows signs of careful use and has benefitted from the attentions of someone who was passionate about the car. The red paint carries a nice gloss considering that it's nearly 30 years old and the satin black trim show appropriate wear for a survivor car of this time period.

The tan leather interior is sumptuous in a way that only the English can deliver. The hides are still supple and slightly fragrant, the deep pile carpeting feels plush under your feet, and the ergonomics are surprisingly good. Everything remains in good condition considering its age, although the natural leather on the door panels has started to pucker simply by virtue of hanging vertically for 28 years. The Esprit also came loaded with features, including A/C, power brakes, and an AM/FM/cassette stereo head unit. Big, round gauges are easy to read at a glance and the switch gear is reasonably intuitive for a hand-built British sports car. There's also a wonderfully old school shifter knob that seems quite out of place in the futuristic Lotus, but it feels awesome in your hand as you stir the gears in the mid-mounted transmission. And between the two trunks there's adequate amount storage space, but you'll need to travel light.

Power comes from a bulletproof 2.2 liter inline-four that was turbocharged to generate a very impressive 210 horsepower in stock form. Turbo boost is noticeable compared to today's turbo motors, but when the revs are up, this car is an absolute weapon. Other cars may carry more firepower, but this car's featherweight body endows it with the performance of a much more powerful machine. It has been recently and extensively serviced, including a rebuilt turbo, so no worries about something expensive waiting for you in the near future. The suspension engineers at Lotus are perhaps the finest in the world, and gave the Esprit world-class handling with a supple ride, again made possible by the car's light weight. Lovely BBS alloy wheels wear staggered 195/60/15 and 225/60/15 Dunlop radials, which certainly seems appropriate.

If you've lusted after an exotic, but could never quite stomach their astronomical asking prices, this Lotus is an ideal alternative. Call today!