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Car and Driver
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
1986 Lotus Esprit Turbo Test: Animal Magnetism
From the July 1986 issue of Car and Driver. There's something about this car that turns people a little wacko. Porsche guys hate it. They pull up next to you on the freeway, give this evil flower a sniff, and then nail it. Most of the time, this freeway tango isn't so much a challenge to race as it is a simple declarative sentence. It's the profiler's way of saying, "My car can beat up your car." Most can't, but they try. You get some of this from everybody. Guys with personality disorders in jacked-up '76 Camaros suddenly feel a need to crack open their secondaries when they see the Esprit cruising in the next lane. Housewives with station-wagon loads of kids want to drag-race you out of the supermarket lot. Bikers give you thumbs-up signs and pop half-mile wheelies. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver What's the meaning of this? Is the Esprit Turbo some kind of automotive Bermuda Triangle? Does it throw sane men completely out of calibration? Does it invalidate the laws of common sense? Does it relieve the heartbreak of psoriasis? The answer to all of these questions, of course, is yes. This Lotus could turn Franz Kafka into a party animal. The reasons are easy to understand. The Giugiaro-designed Esprit measures a mere 44.5 inches from pavement to roof. That's about the height of your average three-drawer file cabinet. It's wide and wedgy, and it has lots of what the Japanese like to call "surface excitement." That means enough scoops, rocker-panel extensions, air dams, sharp angles, and body breaks to qualify as a shuttle craft for the Millenium Falcon. Except for the Lamborghini Countach, there is nothing on the street that can touch the Esprit's mondotomorrow looks. If we had a dollar for every hard stare we got while driving our test car, we could afford to buy an Esprit in about a day—maybe a day and a half in light traffic. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver One of the other things that make people a little goofy over this car is the engine noise. At idle it sounds like an F1 motor exhaling through cardboard tubes filled with beer. More important, and unlike some domestic engines with "sport-tuned" exhaust systems, the Esprit's turbocharged, sixteen-valve, 2.2-liter, mid-mounted four-cylinder isn't just a lot of talk. For the first time since this engine's debut, in the 1973 Jensen-Healey, it benefits from fuel injection. The Bosch K-Jetronic system added this year in place of the twin Dellorto carburetors does a couple of wonderful things. First, horsepower is up from 205 to 215. Second, EPA city fuel economy is improved from 14 to 18 mpg, highway from 25 to 26 mpg, elevating the Esprit Turbo out of the gas-guzzler tax bracket. Other engine modifications include a boost-pressure increase from 8.0 to 9.5 psi and the use of Mahle forged pistons, a redesigned intake manifold, and a larger, less restrictive catalyst. All these changes add up to significantly improved low-end torque and midrange flexibility. The increased horsepower and revised tuning also boost the Lotus's performance to world-class levels. The last time we tested an Esprit Turbo, it propelled itself to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and tripped the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 95 mph. The injected car now rockets to 60 in 5.7 seconds and does the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds at 97 mph. Terminal velocity is also increased, from 141 mph to 143. This is big-league stuff, right in there with the 911, the 328GTS, and the Corvette. You do get some boost lag off the mark, but once the turbo spools up, you're in the next state. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver Two years ago, in our "Best-Handling Imported Car" comparison test, we came away with the impression that the Esprit was terrific as long as you didn't need to turn the wheel. We concluded that the car was too heavily compromised, giving up crisp handling in favor of a cushy ride. Apparently, Lotus was listening when we voiced our complaints, because the latest version is light-years better in this regard. The front suspension has been redesigned to relieve the anti-roll bar of fore-and-aft suspension loads, enabling the engineers to factor some anti-dive geometry into the front end. The spring and damper rates, both front and rear, have been adjusted for a much better ride-versus-handling compromise. That queasy feeling in the corners has been replaced by non-traumatic turn-in and a nearly neutral attitude past the apex and out the exit. The rear still gets a little bouncy over moderately rough pavement under heavy lateral loads, but overall stability doesn't seem to get upset very much. Steering effort through fairly fast sweepers now seems just about perfect. You get plenty of input and a very gradual buildup of effort. In very low, tight corners, though, the effort builds much more dramatically. It starts to feel like weight training. The problem is magnified by the less-than-terrific seating position: the buckets are low and have no rake adjustment, and the steering is way up there on the dash where you sort of have to reach up to get it. You can't get enough shoulder torque into the wheel, so your forearms work harder than they should have to. