What other cars did you consider before buying an Esprit?
Discussion
Before I bought my Esprit in 1991 (it's a 1984 model), I did want to consider a few other cars. First, I considered a Ferrari 308 GT4, which was about the same price (the more recognizable and popular 308 GTB and GTS were more expensive than the GT4 and the Esprit). Ultimately, the angular Bertone styling of the 308 GT4 was too much for me, although I thought the engine, instruments, and interior were excellent. The 308 GT4 has retained its value and is probably slowly increasing, which I'd predicted even back then.
After that, I considered a Porsche 928S. My driving impressions of it were that, although fast, it was too big, too ponderous, too heavy. The cabin, instruments, and binnacle seemed really cheap. I don't regret passing it up. I never liked the upward-pointing headlights either, as if it were some sort of flounder.
I'd still like a Ferrari, but it has to have 12 cylinders.
-Dave
After that, I considered a Porsche 928S. My driving impressions of it were that, although fast, it was too big, too ponderous, too heavy. The cabin, instruments, and binnacle seemed really cheap. I don't regret passing it up. I never liked the upward-pointing headlights either, as if it were some sort of flounder.
I'd still like a Ferrari, but it has to have 12 cylinders.
-Dave
Pretty much the same here. I bought my 93.5 in 2003. At the time, I drove several Esprits ranging from a 80 S2 to an S4s. I drove a Ferrari 308 and a 328, got a ride in a Lamborghini Jalpa, and considered a used Corvette Z06.
Esprit seemed the best combination of (semi) reliability, performance and super car panache.
Esprit seemed the best combination of (semi) reliability, performance and super car panache.
I started off looking at Ferrari 308 (child of the 80's) as there are a few around here and at first I did not really know how available Esprits were/are. My brother in law has a 911 and it is a good drive, but it was not what I wanted. Anyway, started looking into Esprit because of my lasting calendar car relationship with them and to my surprize they were/are available. So, I very briefly looked at Pantera and Mondial, but I continued to fall further for the Esprit.
I did some reading and some research over a year or so and settled on looking for a 87-88 car. The articles I find seem to like these models the best and I personally like the 88 style the best.
I have not and do not think I will ever trade it off. I do admit however that I would like to "add to the stable" in the future... hahaha....
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
I did some reading and some research over a year or so and settled on looking for a 87-88 car. The articles I find seem to like these models the best and I personally like the 88 style the best.
I have not and do not think I will ever trade it off. I do admit however that I would like to "add to the stable" in the future... hahaha....
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
I'm afraid my search was for something much more humble. I was looking at the third generation Mazda RX-7 in 92. After leaving the Mazda dealership my wife spotted the 89 Esprit on a stand in the Toyota dealers used car lot. She noticed it because we had just watched Pretty Woman the night before.
Turns out the car had just been placed on consignment with the dealer and the salesman who came rushing out to shush me away from the car really had no idea of it's value, (I had been working on the house and was still in my shabby house work attire).
The car had 1700 miles on the clock, and the owner had purchased a 3 year 100,000 mile extended warranty on the car. He had bought it for his wife who did not like it because it was too difficult to get in and out of with her evening wear on.
When I asked the price of the car the salesman bowed up and proceeded to inform me that this was a very expensive car and that it was probally out of my league. There was no way he could sell it for less than 35K. Playing the part of the humbled stooge I asked him if he would indulge me and give me a trade in value for my 88 RX-7 with 88K miles on it. He reluctantly agreed, took it over to the used car manager and came back with a price of 10K trade in.
This was on Saturday. The next Monday morning I was patiently waiting at the dealers door with a check in hand for 25K.
Sorry for the long tale, but it was the only time in my life that I was in the right place at the right time. Have had the car since and am still enjoying the heck out of it.
As a follow up to the tale, the day after I completed the transaction and drove the car home the salesman called me to tell me he had made a slight error and undersold the car. Could I please come back in to rework the purchase. Yeah right! I believe he was fired shortly after that phone call.
Life is good.
