[00:19] You're watching Throttle House. I'm Thomas. And I'm James. [Music]
[00:36] And that's the Lotus Esprit. V8.
[00:55] driven on Throttle House, but one that has always been wedged at the back of has always been wedged at the back of our mind has been this one, the Esprit. Lotus badge, mid-engined, manual, iconic Hollywood-approved shape,
[01:09] and even with the big engine option, weighs about as much as a new four-pot Huge thank you to the folks at Gentry Lane here in Ontario for letting us feature it because, like the other cars in their shop, this car is now an
[01:23] absolute classic. And to this day, the Esprit still undercuts its Italian rivals in price. Different specs can be had for less, but this one is mint and highly coveted, and therefore has held on to basically its 1998 price.
[01:40] So, worth it? worth it? Let's find out.
[02:03] So, subscribe and enjoy the show. [Music]
[02:15] and I have driven many Lotuses. Lotai? Actually, I read an official document that says the plural of Lotus will be Lotus. So, Thomas and I have driven many Lotus. No, that doesn't sound right. But never an Esprit, and this is the S4.
[02:30] Esprit, which means even though you could get a four-cylinder, this one has the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V8. 350 horsepower behind me, not quite as much as the Ferrari F355 of the time,
[02:45] the power-to-weight ratio is about the same, and it means it achieves
[02:58] well. This is quite quick, and like the rest of this car, that engine is all Lotus, baby. Yeah, so the engine is from Lotus, but well, you know, like a car in need is a Lotus
[03:15] indeed, and this one has borrowed a lot. you that the steering wheel, the stalks, and the airbag are from a GM Saturn. The door handles are from an Opel Calibra. The tail lights, Toyota AE86. Headlight
[03:31] lift motors from a Pontiac Fiero. The aerial, well, that's a Vauxhall Tigra. Side mirrors from a Citroën CX. Peugeot 106 interior buttons. Fan motors from a Ford Fiesta. Jag window motors. I mean, look, there is more, but come on. This
[03:47] look, there is more, but come on. This was James Bond's car. 007. That makes it automatically cool. That and the air conditioning compressor James Bond was my first experience of an Esprit, but it wasn't because it was
[04:01] cupboard that I was never allowed to watch because it was a 15, and that was Julia Roberts' Pretty Woman. It's actually a great film. And in that film, for some reason, Richard Gere can't handle this car, so Julia Roberts
[04:16] you haven't seen it, I don't know if I can say it on YouTube, Julia Roberts is one of those people that worked on a particular corner procuring business. But in that film, she procures Richard Gere's love. It's romantic and it's
[04:29] But it's also wonderful because this car is in it. Wait a minute. That's a Lotus and not something more exotic is apparently because Porsche and Ferrari rejected the film and wouldn't supply a car because of its subject matter to do
[04:46] a schmॉ stitution. Anyway, yes, it's a past-it car, but look at it. Everyone loves it. I've been driving this through the city. I've been driving it on the highway. It's well-mannered. We've established it's quick enough. The
[05:01] shifter is fine. You have to be quite delicate with it. It feels a lot like an delicate with it. It feels a lot like an Elise. That's sort of a weak point here. The clutch is lighter than I expected. It's not got a particularly high
[05:13] twin-turbocharged, the power's all at the top. This is a fun car to drive. It would be more fun if it sounded a bit better. It
[05:28] more fun if it sounded a bit better. It sounds pure. It sounds quite good.
[05:42] But it doesn't sound it's not close to the Ferrari. the interior the same way a Honda NSX does, or the Ferrari, or a Viper.
[05:56] And that's because it has the feel of an intimidating, Lamborghini, but it's not scary to drive, which means this doesn't feel entirely like any other Lotus I've driven. It There's It almost feels
[06:10] Italian. It's Esprit, Mario. Don't put that in. Don't put that in. You kind of get the impression that Lotus did everything they could with what they had. And what they had is
[06:24] always less than everyone else. But as a result, you really get the feeling that this has been made by a team of people for whom compromise wasn't a word in their dictionary. Apart
[06:37] from one big compromise. One There's one giant one. Yeah, Lotus messed up. Yeah, apparently that twin-turbo V8 was Yeah, apparently that twin-turbo V8 was capable of 500 horsepower. Lotus
[06:49] actually spent millions of pounds developing that engine. They spent more the entire Lotus Elise, but they didn't have any money left over, so they had to use a transmission from a Renault, which wasn't capable of handling 500
[07:03] wasn't capable of handling 500 horsepower. So, they detuned the engine to 350. So, right off the bat, the car was neutered. [Music]
[07:22] which means that it should be a delight in the corners.
