Esprit owners?
- Thread starter inaprpt
- Start date
L = Lots
O = Of
T = Trouble
U = Usually
S = Serious
O = Of
T = Trouble
U = Usually
S = Serious
just search under lotus esprit:wink: here is one of hundreds of threads about the comparison http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87171&highlight=lotus+esprit
Primary motivation is reliability in a sexy package and there's no way I'm finding that anywhere else.
LOL I never saw that acronym. Thanks for the laugh. :biggrin:
Esprit is a great car handles excellent performs better then expected. The greatest part about the Esprit's driving experience is it gear ratio its perfect smooth and predictable rite their when you need it. The engine is very torquey and has a killer sound (it is a twin turbo V8). A simple chip can add 100whp its way faster then the NSX in all aspects.
The body is fiberglass and while being very light it shakes and rattles (not alot just more then the NSX) the body are evenly aligned and the finish is smooth (hard with fiberglass). The interior is bigger then the NSX but I find the seat more supportive and comfortable in the NSX. The Esprit is easer getting in and out. The Esprit has real leather in everything , even the dash that is now starting to shrink in the corners due to heat. The windows work great something I hate about my NSX. But you can see out of the NSX better then the Esprit.
The Esprit it sits as low as my lowered NSX stock so speed bumps low driveways are a NO-NO. The ride is stiff, not race car stiff but its more stiff then the NSX. Its a perfect trade off for better handling I suppose.
In the three years of ownership the Esprit has had three issues, a bent wheel (by previous owner),a leak from One if the oil return lines (simple surprisingly inexpensive fix), and a Speed sensor problem that ended up being a fuse. The first timing belt and water pump service is on Lotus.
As far as WOW factor the NSX gets just as much looks as the Esprit. You don't get bothered by the Ricers as much in the Esprit, but the Po-Po love the Esprit its a fair trade off.
Both are great cars and im happy to have been able to drive both. When choosing between the two cars its something you have to decide for yourself. If you like what the Esprit is about go and test drive one. In fact I have one for sale.
The body is fiberglass and while being very light it shakes and rattles (not alot just more then the NSX) the body are evenly aligned and the finish is smooth (hard with fiberglass). The interior is bigger then the NSX but I find the seat more supportive and comfortable in the NSX. The Esprit is easer getting in and out. The Esprit has real leather in everything , even the dash that is now starting to shrink in the corners due to heat. The windows work great something I hate about my NSX. But you can see out of the NSX better then the Esprit.
The Esprit it sits as low as my lowered NSX stock so speed bumps low driveways are a NO-NO. The ride is stiff, not race car stiff but its more stiff then the NSX. Its a perfect trade off for better handling I suppose.
In the three years of ownership the Esprit has had three issues, a bent wheel (by previous owner),a leak from One if the oil return lines (simple surprisingly inexpensive fix), and a Speed sensor problem that ended up being a fuse. The first timing belt and water pump service is on Lotus.
As far as WOW factor the NSX gets just as much looks as the Esprit. You don't get bothered by the Ricers as much in the Esprit, but the Po-Po love the Esprit its a fair trade off.
Both are great cars and im happy to have been able to drive both. When choosing between the two cars its something you have to decide for yourself. If you like what the Esprit is about go and test drive one. In fact I have one for sale.
Beautiful car!
Very pretty car Chuck, it's even in the fastest color!!!
I've had 2 Esprits: an early one like James Bond's in "The Spy Who Loved Me," and a 1990 Turbo SE (2.2 intercooled turbo). Although the 90 SE was the same vintage as my 91 NSX, the NSX is much more smooth, solid, refined and easier to use as a daily driver. It's also more reliable and easier to work on.
The SE "felt" quicker because the rush of the turbo boost came on strong, but I bet the NSX is actually quicker on the stopwatch, especially if you have I/H/E upgrades.
The SE "felt" quicker because the rush of the turbo boost came on strong, but I bet the NSX is actually quicker on the stopwatch, especially if you have I/H/E upgrades.
