2004 Lotus Esprit Review

Last of a Classic Breed

The Esprit is the automotive equivalent of David Bowie. Both have been British glam-stars for decades, both are chameleons with the uncanny ability to adapt to current trends, both are long, lean and (if you ask my wife) sexy, and both look amazingly good for their age.

I fell for the Esprits edges and angles at a local car show about the first time I heard my first Bowie album, Young Americans. I quickly ran out and bought Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, followed soon after by Aladin Sane, and the list went on and on.

Unfortunately I wasnt fortunate enough to be able to run out and buy an Esprit, but on occasion a bright yellow example would charge up the highway as I was walking home from a night out playing with my band, probably driven by some well-healed businessman saying under his breath, “Hey look, theres a kid trying to look just like David Bowie!”

Inspired by Mr. Bowie, my music career took me across Europe, throughout the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada, as well as various forgettable locations in the interior wastelands of both countries - what an American friend of mine affectionately refers to as the fly-over states. I came close, or so I figured, but never achieved superstardom, what it was going to take for me to buy the Lotus.

Due to my lifelong passion for the marque, it didnt take much coaxing to accept an invitation from Vancouvers Weissach Performance to drive the latest and last Esprit. Somehow the car looks more stunning than it did when it debuted so many years ago, and worthy to share showroom space with the likes of a Lamborghini Murciélago, a row of brand new Gallardos, and a bevy of Porsches, some of which had been massaged by Alois Ruf himself - Weissach is also the Lamborghini and RUF dealer in Vancouver.

Over the years most of the Esprits I had seen were coated in silver, black, red or yellow, the odd one in BRG, so the sight of my test cars deep red metallic paint scheme came as a surprise. It still looks stunning, but in a much more adult fashion.

The choice of color didnt seem to put off the train of cars that followed me up the highway a short while after leaving the dealership. They were admirers, one group of youth in a fairly new Mercedes sedan and another lone assailant in of all things, dads Camry. They each pulled up beside me with their thumbs extended and big silly grins plastered across their faces, a sight youd have to get used to if you were to live with a Lotus on a daily basis.

Say what, living with a Lotus every day? Why not? The Esprit comes across like a car that could serve just as well commuting to work as it does charging up the racetrack on weekends. Sure theres no dead pedal for the left foot, a little disconcerting at first but once I learned to let my leg lie a little sideways I found it quite comfortable. The seats too, are firm and wonderfully supportive, but just the same extremely comfortable even after a solid two hours behind the wheel.

And that was a great two hours. Sure, not as long as I spend with most of my test cars, but enough to get a pretty good idea of the Lotus mission. The car company has long been the masters of the power to weight ratio game, building feather light sports cars, the Super 7 being the master of masters, and powering them with efficient, high-horsepower engines.

The Esprit is a perfect example. While the current example is the first to use a V8 engine, with the original model motivated by what was at one time the worlds most powerful turbocharged 4-cylinder, its still a small displacement engine. Is there any other manufacturer that produces a 3.5-L V8? None come to mind, but the little charmer still manages a substantial 350-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, with the mechanical nirvana of twin-overhead cams and 48 whirring valves resonating through two throaty mufflers. Its a sensational sounding machine, all the more stimulating when getting on the throttle.

And baby it goes, much faster than anything that I have experienced with a “mere” 350 horsepower. Thats where the cars lightweight design comes in. Weighing in at only 3,042 lbs, 346 lbs less than the 3,388 lb Porsche 911 Turbo, it still manages 4.4 seconds to 60 mph compared to the Turbos 4.1. Both cars sprint in a rarified league, but Lotus goes about its business in a much different way.

But just watch yourself as it bites just when youre not paying attention. What do I mean by that? Well, unlike the Porsche Turbo that is pretty well idiot proof, Lotus doesnt equip the Esprit with placating driver aids such as yaw and traction control. Rather, it is designed for drivers who enjoy a few jalapeños in their salsa, an extra pepper or two in the chili pot if you know what I mean. It tracks without fault, charging into tight corners with confidence inspiring turn-in and glue like adhesion, but it also gives a little at the rear when pushed beyond its very high limits. But unlike the old Porsche Turbo, that would tease you with ultimate grip before snapping out and pointing in the other direction, the Lotus is wonderfully predictable all the way from “wow, this thing holds the road like nothing Ive ever experienced,” to “whew, that just slid out so sweetly I nearly @&$# myself… lets do it again.” And it did, over and over again.

Like its good manners on pavement, the Esprit is extremely civilized inside the cabin. You can see the handmade items here and there, the solid billet aluminum heating and ventilation knobs and machined aluminum gear shifter. The digital tire-pressure monitor gauge, what looks to be an aftermarket add-on, was fixed to the base of center stack. The audio system too was aftermarket, but who would want to complain about a top-tier Alpine CD player? All switchgear worked flawlessly, with better overall ergonomics than I expected. For the most part, except for a few plastic surfaces, the Esprit featured a beautifully detailed cabin. Rich leathers are everywhere, complimented by nice metal accents and just the right amount of exterior body color trim on the console. It isnt the most modern environment, but if you long for the simplicity of sports cars from the past, youll love the Esprits handcrafted upholstery stitching and beautifully finished carpets.

And finally, its gorgeous. Every angle is classically elegant, every square foot a purposefully designed masterpiece of form and function. The Esprit just might have the most beautifully executed air dams in all of autodom, a stunning piece of molded plastic and metal meshing. Yes, the panel gaps are a wee bit on the gaping side, a problem with composite cars, but the paintwork is flawless.

In the end there wasnt much about the Esprit that I didnt like. It goes and stops as quickly as nearly anything in its exotic class while pulling eyeballs like nothing south of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. And speaking of south, it only costs a fraction of what almost any competitive exotic will set you back.

If you, like me, have always loved the looks and longed for the performance of the Lotus Esprit, but havent yet made your move, nows the time if you plan on buying new. It will end production shortly, at least as it is now, to be replaced by a yet unseen new model. While Lotus needs the boost in sales that the new car will no doubt bring, it will be a shame to see the old girl finally go.