The Lotus Esprit is a sports car manufactured by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004 at its factory in Hethel, England.<\/p>\n
The Esprit was among the first of the (nearly) straight-lined, hard-edged, creased, and sometimes wedge-shaped, polygonal \u201cfolded paper\u201d designs by the prolific and highly successful Italian industrial and automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Esprit\u2019s backbone chassis was later adapted to carry the body of the DeLorean, another low-slung, Giugiaro-designed, sharply creased, wedge-shaped sports car.<\/p>\n
The Esprit was unveiled in October 1975 at the Paris Motor Show and went into production in June 1976, replacing the Europa in the Lotus model lineup. These first cars became known as \u201cSeries 1\u201d (or S1) Esprits.<\/p>\n
In 1978, the revised Series 2 (or S2) Esprit was introduced. The S2.2 was a stopgap model introduced in May 1980; its only major difference from the S2 was, as indicated by its model name, that it had a 2.2-liter engine.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013 \u2014- \u2014-
\nEssex Turbo Esprit (1980) \u2014- THIS VERSION<\/p>\n
In 1980, the Essex Turbo Esprit was launched. This special edition model featured the blue, red, and chrome livery of the Essex Overseas Petroleum Corporation, the sponsor of Team Lotus from 1979 to 1981. Although Lotus dealer Bell and Colvill had been offering turbo conversions for the S2 Esprit as early as 1978, the Essex Turbo Esprit was the first factory-turbocharged Esprit.<\/p>\n
The chassis and rear suspension were redesigned, with an upper link added at the rear to reduce stress on the half-shafts. The brakes were also improved. Giugiaro designed an aerodynamic body kit for the car, featuring a rear lip spoiler, a prominent louvered rear hatch, more substantial bumpers, a deeper front airdam, and air ducts in the sills just ahead of the new three-piece 15-inch Compomotive rear wheels. Inside, scarlet leather combined with a roof-mounted Panasonic stereo to create a dramatic atmosphere. Forty-five Essex Turbo Esprit cars were built, interspersed with and followed by a number of dry-sump turbo cars that did not feature the Essex livery but were otherwise identical in specification.<\/p>\n
Thanks to forced induction and improvements in power output, even with just four cylinders, the Esprit became a serious competitor to Porsche and Ferrari\u2014from its increased top speed to its improved handling and reliability.<\/p>\n
Very easy to drive and push to the limit, the Esprit set the standard for all Lotus cars that followed and remained a success for nearly 30 years.<\/p>\n
Two Essex-spec Turbo Esprits\u2014one white and the other copper\u2014appeared in the James Bond film *For Your Eyes Only* (1981),<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013
\nThe Series 3 (or S3) and Turbo Esprit debuted in April 1981. The two models shared a common chassis, and their bodywork was based on a common set of molds.<\/p>\n
The final versions of the Giugiaro-styled Esprit were announced in April 1986. Higher compression ratios for the engines were indicated by the \u2018HC\u2019 designation. Power output of the naturally aspirated engine rose to 172 PS (127 kW; 170 hp) and 160 lb\u22c5ft (217 N\u22c5m) for the Esprit HC, and to 218 PS (160 kW; 215 hp) and 298 N\u22c5m (220 lb\u22c5ft) for the Turbo Esprit HC, with more torque available at lower engine speeds.<\/p>\n
Another redesign of the car in 1993, designed by Julian Thomson, resulted in the Series 4 (or S4). The S4 was joined in 1994 by the S4 Sport (S4s). Engine output increased to 305 PS (224 kW; 301 hp) and 393 N\u22c5m (290 lb\u22c5ft) of torque.<\/p>\n
In 1996, Lotus launched the Esprit V8. The car was equipped with Lotus\u2019s own Type 918 V8 engine. The engine is an all-aluminum 90\u00b0 DOHC design with four valves per cylinder, a flat-plane crankshaft, and two Garrett T25\/60 turbochargers, but no charge cooler.<\/p>\n
In 1998, the V8 lineup was divided into SE and GT models. The ultimate incarnation of the Esprit was the 1999 Sport 350. Only 50 were made. The ECU in the Sport 350 was remapped to deliver the same 350 horsepower as the Lotus Type 918 (as indicated by the name).<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013 \u2014\u2013
\n1980 Lotus Essex Turbo Esprit (5-speed manual) (European model) car specifications
\nMake: Lotus
\nModel: Esprit 1975\u20132004
\nSubmodel: Esprit Giugiaro Series 1976\u20131987
\nEEC segmentation: S (sports cars)
\nSubsegment: S-C (sport coupes) \u2013 executive
\nClass: grand tourer
\nBody style: hatchback coupe
\nDoors: 2<\/p>\n
Engine manufacturer: Lotus 910
\nEngine type: spark-ignition 4-stroke
\nFuel type: gasoline (petrol)
\nFuel system: 2 carburetors
\nCharging system: turbocharger
