'97 V8 as a daily driver
Discussion
Hello, I've been thinking about changing my GTV for a bit. I wondered about an elise, but got put off by the potentially leaky roof, so now I've seen a '97 V8 esprit which I'm tempted by. It's got 26k on the clock and the garage want £23k for it.
I was really looking for advice on running one of these as a daily driver. Obviously it's going to be more expensive than a 'normal' car, but I could do with general guidance on what to expect and what to look out for.
I'd be using it most days for my 40 mile round trip into stockport (that's about 12k miles a year), which means a mix of great Derbyshire roads and awful A6 traffic in Stockport, combined with fairly grim weather in the winter.
Would there be much left of it in 3 years time with knocking on 60k on the clock ?
My expirience with other exotics has always been lucky, but being an ex IT contractor money is tighter than it used to be, so I do need to be at least slightly sensible.
Thanks for any info.
I was really looking for advice on running one of these as a daily driver. Obviously it's going to be more expensive than a 'normal' car, but I could do with general guidance on what to expect and what to look out for.
I'd be using it most days for my 40 mile round trip into stockport (that's about 12k miles a year), which means a mix of great Derbyshire roads and awful A6 traffic in Stockport, combined with fairly grim weather in the winter.
Would there be much left of it in 3 years time with knocking on 60k on the clock ?
My expirience with other exotics has always been lucky, but being an ex IT contractor money is tighter than it used to be, so I do need to be at least slightly sensible.
Thanks for any info.
hi doug - yes you can use a v8 as a daily driver. I've been driving my v8-gt (98) as my only transport for the last 18 months (25,000 miles) and before that i ran a 98 GT3 for 12 months/12,000 miles.
The v8 is a bit expensive to maintain, but no more i'd guess than the string of other 'exotic' cars that you list in your profile as previously owned. My running costs are in my profile. If you factor out the leaking cylinder liner then the costs aren't actually too bad... expensive, but then it is a 350bhp supercar!
Biggest issue for me is depreciation. My car now has 62k miles on it, and i doubt that i'd get more than about 18k for it if i were to sell it now, even though its got all the stamps in the book (main dealer) and a lot of the expensive maintenance things have already been done recently - clutch, cats, cambelt, turbos etc.
I've just bought myself a golf gti for a daily commuter car, so i'll be using the esprit for weekends only from now on to try and keep the mileage down.
For a 97 v8 £23k sounds a bit pricey to me. Have a look at autotrader to compare prices.
Check out www.espritfactfile.com and www.lotusespritworld.com for all the esprit info and buying guides. Suggest you join the uk esprit yahoo group too:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/UKLotusEsprit/
Don't buy the first esprit you look at - drive a few and see how they all compare. Condition is everything - it its not been looked after then you'll be looking at some big bills to get things right. Also, you may find a 97 harder to sell on later as it has the old style dash (98-on cars get the newer dash).
Any questions - just ask.
cheers
Rob
The v8 is a bit expensive to maintain, but no more i'd guess than the string of other 'exotic' cars that you list in your profile as previously owned. My running costs are in my profile. If you factor out the leaking cylinder liner then the costs aren't actually too bad... expensive, but then it is a 350bhp supercar!
Biggest issue for me is depreciation. My car now has 62k miles on it, and i doubt that i'd get more than about 18k for it if i were to sell it now, even though its got all the stamps in the book (main dealer) and a lot of the expensive maintenance things have already been done recently - clutch, cats, cambelt, turbos etc.
I've just bought myself a golf gti for a daily commuter car, so i'll be using the esprit for weekends only from now on to try and keep the mileage down.
For a 97 v8 £23k sounds a bit pricey to me. Have a look at autotrader to compare prices.
Check out www.espritfactfile.com and www.lotusespritworld.com for all the esprit info and buying guides. Suggest you join the uk esprit yahoo group too:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/UKLotusEsprit/
Don't buy the first esprit you look at - drive a few and see how they all compare. Condition is everything - it its not been looked after then you'll be looking at some big bills to get things right. Also, you may find a 97 harder to sell on later as it has the old style dash (98-on cars get the newer dash).