[07:36] Elise, uh this isn't at the same level of tactility and lightness and connection that the Elise is. But compared to its contemporary, the F355,
[07:52] that You feel that there isn't a lot of mass when you lean it into it. Ooh, like that. That's nice.
[08:06] seriously. That's That's good. That's That's good. Oh, yes.
[08:22] but a Countach is cumbersome. It's heavy. It's difficult to drive. This heavy. It's difficult to drive. This isn't. It's so much This is so Lotus.
[08:34] about making the car feel delicate in the corners. And it does. Always wanted to drive one of these. I Always wanted to drive one of these. I was always so curious.
[08:48] They allow the body to move around a little bit. Steering isn't that fast. There's lots of feedback. And since it's front, so the steering is actually quite light until you add some grip to those
[09:03] front tires, then it loads up exactly how you want it to. And a road like this is kind of like an English B-road is exactly what this car English B-road is exactly what this car was meant to do.
[09:30] You push it into a corner, you get a little bit of that front end understeer, you, which is exactly what you want. Predictability and adjustability. That is the Lotus way.
[09:50] It's holding this thing back. Interesting takeaway, though. This is a very good car. It's a very nice car. It's very easy car to drive fast. But it's not particularly riveting to
[10:03] drive. It's not that exciting, especially at road speeds like this. And for a car that shared a year with the Elise, the Elise is on another level of fun and connection.
[10:19] of fun and connection. This one's a lot quicker though. Okay. So, I really like it. Right. However, I felt that. Yeah, yeah. What
[10:33] >> It's just It's just fine. >> No, it's just good. It's not just fine. It's better than fine. It's good. But at the same time, there isn't a single in bed tonight and go like the noise that it made or the shifter or
[10:48] this. >> You're right. It is. It looks whole package. It's like the power band. It's just here and then like strong all the way. Because this is one of the coolest looking cars of this era.
[11:02] it does. >> And it's well loved and it's wedgy. I Yeah. >> And then this is the S4. So, it's the same guy that fiddled with the Elise fiddled with the design of this. But it
[11:15] in there. There was. He's the one that did the McLaren F1. Right. And he made it curvy. And then his generation wasn't even called the S3. It was called like Yeah, that's right. Or X180 was the code name.
[11:28] is the last version of the car effectively, right? >> Yes, officially, yes. >> Fundamentally unchanged for how so many years, right? But like it ended up with these like cool kind of little like
[11:40] right there on the edges and then wing and everything. The OZ wheels. I think it's it's definitely one of the most iconic wedges in car history, right? But is that enough? Because if you consider its
[11:56] contemporaries, Yeah. and I've looked at them, they all sit around similar them, they all sit around similar prices. The NSX, the Viper, Mhm. the 996 Serious cars. >> 996 Turbo I wouldn't even consider.
[12:10] >> Just because it's I'm not a fan. It's just a bit dull. This is way more exciting. Okay. This engine could blow up at any time, right? It's an >> Okay, so the timing belt does need a service every 6 years or whatever, but
[12:24] apparently they're all reasonably reliable when you look after them as protect their investment. >> It's the classic thing you see on the being reliable. But then the forum's like once you've done like all of the
[12:38] they're actually quite reliable. That's true of every car ever. There you go. See? Once you fix all the problems, there's no problems anyway. [Laughter] You can also get 10-year newer Gallardo,
[12:53] price. >> about for this price, right? price is a an Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Aston Martin comes up all the time. >> I'm sorry. Just It's so cool. Or a DBS.
[13:08] So, I've I've been on the car auctions sometimes. Okay, so I moment. You have a problem. >> Not required. >> You have a problem. This is on TV. >> Every single time I talk to him or I'm
[13:21] on the phone with him, he is at least 10% distracted with the auction. He'll He'll be like this. Uh-huh. >> as an auction-obsessed person. >> No, it's too late. I've done it. On the
[13:36] auctions, they sometimes include the comparison from when this car came out. auctions, you'd see all the comparisons about how the Ford GT Wouldn't be him. was brilliant. Yeah. They do this for this, except this is last in every
[13:51] single comparison. So, it's like here's an auction, mint Esprit. Go down to the thing, articles, fifth. Not quite as good as the other one. that on the auction? Yeah, I think Okay, so for this money in
[14:06] this exact era, just by the way that they drive, not even considering the badges of the styling, I would take a F355, a Ferrari. is a Ferrari, right?
[14:20] really, really like this car. I genuinely do. It's one of the cars that you look at and go No one hates this thing. No. You can't hate the Esprit. And here's the thing we're forgetting. This is a mint twin-turbo V8 version.