This depends heavily on which Esprit you are considering. The '94 Esprit S4 that I had for a while shifted horribly. The gearbox was vague and felt like it was for an old truck, not an exotic car. This may be different in the newer model V8 Twin Turbo models, but not so much back in 1994. Oh, and the Esprit S4 had turbo lag like nobodies business. If the turbo was not on boost, your grandmother could walk faster than the Esprit. But as soon as that boost came on...WHAM!! It felt like you got hit in the back by a freight train! The car would simply take off! It looks great, and nobody really knows what it is until you reference that it is the same car as the movie 'Pretty Woman' and then everybody knows. Drive one, see if you like it, and go from there. Best of luck.
Well I say just buy both:wink::biggrin:
OK OK, on a more serious note.
NSX FOR ME has been much more reliable and fun and enjoyable as a car you can actually use whenever wherever you want. Thats why I bought it because I needed a Daily Driver. The Esprit CAN be used as a DD but no-one will recommend it. Visually the Esprit wins hands down, it just has a much more exotic look. But entry/exit in the car is simply terrible, as is the shifting and gearbox and you can't see shit. The rearview mirror on the SE models is useless because it had 2 back glasses that glare off each other. As far as the speed, Stock to Stock the 89 up Esprit will completly smoke the NSX. No comparision. Even with ALL the NA upgrades (like I have) the Bone stock SE will win in all speed categories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Am8Epp92S0&feature=related
Now, don't take this as I don't like my Esprit or am trying to push the NSX, because I'm not. Simply the Esprit has a lot more quirks but has its advantages too. Hope that gave you a lil different look at it. Good luck.
OK OK, on a more serious note.
NSX FOR ME has been much more reliable and fun and enjoyable as a car you can actually use whenever wherever you want. Thats why I bought it because I needed a Daily Driver. The Esprit CAN be used as a DD but no-one will recommend it. Visually the Esprit wins hands down, it just has a much more exotic look. But entry/exit in the car is simply terrible, as is the shifting and gearbox and you can't see shit. The rearview mirror on the SE models is useless because it had 2 back glasses that glare off each other. As far as the speed, Stock to Stock the 89 up Esprit will completly smoke the NSX. No comparision. Even with ALL the NA upgrades (like I have) the Bone stock SE will win in all speed categories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Am8Epp92S0&feature=related
Now, don't take this as I don't like my Esprit or am trying to push the NSX, because I'm not. Simply the Esprit has a lot more quirks but has its advantages too. Hope that gave you a lil different look at it. Good luck.
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Sounds like the newer Esprits are a huge improvement over the older Esprits. The thing is a rocket, had it out today. :smile:
Well I say just buy both:wink::biggrin:
OK OK, on a more serious note.
NSX FOR ME has been much more reliable and fun and enjoyable as a car you can actually use whenever wherever you want. Thats why I bought it because I needed a Daily Driver. The Esprit CAN be used as a DD but no-one will recommend it. Visually the Esprit wins hands down, it just has a much more exotic look. But entry/exit in the car is simply terrible, as is the shifting and gearbox and you can't see shit. The rearview mirror on the SE models is useless because it had 2 back glasses that glare off each other. As far as the speed, Stock to Stock the 89 up Esprit will completly smoke the NSX. No comparision. Even with ALL the NA upgrades (like I have) the Bone stock SE will win in all speed categories.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Am8Epp92S0&feature=related
Now, don't take this as I don't like my Esprit or am trying to push the NSX, because I'm not. Simply the Esprit has a lot more quirks but has its advantages too. Hope that gave you a lil different look at it. Good luck.
is a stock 2.2 turbo really that quick? what do they trap stock and how much power do they make?
Hey I just updated the Wiki with this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Am8Epp92S0&feature=related
They trap at 107 mph.
I ran a 13:1 @ 107 in my X and it modded. (see sig)
Stock HP is 264 hp with a factory overboost that makes 280 hp. It will hit overboost as long as engine is up to normal operating temperture AND the AIT is not too high. Which means on the street you will always be able to make overboost but on the track you will be down to 264 after a lap or so.