Any questions - just ask.
cheers
Rob
Thanks, invaluable info much appreciated.
When I first read your car details I thought 'oh oh, big money', but I guess looking at your normal running costs it doesn't look too horrific, in a wierd, car-nut sort of way (if you know what I mean). As you say, 350bhp supercars don't come cheap to run.
It sort of sounds almost feasible, but could I sleep at night worrying about big bills ? I'll keep you posted !
Cheers.
When I first read your car details I thought 'oh oh, big money', but I guess looking at your normal running costs it doesn't look too horrific, in a wierd, car-nut sort of way (if you know what I mean). As you say, 350bhp supercars don't come cheap to run.
It sort of sounds almost feasible, but could I sleep at night worrying about big bills ? I'll keep you posted !
Cheers.
I don't know if I would use it as a daily driver. All depends though on the traffic conditions. I would much rather sit in trafic in a regular car. The added cost of insurance, maintenence, risk of accidents in rush hour, the depreiciation miles, etc. Might as well drive an 2nd car while stuck traffic and keep the Esprit for fun jaunts after work hours and the weekends. I drive mine to work once in while but those drives to work are not what I would call ideal Lotus driving conditions.
Calvin
Calvin
I know what you mean, but from expirience of doing this I know it doesn't really work for me. My trouble is that although I love driving fast cars (any car really) I'm not keen on just driving aimlessly around at weekends, especially with the wife sitting next to me grumbling and getting car sick (that's the real problem if I'm honest).
In my old life as a contractor I used to have a stupid situation where I had a ferrari in the garage that just didn't get used because it was just too much of a pain at weekends. If I'd been able to afford running it daily (and put up with all the hassle of course) it would have been completely different, but in the end I decided to give up on the supercar thing until I could have one I could use every day.
Of course, being a serial car addict isn't easy sometimes, so not having an earth-shatteringly quick car is starting to niggle ! Maybe I need therapy !
In my old life as a contractor I used to have a stupid situation where I had a ferrari in the garage that just didn't get used because it was just too much of a pain at weekends. If I'd been able to afford running it daily (and put up with all the hassle of course) it would have been completely different, but in the end I decided to give up on the supercar thing until I could have one I could use every day.
Of course, being a serial car addict isn't easy sometimes, so not having an earth-shatteringly quick car is starting to niggle ! Maybe I need therapy !
I've been using my 98 V8SE as my daily driver for the last year - in fact, it's my only car. This is in Christchurch, New Zealand, where we have wide roads, no traffic jams, and good sized parking spaces. Never had any malicious damage. Potential daily use related damage is car doors opening against the Esprit's doors, etc, especially as it's so wide, so I always park in the middle of 2 parks! A bit cheeky, but I always seem to get away with it. You can fit alot of groceries on the passenger side too! I had looked at buying a 355 instead, but climbing miles on a 355 may well inflict even more savage depreciation than the Esprit...
Doug
Like Rob, I used my GT3 as a daily driver for 4 years ( and before that a Turbo and an S3, 12 years of an Esprit as my only car ) but I too have a second car now. Anyway, all my running costs are on my web page, www.adrianmugridge.co.uk You can reckon on £3k a year in running cost ( servicing and repairs )
Adrian
mail@adrianmugridge.co.uk
www.adrianmugridge.co.uk
Like Rob, I used my GT3 as a daily driver for 4 years ( and before that a Turbo and an S3, 12 years of an Esprit as my only car ) but I too have a second car now. Anyway, all my running costs are on my web page, www.adrianmugridge.co.uk You can reckon on £3k a year in running cost ( servicing and repairs )
Adrian
mail@adrianmugridge.co.uk
www.adrianmugridge.co.uk
I use my 1989 SE as a daily driver- about a 1000miles a month- not my only car- I have three (including a BMW M roadster) but I just enjoy the esprit experience so much! actually kinda has that dirk diggler aspect... 
