anyone ever own or drive an Esprit?

[twobone]

Someone at our club posted for sale a beautiful "last of the turbo series - I think its an S4" Esprit. It got me daydreaming...the Esprit is such a wicked wedge design. So sexy, so unique.

 

Anyone have any experience with one?

 

The owner is asking about ~$24K and its supposed to be super clean and well cared for

[Wings Aviation]

I had a carb turbo, reminds me of deep sea fishing. When you are just ready to give up and sell everything you have a good trip that keeps you in it for another season. That's the Esprit, infuriating, poorly assembled from the British Leyland parts bin, but every now and then on the rare days it's actually running it's enough to make you really smile and remind you of the pictures on your bedroom wall when you were a boy (or at least when I was a boy). In a recent moment of weakness I briefly considered a late V8, to take up some garage space. I can only imagine that they got better in build quality as time went on, mine was an early one.

[Canadian 7]

I had a 1990 single turbo 4cyl and a 1999 twin turbo V8. Night and day difference - I don't think I would buy another 4 cyl unless it was a S4S. I will probably own another V8 though - amazing car.

[BusaNostra]

I have two V8 -- the yellow is for sale (fresh engine) nothing to do, turn key.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/150x100q90/21/04242008044.jpg

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/150x100q90/35/fallpictures056.jpg

Edited July 5, 2014 by BusaNostra

[JeffersonRaley]

I had an 86 Esprit Turbo HCI. It was a great car, but not a good car. I averaged $700 per month in parts for the 2+ years I owned it, and that was doing most of the work myself. It was a fast and beautiful car, but I'd never do a 4 cyl Esprit again. My Elise was a totally different story. Faster, better handling and incredibly reliable.

[twobone]

Turns out the car was sold. Thanks for the thoughts

[NVP66S]

My comment is too late, but it's not relevant to a purchase decision anyway. :blush: I've never driven one, but I can give you details on how to turn it into a submarine, as a small company I used to work for did just that for a James Bond movie. The project engineer, a good friend of mine at the time, was driving a Lotus Europa with a Renault engine. He bought it new.