Turns out the car had just been placed on consignment with the dealer and the salesman who came rushing out to shush me away from the car really had no idea of it's value, (I had been working on the house and was still in my shabby house work attire).
The car had 1700 miles on the clock, and the owner had purchased a 3 year 100,000 mile extended warranty on the car. He had bought it for his wife who did not like it because it was too difficult to get in and out of with her evening wear on.
When I asked the price of the car the salesman bowed up and proceeded to inform me that this was a very expensive car and that it was probally out of my league. There was no way he could sell it for less than 35K. Playing the part of the humbled stooge I asked him if he would indulge me and give me a trade in value for my 88 RX-7 with 88K miles on it. He reluctantly agreed, took it over to the used car manager and came back with a price of 10K trade in.
This was on Saturday. The next Monday morning I was patiently waiting at the dealers door with a check in hand for 25K.
Sorry for the long tale, but it was the only time in my life that I was in the right place at the right time. Have had the car since and am still enjoying the heck out of it.
As a follow up to the tale, the day after I completed the transaction and drove the car home the salesman called me to tell me he had made a slight error and undersold the car. Could I please come back in to rework the purchase. Yeah right! I believe he was fired shortly after that phone call.
Life is good.
911 & NSX
Nothing else even came up on the radar..
911's are very expensive if you want a quick one that handles (ie 99-on GT3 or a turbo). All porsches very common over here so not a very exclusive vehicle - i might see 10 or so on my way to work for example.
NSX very rare in the uk hence prices high for good examples. Don't like the looks TBH, early ones had a reputation for snappy handling, not really that quick compared to a V8-GT (280bhp vs 350). Reliability is meant to be good with these, prob cheaper to run than a lotus.
Nothing else even came up on the radar..
911's are very expensive if you want a quick one that handles (ie 99-on GT3 or a turbo). All porsches very common over here so not a very exclusive vehicle - i might see 10 or so on my way to work for example.
NSX very rare in the uk hence prices high for good examples. Don't like the looks TBH, early ones had a reputation for snappy handling, not really that quick compared to a V8-GT (280bhp vs 350). Reliability is meant to be good with these, prob cheaper to run than a lotus.
Last couple of years, I've been on a buying binge.. And picked up a small collection.
It started with a 1979 Porsche 930 (always wanted one growing up), next I picked up a 1990 Corvette ZR1 (wasn't looking for it, but someone needed money RIGHT NOW so I couldn't pass it up.) Next I was looking for a Ferrari 308 but I couldn't pass up a deal on a 1983 Ferrari Mondial convertible.
This year for my birthday I always wanted a Lotus (like in the James Bond movie) was looking for a Giugiaro, drove a few but was very disappointed on the lack of performance (YES "I have a NEED for Speed"
until I stumbled on to a 90 SE that needed some work (the PO could no longer afford repairs) and was priced right.
This summer, I felt a need for some American muscle so I picked up a 1972 Chevelle SS
My favorite to drive in order, believe it or not,, the Chevelle (Don't laugh,, lots of nastalgic comments, especially from women, something about the back seat
..) The Mondial and Lotus are both about equal, I love driving them both. But on a nice spring / fall day, nothing beats the top down on the Mondial. The Mondial has more bottom end torque, but when the Lotus turbo kicks in "watch out". The Lotus is for those days or nites when your just feeling "bad to the bone" and want to blow out Z06's.
I rarely drive the 930 but it's intentional. Fun to drive, combination of both bottom end and turbo "kick ass" ala Lotus. But, as I tell people, I always wanted one so I got one "end of story".
Finally, the Corvette is the warehouse queen. I very very rarely drive it (maybe twice this year).. no real excitement or looks, but I for some reason, I can't seem to part with it.
Next on the list of toys is a early 70s Camaro, Pantera, and the "piece de resistance" a Countach. Then I can die a happy man..
It started with a 1979 Porsche 930 (always wanted one growing up), next I picked up a 1990 Corvette ZR1 (wasn't looking for it, but someone needed money RIGHT NOW so I couldn't pass it up.) Next I was looking for a Ferrari 308 but I couldn't pass up a deal on a 1983 Ferrari Mondial convertible.
