2001 Lotus Esprit V8 GT

Released as the successor to the hugely popular, Lotus Elan, the Esprit was unveiled to the world at the Paris Motor Show in 1975 and didn’t cease production until 2003, with 10,500 units produced, rightfully gaining a loyal following. Whilst the last-of-the-line examples look undeniably progressed compared to the original S1, the Giorgetto Giugiaro-based design clearly flows through all four series of Esprit.

The vast majority of Esprit were fitted with 4-cylinder engines, both naturally aspirated and turbocharged, in 2.0 or 2.2-litre guises but from 1996, the in-house Lotus built twin-turbo V8 was finally ready to be ordered by those brave enough. This remarkable Type 918 V8 was an all-aluminium, 90° DOHC, 4-valves per cylinder engine with two Garrett turbochargers, built to produce around 500bhp but detuned to 350bhp in the interest of durability and reliability. Standing at just 1.12 metres (44.1in) high, the Esprit's low-slung, rakish aesthetic offers a 'fast-moving' appearance even when stationary. With 0-60 being dispatched in a fraction over 4 seconds on the way to a top speed of 175mph, the V8 GT's performance perfectly matches its looks.

After a few years of searching, our vendor acquired this Esprit in August 2012 having found what he deemed to be the best and most original example on the market. He has been a passionate Lotus enthusiast for as long as he can recall and this passion is evident in the way the car is presented. It looks fabulous in Norfolk Mustard Yellow and has covered at time of cataloguing just 47,007 miles, corroborated by the service records and MOT history. In recent years it has averaged around 1,000 miles per year being used exclusively for specific car events such as Club Lotus weekends, classic car shows, club pub meets and runs out. It was also used it to attend Lotus Factory events at Hethel, including the 70th Anniversary meeting and to follow the Lotus Cup and Elise Trophy race series at various circuits across the country.

Its impressive condition can be judged by its Concours success having attended many shows across the UK winning a number of trophies including:

Best Lotus - 1st Place at the Classic & Sports Car show 2013
Best Lotus - 1st Place at the Classic Car Show 2015
Best British Sports Car - 1st Place at the Classic Car Spectacular Show 2019

The car's comprehensive history file contains details of its service history (full Lotus Main Dealer) with its original stamped Handbook. Over £12,000 has been invested in maintenance and servicing in our vendors ownership with all services (except for the first two) carried out by Christopher Neils / Oakmere Lotus, with the most recent on 15th February 2022 which included a cam belt and auxiliary belt changes at a cost of £1,599.54. The history file also contains every MOT Certificate dating back to 2004, old tax discs, receipts/invoices for all work done, the original Owners Hand Book, original Sales Brochure, Alpine Car Audio manual and a Lotus Certificate of Vehicle Provenance.

During the Pandemic, the car was SORN’d and, not using it for a long period, our vendor came to the realisation that he had accomplished everything that he had wanted to achieve with the Esprit. As can be seen from the car's spectacular condition, he enjoys 'detailing' and realistically he has taken the Esprits as far as it's possible to go, so now it's time to move it on and let someone else enjoy this lovely Lotus. With its low warranted mileage, stunning condition and ever-increasing rarity, this car would fit perfectly within any collection of significant motorcars, or could comfortably be driven to and from shows, with a very high chance of coming home with more silverware to add to the collection.