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver The Esprit's Goodyear NCTs wouldn't be our first choice for this application, but they do a competent job of keeping the car off the guardrails. Lotus and Goodyear put their heads together and came up with a fresh compound, and the result is a tenacious 0.83 g on the skidpad. Beyond linear response and outright lateral stick, there is an extra factor in the Esprit Turbo's handling equation. It has to do with the car's width, the slope of its nose, and its driving position. Due to the license-plate-level seating position, the wide A-pillars, the overall width, and the fact that you'll never live to see the front of the car from the cockpit, you don't quite know where to position it in a corner, especially a right-hander. What we miss is the confident feeling of dialing a close-coupled sports car into a turn and knowing exactly where to place the inside wheel. Cornering in the Esprit is like trying to find an apex by dead reckoning. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver Compared with the last Esprit we tested, the Lotus's braking performance is vastly improved, our test car stopping from 70 mph in 191 feet. Repeated hard braking doesn't seem to affect stopping distances at all, thanks in part to the addition of vented front brake rotors. Lotus still needs to work on the brakes' front-rear proportioning, however. Our test sample tended to lock up its rears under maximum braking effort. The interior is a combination of great and not so great. The biggest problem, especially if you're not built like an F1 ace, is gelling in. It's a little like climbing down a mine shaft. Once in, you find yourself in a seat shaped something like a hollowed-out banana. Except for fore-and-aft position, there are no seat adjustments; if this banana isn't your size, you're out of luck. Lateral support is good, but forward g-forces try to launch you under the seatbelt. Shifting, though never a real problem, is a little easier in this edition because of a slightly revised linkage-mounting system. The lever feels a little rubbery, but it's nonetheless better than before. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver The pedals are close together and well placed for heel-and-toe downshifting, but the left wheel housing intrudes deeply into the footwell, leaving very little clearance between the clutch pedal and the bulkhead. Consequently, there's no dead pedal or flat surface for your left foot. Instrumentation is complete—for $55,000, it had better be—and includes a tach, a speedo, and boost, oil-pressure, engine-temp, battery, and fuel gauges. There are also idiot lights to back up the most critical gauges in case you forget to look. The removable sunroof is new this year. When it's in place, it keeps out the wind and the rain effectively, and you don't hear a peep or a squeak out of it. When you stow it in the trunk for open-air motoring, you get glare in the rear glass under head-on lighting, reducing rear visibility from minimal to near zero. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver As for ambiance, the Esprit goes first class. Ever square inch of the interior is covered in Connolly leather—five hides, in fact, from no doubt contented cows. The sound of the engine at slightly above freeway speeds can be heard either as noise or as music. Car-enthusiast passengers love it; others think it sounds like ball bearings falling on a conga drum. We like it—especially around 4000 rpm, when it sounds as if the afterburners have just kicked in. One recent development that will affect the future of both the Esprit and Lotus itself is GM's purchase of most of the company's stock. It should be fascinating to see what kind of cross-pollination will take place between Behemoth Motor and Lotus. Once the dust settles, might we see another mid-engined sports car wearing a GM division badge? View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver Labels aside, we hope the cars the union produce will be more like the Esprit than the Pontiac Fiero. The Lotus may not be as fully developed as we'd like, but it's better than it's ever been before. Who knows? With General Motors' money and Lotus's brains, the Esprit might someday give Porsche something to think about. Specifications Specifications 1986 Lotus Esprit Turbo Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE Base/As Tested: $56,087/$56,287 Options: metallic paint, $200 ENGINE turbocharged DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection Displacement: 133 in3, 2174 cm3 Power: 215 hp @ 6250 rpm Torque: 192 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink Brakes, F/R: 10.2-in vented disc/10.8-in disc Tires: Goodyear NCT F: 195/60VR-15 R: 235/60VR-15 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 96.0 in Length: 169.0 in Width: 73.2 in Height: 44.5 in Passenger Volume: 42 ft3 Cargo Volume: 8 ft3 Curb Weight: 2740 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 5.7 sec 1/4-Mile: 14.3 sec @ 97 mph 100 mph: 16.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 13.1 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 9.1 sec Top Speed: 143 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 191 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.83 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 18 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 18/26 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Auto Car
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Toasting 50 years of the Lotus Esprit with... a garden party?