\nValves per cylinder: 4
\nAdditional features: Dell Orto 40 DHLAH, Garrett T3 turbo 8.0 psi (0.5 bar) \/ DOHC belt-driven<\/p>\n
Cylinder alignment: Line 4 2.2L
\nDisplacement: 2174 cm\u00b3 \/ 132.5 cui
\nNet horsepower: 156.5 kW \/ 213 PS \/ 210 hp (DIN) \/ 6000\u20136500
\nNet torque: 271 Nm \/ 200 ft-lb \/ 4000\u20134500
\nIdle: 950\u20131000 rpm
\nIgnition cut-out: 7,300 rpm<\/p>\n
Curb weight (without a driver): 1148 kg \/ 2531 lbs
\nFront\/rear weight distribution (%): 42.5 \/ 57.5
\nFuel Tank: 86 Lt (18.9 galls)<\/p>\n
Traction: RWD (rear-wheel drive)
\nOpen differential (not LSD)
\nTransmission type: manual
\nNumber of gears: 5
\nGear ratios (overall):
\nI 2,923 (12.79)
\nII 1,941 (8.49)
\nIII 1,321 (5.78)
\nIV 0.97 (4.24)
\nV 0.757 (3.31)
\nR 3,154
\nFinal drive ratio std: 4.375<\/p>\n
Standard tires: 195\/60 VR 15 (F); 235\/60 VR 15<\/p>\n
Lateral acceleration: 0.81 g (8 m\/s\u00b2)<\/p>\n
Steering: 3.1 turns from lock to lock<\/p>\n
Suspension
\nFront: Upper Wishbone w\/Lower Transverse Link, Coil Springs, Anti-Roll Bar
\nRear: Double Transverse Links w\/Radius Arms, Coil Springs<\/p>\n
Brakes:
\nFront: 267 mm \/ 10.5-inch discs
\nRear: 246 mm \/ 9.7-inches discs<\/p>\n
Braking 100-0 kmh: 46,31m Estimated —— 44,6 m tsa<\/p>\n
Performance – Factory claim
\nTop speed: 245 km\/h \/ 152 mph —— 244 tsa
\n0-60 mph (s): 5.55
\n0-100 km\/h (s): 5.8 ——- 5.95 tsa
\nDrag
\n0-1\/4 mile (s): 14.4 ——- 14.27 tsa
\n0-1 km (s): 26.1 ——– 26.00 tsa<\/p>\n
Estimated
\nTop speed: (theor. without speed governor) 243 km\/h \/ 151 mph
\nAcceleration:
\n0-100 km\/h (s): 6
\n0-160 km\/h (s): 14.3
\n0-60 mph (s): 5.5
\n0-100 mph (s): 14.5<\/p>\n
Drag times:
\n0- 1\/4mile (s): 14.1
\nspeed at 1\/4mile: 158 km\/h \/ 98 mph
\n0- 1km (s): 25.8<\/p>\n
Official track times:
\nWillow Springs 1:43.30 (fastestlaps.com 1981 turbo +-100kg plus?) ——- 1:40.614 Essex AC Tested<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27490,"template":"","vehica_23442":[2480],"vehica_6659":[3302],"vehica_6660":[3785],"vehica_6655":[2320],"vehica_23443":[2495],"vehica_23545":[2508],"vehica_6670":[],"vehica_23445":[3787,3407,3786],"vehica_23531":[2497],"class_list":["post-27489","vehica_car","type-vehica_car","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","vehica_23442-assetto-corsa","vehica_6659-lotus","vehica_6660-esprit","vehica_6655-coupe","vehica_23443-traseira-rwd","vehica_23545-manual","vehica_23445-a-cash","vehica_23445-realspecs","vehica_23445-smallblockhero","vehica_23531-street"],"acf":{"original":"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/lotus-esprit-mod-134482614?utm_campaign=patron_engagement&utm_source=post_link&post_id=134482614&token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJyZWRpc19rZXkiOiJpYTI6NDY2NzQ5OTUtYTI2Ny00ZWNkLWE4MTctNWYwMWE4ZTU3Zjg5IiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MTM0NDgyNjE0LCJwYXRyb25faWQiOjc0OTExMDU4fQ.F1xFzQZfntX1e0xARxK9Kcdaj5xi8oetnreQviCi0W8&utm_id=4fd28b17-dad6-4871-9c23-bdf20b452c76&utm_medium=email","modsfire":"https:\/\/modsfire.com\/q7KE25HlQbn6Wcm","sharemods":"https:\/\/sharemods.com\/3fo0cnt55emh\/rs_lotus_esprit_turbo_80.7z.html"},"vehica_14696":"1980","vehica_23444":"210","vehica_23446":"271","vehica_23447":"1148","vehica_23448":"5.47","vehica_23449":"5.8","vehica_23534":"0.9","vehica_23455":"1","vehica_23456":["https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/preview-74.jpg"],"vehica_28233":"","vehica_28602":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cars\/27489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cars"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/vehica_car"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"vehica_23442","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_23442?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_6659","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_6659?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_6660","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_6660?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_6655","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_6655?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_23443","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_23443?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_23545","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_23545?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_6670","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_6670?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_23445","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_23445?post=27489"},{"taxonomy":"vehica_23531","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brasilsimulatormods.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vehica_23531?post=27489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}