Legendary Cars: Lotus Esprit – Auto Sportive
Naming "Lotus“Most likely, you will succeed: lightness, dexterity, discomfort and, finally,“ Eliza ”. I would say that this is more than legal. But in the 80s, l'Elise was still a mirage, and the name Lotus stuck to the Esprit.
I do not deny there spirit this is one of my favorite cars. This is how I imagine a sports car: fast, loud, aggressive and unreliable. It's no coincidence that the Lotus Esprit is such a beautiful car; the line was actually designed by Giugiaro and it can be said that the designer really saw us for a very long time.
First versions
Thespirit It was not only beautiful, but also had amazing dynamic qualities, and the car was very maneuverable and balanced. The first version, unveiled in Paris in 1975, featured a fiberglass body (a solution that was later used for the Elise) and was powered by a centrally mounted 2,0-liter four-cylinder with 160 hp. The thrust was naturally back.
The most common version (also because it remained in production the longest) is the 1980 version. Lotus Spirit S2... The headlights of this restyling were changed, and the volume of the engine was increased to 2,2 liters, and a version was released the following year. Essex Turbo from 211 hp.
The "correct" line
The last restyling in 1987 was so successful that it lasted until 1993 with little or no cosmetic intervention. Few cars can boast such a seasoned line. The rear end has been completely redesigned, as well as the cab and bumpers. The end result is a car halfway between the Lamborghini Diablo and the Ferrari 355, a great compliment in both cases.
The engines of this spirit There is really a lot of "second restyling", and you need to remember the hawk's eye well in order to distinguish them.
La Spirit SE, also equipped with a 2,2-liter four-cylinder engine, put out 180 hp, while Spirit Turbo SE it produced 264 hp. thanks to the boost. In 1992, version 2.0 was added, again turbocharged, producing 243 hp, and the following year was followed by Esprit Turbo 2.2 Sport 300 from 305 hp power. While the four-cylinder turbos did their job well, the greedy 90s (and competitors equipped with exorbitant engines) forced Lotus to install an engine more “suited” to their supercars.
Spirit V8 GT
La Ferrari 348 (produced from 1989 to 1995) had 300 hp, accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 5,4 seconds and reached 275 km / h, but the F355 (produced since 1994) had 380 hp. and was much faster.
It so happened that in 1996 spirit lost all 4 cylinders in favor of an 8-liter twin-turbo V3,5 engine capable of producing 350 hp. at 6.500 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 4.250 rpm. The car accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 4,9 seconds and from 0 to 160 km / h in 10,6 seconds, and the top speed was 270 km / h.
Technical solutions were improved, and the performance of Ferrari and Porsche at that time was nothing to envy. The car weighed just 1325 kg and was fitted with 235/40 ZR17 tires at the front and
from 285/35 ZR18 to the rear The brake system has been signed Brembo and had 296mm front and 300mm rear discs, as well as a state-of-the-art ABS system.
Options included air conditioning, a driver's airbag, an Alpine cassette player (or even a radio with CD player), assorted leather interior colors, and metallic paint finishes.
Esprit Sport 350, special edition
In 99, the House also released a special version in just 50 copies. Lotus Spirit Sport 350features a carbon fiber wing, magnesium wheels and a lightweight frame. The total weight saving compared to the base V8 is 80 kg as for an adult passenger.
The Lotus Esprit is not only one of the most beautiful (and best) Lotus ever made, but also one of the best sports cars of our time.
