The Lotus Esprit was a sports car built by Lotus from 1976 to 2004. The Silver Italdesign concept that eventually became the Esprit was unveiled at the Turin motor show in 1972, and was a development of a stretched Lotus Europa chassis. The Esprit was made famous when driven by Roger Moore in the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and For Your Eyes Only (1981).
In 1980 the first factory turbocharged Lotus, the Essex Esprit, was built. The new turbocharged engine was known as the 910 type. Performance improvements were coupled to a revamped rear suspension, along with brake improvements (with the front suspension upgraded again in 1985). Turbo cars are recognized by an aerodynamic body kit with a duck-tail spoiler and squared bumpers, with more aggressive air ducts.
This 1988 Lotus Esprit has a mid-mounted turbo 2.2L 16v engine producing 210hp @ 6,500rpm and 200ft/lbs torque at 4250rpm. With its five-speed manual transmission its top speed was rated at 140+ mph with a 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. The Pearl White exterior and black leather interior are in good overall condition, showing some patina. It has a glass sunroof, and an aftermarket stereo with mp3 capability. The full service history is available for the vehicle. This Esprit is a fun, exotic, mid-engined sportscar with a timeless look and history.