I don't find servicing/running costs to be much higher than most cars of its age. Actually the daily use seems to keep the problems down compared to others that are used sparingly (ie everything works- including ALL electrics!)
>> Edited by sydneyse on Monday 16th December 22:48
I don't find servicing/running costs to be much higher than most cars of its age. Actually the daily use seems to keep the problems down compared to others that are used sparingly (ie everything works- including ALL electrics!)
>> Edited by sydneyse on Monday 16th December 22:48
If you get a 4cyl turbo it should cost you very little to run. I would say to set aside somewhere around 1000 USD for every 10-15K miles if you do not do your own work on the car. If you can do your own work it is much less, just a few hundred in parts for normal and routine things with the Esprit. This is something a sales person at Fox Valley (a Lotus dealer)told me years ago when I was looking at the Esprit's, I have found this to be true. Even if you do not use all of the money set aside for a particular years maintenece just set it aside in the bank in case some does go horribly wrong and you will be fine. A correctly tuned later 4 cyl can keep up with the V8's, although they cannot shake you the 4 cyl will not be able to pass them. You will have to drive more presice, be on power more, and do bit more work to what they do easily.
Calvin
Calvin
I used to run an 89 Esprit Turbo as my daily driver. Fantastic car, but a killer for daily use. Call me soft, but no power steering, super heavy clutch, heavy brakes (hard pads fitted), on carbs so heavy throttle, and rubbery gear change all conspired to make it difficult to use around town. However, my 98 V8SE is a revelation, which I also use as a daily driver. It's like a pussycat to drive - my grandmother could take it shopping. Presumably any S4 onwards would be the same to drive as my V8.
I don't know about other people's experiences, but with both cars I have never had any reliability problems, helping to keep running costs to the usual scheduled stuff.
I don't know about other people's experiences, but with both cars I have never had any reliability problems, helping to keep running costs to the usual scheduled stuff.
Mike, you're saying the stuff I want to hear! I had an excel se about 10 years ago, everyone told me it would be useless, but (apart from a few niggles like the windscreen wiper falling off) it was fine.
Maybe I'll start looking around. I know exactly where that's going to lead if I do!
Maybe I'll start looking around. I know exactly where that's going to lead if I do!
Actually, my experience of having run a 4 cylinder then a v8 as my daily transport i'd say that the V8 is MUCH better than any 4 cylinder car.
The clutch on a v8 is much lighter for a start, and the higher torque on the v8 means that in most town driving situations you can just stick it in third gear and leave it there.
To give you an example, there are a couple of small roundabouts between my house and the motorway junction - in the v8 you approach in third, slow down to go round the roundabout (down to 1000rpm) still in third, then pull away at the other side - all in the same gear. In a 4 cylinder you would have at least a couple of gear changes..
Dont misunderstand my comments -the GT3 (in fact any 4 cylinder esprit) is a great car, and great value for money, but as a daily driver i found the v8 is a better car.
just my 02p
rob
The clutch on a v8 is much lighter for a start, and the higher torque on the v8 means that in most town driving situations you can just stick it in third gear and leave it there.
To give you an example, there are a couple of small roundabouts between my house and the motorway junction - in the v8 you approach in third, slow down to go round the roundabout (down to 1000rpm) still in third, then pull away at the other side - all in the same gear. In a 4 cylinder you would have at least a couple of gear changes..
Dont misunderstand my comments -the GT3 (in fact any 4 cylinder esprit) is a great car, and great value for money, but as a daily driver i found the v8 is a better car.
just my 02p
rob
Maybe the clutch is a bit heavy. I am used to it. My daily drivers are all automatics. I had to borrow a co-workers car recently, a VW Passat. I went for the clutch and I pressed down so hard down on it I thought I was going to put the pedal through the floor. It felt like there was nothing there like it was broken or something. But it was just a normal clutch. The V8's are much lighter in the clutch. But I would think the operating costs are much lower. Especially for me anyways. Don't know too much about the V8's.
Calvin
Calvin
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