'Dad was always looking forward. He saw what other companies were doing and wanted to raise Lotus's game,' he replies. 'We had gone from the Elan to the Esprit, but this extraordinary car still had (the Elan's) handling characteristics… so you had your foot in both camps.' Wandering around the gathered Esprits gives you a measure of how Lotus sweated the model for all it was worth with, by my reckoning, 22 derivatives produced during its life – possibly even more. As well as the S1s, all the models from different designers are represented – X180 (Peter Stevens), S4 (Julian Thomson) and last-of-line V8 (Russell Carr) – plus special editions like the black and gold Esprit JPS and blue, red and silver Esprit Essex, both referencing Lotus's F1 ties. And what do we find in the manor's swimming pool? Naturally, James Bond's Esprit sub – aka 'Wet Nellie' – from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me. In fact, it's what looks to be a half-scale model, with the actual full-sized prop at the poolside, in front of the Turbo Esprit from the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only. As I leave the event, heads are turned towards Giugiaro, who is now sitting in an S1 parked next to Lotus's 2024 Theory 1 concept car. In 50 years' time, I only hope that car will prove as influential to Lotus's future as the Esprit was in 1975.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
One-Off Peralta S Supercar to Make U.S. Debut at Monterey Motorsports Festival
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector The highly anticipated Peralta S supercar is set to make its exclusive U.S. debut during this year's Monterey Motorsports Festival, a highlight of Monterey Car Week. Designed by famed Italian design house GFG Style, the one-off vehicle will appear publicly for just one day, marking its only scheduled American showing. The Peralta S was conceived for Mexican businessman Carlos Peralta and represents the first bespoke commission from GFG Style. Founded by legendary automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio Giugiaro, the firm blends cutting-edge engineering with stylistic references to its influential design legacy. Built atop the Maserati MC20 platform, the Peralta S retains the MC20's 3.0-liter twin-turbo Nettuno V6 engine, pushing 612 horsepower to the rear wheels in a mid-engine layout. However, its aesthetics depart sharply from its Maserati roots. The exterior design pays homage to the iconic 1972 Maserati Boomerang concept, also penned by Giugiaro. The Peralta S features a dramatic wedge shape, sharp body lines, and a unique front-hinged canopy that replaces traditional doors. The single sweeping windshield lifts upward for entry, evoking retro-futuristic prototypes of decades past. 'This car is a dialogue between heritage and innovation,' said Fabrizio Giugiaro in a statement ahead of the festival. 'It channels the spirit of my father's pioneering designs while using modern materials and performance capabilities.' Since its initial unveiling in Mexico earlier this year, the Peralta S has drawn international attention. Its showing at the Monterey Motorsports Festival, which attracts collectors, designers, and automakers from around the globe, will be the only U.S. viewing opportunity. With Car Week poised to feature world-class debuts and rare collector models, the arrival of the Peralta S adds a bespoke exclamation point to one of the automotive world's most prestigious celebrations. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Original TT could inspire new Audi sports coupé
Audi is tipped to return to the sports coupé segment with a TT successor Audi is considering a new halo model that rekindles the spirit of some of its most iconic sports cars - and the original TT is cited as a key potential source of inspiration. Having retired the TT and R8 supercar in the past 18 months, Audi is currently without a dedicated two-door sports car in its line up for the first time in decades. But CEO Gernot Döllner has suggested that a re-entry into this segment could form part of an extensive overhaul of the company's product line-up and positioning. Asked at the company's 2024 financial results presentation whether he would consider re-adding a sports car to the brand's portfolio, Döllner said: 'For sure. That's part of the brand's DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.' He suggested it wouldn't be appropriate to hint at a portfolio expansion while the company is in the midst of a wide-reaching restructuring programme that includes 7500 job cuts but said he has a "broad view on where Audi should be and where Audi is heading - and thinking in that direction, sports cars are an integral part of such a set-up". He emphasised the important role that sports cars have played in Audi's past, citing 1980's four-wheel-drive Quattro as a