1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo – Today’s Tempter

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 13.11.2020

Supercar experience without the pricetag: Turbo Lotus Esprit, five-speed manual, low-kms

The Lotus Esprit first debuted at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, and entered production the following year and replaced the Europa.

The Esprit was popularised a few years later in the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, and spawned a passionate following for the mid-engined sporting Brit.

Over its tremendously enduring 28-year production lifecycle, the Esprit underwent a number of significant revisions and updates.

A drastic redesign came in 1987, styled by Peter Stevens who would later go on to pen the McLaren F1.

A far more modern bodykit updates its appearances and softened its wedged edges, while many of the upgrades found in the high-spec Esprit Turbo became standard affair. The cabin also gained an improved layout, while new composite manufacturing techniques yielded a 22% torsional rigidity increase.

This Australian-delivered Lotus Esprit Turbo comes to market in very well-kept condition, stored as part of a multi-car collection according to the selling dealers.

Specified in Steel Blue over a cream interior, with its 2.2lt turbocharged inline-four and five-speed manual in place, the Esprit Turbo shows just 63,241kms travelled.

The car is accompanied by many invoices, with reported ‘thousands and thousands’ spent on maintaining the car to a high turn-key standard.

If the British sports car takes your fancy, you can find it in Victoria listed for $67,990.

Check out the full listing here!

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