This year for my birthday I always wanted a Lotus (like in the James Bond movie) was looking for a Giugiaro, drove a few but was very disappointed on the lack of performance (YES "I have a NEED for Speed"
until I stumbled on to a 90 SE that needed some work (the PO could no longer afford repairs) and was priced right. This summer, I felt a need for some American muscle so I picked up a 1972 Chevelle SS
My favorite to drive in order, believe it or not,, the Chevelle (Don't laugh,, lots of nastalgic comments, especially from women, something about the back seat
..) The Mondial and Lotus are both about equal, I love driving them both. But on a nice spring / fall day, nothing beats the top down on the Mondial. The Mondial has more bottom end torque, but when the Lotus turbo kicks in "watch out". The Lotus is for those days or nites when your just feeling "bad to the bone" and want to blow out Z06's. I rarely drive the 930 but it's intentional. Fun to drive, combination of both bottom end and turbo "kick ass" ala Lotus. But, as I tell people, I always wanted one so I got one "end of story".
Finally, the Corvette is the warehouse queen. I very very rarely drive it (maybe twice this year).. no real excitement or looks, but I for some reason, I can't seem to part with it.
Next on the list of toys is a early 70s Camaro, Pantera, and the "piece de resistance" a Countach. Then I can die a happy man..
I drove a '92 Acura NSX, a '92 Ferrari 348, and a 2003 Corvette before buying my 1999 Lotus Esprit V8-GT.
The NSX was wonderful. It was also my first time driving a mid-engine car and I loved the physics of the layout. It felt so SHARP and sporty. But it had a lot of miles on it (not surprising: most NSX's do, because they're so darn reliable) and it was $54K. Too expensive for so many miles, in my opinion.
The Ferrari sounded wonderful and was in great shape, relatively speaking. I say relatively speaking because the interiors of 'older' Ferraris just don't hold up. This one just looked shabby. (Others I had seen were down-right deplorable.) Things were loose, sagging, and the doors made a horrible clunk when shut closed. Not pleasant. Shifting it was a chore, its power wasn't inspiring, and I realized it simply looked better than it drove. They wanted $57K for it and I said 'no thanks.'
The Corvette was too conventional. Powerful and civilized, yes. But conventional. Front-engined and a dime-a-dozen.
The Lotus struck me as an exotic (like the Ferrari), faster than all the others above, and the one I bought had low miles, was in perfect shape, and was well-maintained. (That makes a HUGE difference!) And I got it for under $50K. It was the car for me.
The NSX was wonderful. It was also my first time driving a mid-engine car and I loved the physics of the layout. It felt so SHARP and sporty. But it had a lot of miles on it (not surprising: most NSX's do, because they're so darn reliable) and it was $54K. Too expensive for so many miles, in my opinion.
The Ferrari sounded wonderful and was in great shape, relatively speaking. I say relatively speaking because the interiors of 'older' Ferraris just don't hold up. This one just looked shabby. (Others I had seen were down-right deplorable.) Things were loose, sagging, and the doors made a horrible clunk when shut closed. Not pleasant. Shifting it was a chore, its power wasn't inspiring, and I realized it simply looked better than it drove. They wanted $57K for it and I said 'no thanks.'
The Corvette was too conventional. Powerful and civilized, yes. But conventional. Front-engined and a dime-a-dozen.
The Lotus struck me as an exotic (like the Ferrari), faster than all the others above, and the one I bought had low miles, was in perfect shape, and was well-maintained. (That makes a HUGE difference!) And I got it for under $50K. It was the car for me.
Europa TC. I had sold two nice Europa TC's and then went into seller's remorse. I started beating the bushes and found the market pretty dry at the time. However, I did find a 79 Eclat that I liked and ended up buying.
The Europa bug never went away, and about a year later I started looking again. This time I ended up buying the Esprit.
Then another Eclat.
The Europa bug still hasn't gone away.