car that "really started a new era of automotive". He also highlighted the continued relevance of cars like the aluminium-based second-generation A8 and efficiency-focused A2 supermini on Audi's current line-up. But he also mentioned the original TT as a car of particular importance and said Audi's new design boss, Massimo Frascella (who arrived in Ingolstadt last year following a long career at JLR), is a particular fan of the late-1990s coupé. "I've discussed that car so much with Massimo. That was an inspirational car for his whole career. When he was a young designer at Giugiaro, he took a day off when the TT was launched in Italy, went to the Audi dealer in Milan and sat in the showroom for a day just looking at the car. "The absolutely fantastic aspect is that it seems that he somehow had Audi in his mind for his whole career. Now is the time to let Audi out of the mind of Massimo Frascella." Notably, Frascella was heavily involved in the rebirth of the Land Rover Defender in his previous role, which nods to the legacy of its long-running 4x4 namesake while embracing a modern, minimalist new design ethos. Döllner believes this approach to styling makes him a logical fit at Audi. "I would say he tries to optimise as much as possible, to take everything away that you don't need for the expression, and I think that's a unique talent." Notably, minimalism and functional design are defining tenets of the Bauhaus art movement that so heavily influenced the original TT, suggesting that some of that car's defining characteristics could be reinterpreted for a new age. However, Döllner was emphatic that "you can't copy your past" as a car manufacturer, saying: "You really have to analyse what the essence of Audi is and use the essence to come up with something absolutely new." "These copies of successful cars of the past are definitely the wrong way," he added, although he did say it was "thinkable" that Audi could bring back some historic model names. The TT was launched in 1998 and sold more than 650,000 units across three generations over a 25-year production run, which came to a close in November 2023 with no successor in the frame. The V10-engined R8 supercar retired soon after, leaving Audi with no two-door coupés in its line-up for the first time since the Quattro was launched in 1980. Even if Audi is planning a return to the sports car segment, however, it isn't expected to be for some time. The firm's immediate priorities – following a turbulent 2024 in which its volumes reduced and its profit margin was squashed – are to bring a "future-proof" software architecture to market, benefitting from the Volkswagen Group's new joint venture with Rivian, and to successfully ramp up production of crucial new models (including the A5, A6, Q3 and Q5) in 2025. After that, said Döllner, "then is the time to talk about the right portfolio in these niche areas". "The transition takes all our energy right now, and that definitely starts in the core segments," he added. "That's where we have to make Audi robust as the first step." He wouldn't be drawn on a potential launch date for a new sports car and when asked if Audi planned to preview its plans in this segment said only: "Not yet." Asked whether Audi could offer a dedicated sports car with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, rather than as a pure EV, Döllner said he is "open-minded" but suggested that electric power makes more sense in an "everyday use" context. "There's so much uncertainty that all this discussion delivers to the market that I would say in the long-term, in the sports car segment, there will be a place for fully electric sports cars," he said. "Not for the track but for crossing the Alps and having fun on a country road, there's nothing to say against an electric car. You have a coffee break, the cars recharge and everything is perfect." Döllner spoke about the need for Audi to lean on "synergies" within the Volkswagen Group in certain segments – particularly at the lower end of its EV line-up, where it shares platforms with Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra – and said there's scope for technical collaboration with Audi's premium siblings in more niche segments too. "I was head of group strategy when the set-up was defined: for Volkswagen to lead the A0- and A-segment, Porsche and Lamborghini to lead some areas for D-segment platforms and Audi to cover B-, C and D-minus platforms. We have that set-up and we will use it intelligently in the future." Döllner stopped short of giving any technical plans, but any compact Audi sports car would be a logical candidate to share components with Porsche's upcoming electric 718 Boxster/Cayman. As recently reported by Autocar, Audi also has plans for a third-generation R8 supercar, which would be based on the new Lamborghini Temerario plug-in hybrid. ]]>