[14:34] >> If you go slightly older or you go for a four-cylinder, then you get the best >> Way less. >> And then suddenly Yeah, if you go back Bond car, one of the most famous Bond cars.
[14:48] Roberts though. Yeah, no, no, I know. No, it's got no pull, does it? He hasn't >> It came up more than I expected, to be honest. in It's very squeaky in here. It's quite
[15:03] But don't worry, you can't hear it when the car's stopped cuz the idle is so vibrating and loud. I know. Um so, you know how in an Aston Martin the doors kind of go up a little bit? >> Yes. They're not like full uh like
[15:15] scissor doors, but they go up a bit. Yes. These go down a bit. And I'm not sure if that's just slack in the hinges or it's the design feature. don't just go to go They go Everything's leather-wrapped.
[15:27] >> really nice actually. Like compare this to an Elise cabin, it's a different >> It's also a different brand everywhere else cuz they've used different brands. know, parts bin parts as we know. I like these though.
[15:39] in this car and any car I've been in in a long time? Big claim. It is the fuel filler door release button. It's right here. Falls to hand. All right. Listen, as I click it
[15:53] and release, it's with the with So, I can hold it longer And it releases the fuel filler door. >> We're really looking for things that >> No, no, no. That's very That's very unique. Um so, this is very la- like
[16:08] '80s Lamborghini vibe in here. >> is. Yeah, yeah. Your head is extremely close to the to the roof and the pillars. But this roof can be changed as well. Yeah, which is nice. If this had more power, it would be England's
[16:22] Yeah. >> target overpowered. It does technically have more power. It's just stupid transmission. >> at that chair to every time you say something. Is it Is it
[16:36] something. Is it Is it It's accenting. Listen. I I actually really like this I'm sorry. No, you got me laughing about the thing. That's so dumb. I actually really like
[16:49] leather-wrapped. I'm a sucker for when Ooh, that really is really cracky. I'm going to leave that one alone. Um Yours is also kind of Okay. I like it when sun visors are wrapped in leather. That to me is the mark of they didn't want to
[17:02] cut any corners when they were trimming the interior. If you do that, that's a good sign. The steering wheel lets it down a bit. However, in Europe there was better. Cleans up the whole cabin cuz there's just less I I actually have a
[17:15] there's just less I I actually have a phobia of like late '90s, early 2000s airbags. Just going Like I just I just assume that when the airbag was first invented, someone was like potato sack, shotgun shell. Let's put those in a
[17:28] make a pillow. You know what I mean? really don't. >> There's not much storage in here. >> There's no glove compartment. Like where do you put
[17:40] Where do you put the files? The files are put right here. >> the files. Um so,
[17:53] Alpine. Yes. We have very simple controls, but wonderfully just buttons. >> No. This is a good era in many ways. Yes, it This is a good era in many ways. Yes, it is. Also, I love the the the dials. So
[18:07] analog, so like almost aircrafty. But why didn't they show a red line? That's a good question. Rev it till it blows up. Yeah. No idea.
[18:19] We got We got some stuff to talk about a legend. No question. Like unequivocally, it's a legend. It just looks amazing. >> I don't want to say that it disappointed
[18:33] me cuz it didn't disappoint me, but it absolutely met my expectations. Yeah, I think it drives It It >> them so hard. It drives exactly how it >> And no more. It doesn't Even though it's quite light, It's a bit quicker than I
[18:47] It's a bit quicker. Yes, it's a bit quicker than I thought it was. And the grip is good. The engine's over the rear. Like you can hustle this thing. I want to say that this is a sixth the price Countach
[19:00] and half of the experience. A sixth the price price price No. Sixth the price Countach and half the experience. I'll take it.
[19:20] $120,000 sold. Wait, what? [Music] level. And we would take an Emira every single time. But the Esprit holds
[19:32] legendary status in a way that the Emira doesn't yet or may not ever. It charitably showcases parts from other cars, and yet still it's charming in its own way. The places where it could improve would only be achievable at a
[19:47] much higher price point or with modern tech because the fundamentals are all tech because the fundamentals are all there and it's undeniably beautiful. Really, it's the perfect car to be the next victim of the resto mod craze
[20:00] that's happening right now because oh, look at that. Since we filmed it, one There we go. But here's the good news. If you already But here's the good news. If you already loved the Esprit as is, it delivers on
[20:13] all the right notes. Thanks for watching.
[20:25] It's just standing up. Oh, that's a good stretch. Oh, look at that bum shake. Do I have to go and meet him in a car park somewhere now?