I like the V8TT looks better than NSX and faster at Nburg tons power and I am sure lots of fun also weights less than NSX at 2850lbs.
8:13 — Lotus Esprit Sport 350, 354 PS (05/1999)Nburg
Weight 2857lbs
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2002/lotus/esprit_v8/specifications/index.html
New Esprite with BMW V8
http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/New_Lotus_Esprit.htm
Top Gear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCKyZ71vAc4
8:13 — Lotus Esprit Sport 350, 354 PS (05/1999)Nburg
Weight 2857lbs
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2002/lotus/esprit_v8/specifications/index.html
New Esprite with BMW V8
http://www.lotusespritturbo.com/New_Lotus_Esprit.htm
Top Gear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCKyZ71vAc4
if they trap 107mph stock and mine traps 107, and yours trap 107 mph how does that make it faster than any nsx with all the n/a mods vs a stock SE when just my car is = and your car is =? also there are a few guys here running 108mph on there na1 with just a intake, and a few na2 guys doing 110mph.
esp when it comes to top end speed, we have more hp, better gearing, and better aero. its 168mph for a stock na1 vs 163mph for your stock 2.2 se. hmmmmmm
i will admit they are much faster than i thought, but they are not faster than EVERY na modded nsx when they are stock.
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I have been driving my dads 90 esprit SE since my nsx has been down and I have to say the nsx wins HANDS DOWN. You can tell the whole car wasnt really thought out, its obvious its a hodge podge of other manufacturers parts. It has a renault transmission, citroen side mirrors, peugot interior switches, gm ecu, toyota brakes, toyota corolla taillights etc. It definitely isnt faster than the nsx in any way and the build quality is noticeably inferior.
I greatly appreciate everyone's replies. I've written the Esprit off in favor of the NSX, which, technically, I knew going into this thread, but just had to hear it from the horse's mouth. No doubt the Esprit is a slick car and I'd be proud as hell to own one, but as I stated in my initial post here at Prime, I'm not looking for something to fix. I want a reliable daily driver that's exotic and fast.
The Esprit definitely wins it for me on speed and exotica (and looks - sorry folks, I love both cars but prefer the Esprit in the design department - given that the DeLorean was my first love and Giugiaro designed both, that's not terribly surprising). But it's a non-starter for my current needs. The NSX is by far the best all around and it's still sexy as hell. I definitely can't go wrong this way. If I were looking for a weekend toy and had the time and inclination to lay under cars like I did when I was younger, I'd take the Esprit, but that just isn't the case anymore.
Interior wise I much prefer the NSX. The later Esprits don't look too bad, but the '90s models are terrible.
Interesting tidbid - John DeLorean drove an NSX during the later years of his life. The guy had excellent taste, I'll give him that.
The Esprit definitely wins it for me on speed and exotica (and looks - sorry folks, I love both cars but prefer the Esprit in the design department - given that the DeLorean was my first love and Giugiaro designed both, that's not terribly surprising). But it's a non-starter for my current needs. The NSX is by far the best all around and it's still sexy as hell. I definitely can't go wrong this way. If I were looking for a weekend toy and had the time and inclination to lay under cars like I did when I was younger, I'd take the Esprit, but that just isn't the case anymore.
Interior wise I much prefer the NSX. The later Esprits don't look too bad, but the '90s models are terrible.
Interesting tidbid - John DeLorean drove an NSX during the later years of his life. The guy had excellent taste, I'll give him that.
Because you're obsessing with trap speed.
Esprit gets though the quarter faster. 4.7 0-60 mph and 12.9 et spanks your 13:5 and my 13:1 sheesh, its not rocket science:biggrin:
well from a dead stop yes the esprit is definitely faster but from a roll on race it is a wash until you start hitting triple digits than a modded nsx should slowly walk away.
this is probably due to the esprits lighter weight and the torque from the turbo so it can get out of the hole quicker.
this is probably due to the esprits lighter weight and the torque from the turbo so it can get out of the hole quicker.
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