Regards,
Tim Engel
Lotus Owners Oftha North
The Europa bug never went away, and about a year later I started looking again. This time I ended up buying the Esprit.
Then another Eclat.
The Europa bug still hasn't gone away.
Regards,
Tim Engel
Lotus Owners Oftha North
The Europa bug bites hard! Got me well and truly but decent cars were hard to find - and that's in the 1980s! Also very small both in terms of accommodation and accident protection. Eventually I saw the light and accepted the only relistic course of action was to buy something more modern. I'd loved the Esprit from first sight but still wanted to be sure I was making the right decision so had a look at other cars around the same price range too,
Jag XJS - easily dismissed. Not a sports car.
Porsche 944 - very serious piece of equipment and 4-cylinder like the Lotus. All round a very capable car with good performance, good manners and decent interior. A tad sensible for my taste.
Renault Alpine/GTA - truly nutter performance on the road and styling unlike anything else so ticking many of the right boxes. Interior utterly ghastly seeming to be lifted straight from the Renault 25. Also a bit lacking in engine character. Seriously laggy turbo.
TVR 350i convertible - a nice car and highly individual like the Lotus. Nose styling very reminiscent of esprit (I do love my pop-up lamps) and a wonderful V8 exhaust. Closest run to the Esprit although eventually dismissed. I've still got the brochures so must have been impressed with it.
Esprit - what a car! Maybe only 4 cylinders but it could really put them to good use. Virtually the whole car (OK, gearbox from France) hand built at Hethel. Great pedigree following Elan and Europa. James Bond connection. Outlandish styling. Out of this world grip and handling. Mid-engined so unlike any "normal" car. Bought an S3 and kept it a long time. Wonderful.
Current wheels? Corvette C5. Rarer than a Lotus in UK even though it has all the benefits of relative mass production at 35,000 cars per year. Extraordinary performance and reliability in a package that can be used every day. Now coming up to 7 years old and still pushes the right buttons. Largely overlooked in UK due primarily to left hand drive plus a huge prejudice against American cars. Suits us owners just fine!
Jag XJS - easily dismissed. Not a sports car.
Porsche 944 - very serious piece of equipment and 4-cylinder like the Lotus. All round a very capable car with good performance, good manners and decent interior. A tad sensible for my taste.
Renault Alpine/GTA - truly nutter performance on the road and styling unlike anything else so ticking many of the right boxes. Interior utterly ghastly seeming to be lifted straight from the Renault 25. Also a bit lacking in engine character. Seriously laggy turbo.
TVR 350i convertible - a nice car and highly individual like the Lotus. Nose styling very reminiscent of esprit (I do love my pop-up lamps) and a wonderful V8 exhaust. Closest run to the Esprit although eventually dismissed. I've still got the brochures so must have been impressed with it.
Esprit - what a car! Maybe only 4 cylinders but it could really put them to good use. Virtually the whole car (OK, gearbox from France) hand built at Hethel. Great pedigree following Elan and Europa. James Bond connection. Outlandish styling. Out of this world grip and handling. Mid-engined so unlike any "normal" car. Bought an S3 and kept it a long time. Wonderful.
Current wheels? Corvette C5. Rarer than a Lotus in UK even though it has all the benefits of relative mass production at 35,000 cars per year. Extraordinary performance and reliability in a package that can be used every day. Now coming up to 7 years old and still pushes the right buttons. Largely overlooked in UK due primarily to left hand drive plus a huge prejudice against American cars. Suits us owners just fine!
Personally I had been looking at a lovely classic Ford Pinto Ghia with all the options but I had to pass on it. There was no way that I could stow a fire suit in my size into the glove box while I was off doing errands. It would have been far too inviting an item for car lot thieves. Darn hatchbacks offer no privacy.
Other than that example, I cannot think of another marque the would picque my interest. Certain rare Italian objects of lust excepted of course.
Steve
Best Holiday wishes everyone!!!!
Other than that example, I cannot think of another marque the would picque my interest. Certain rare Italian objects of lust excepted of course.
Steve
Best Holiday wishes everyone!!!!
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