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1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo Se on 2040-cars

Year:1988 Mileage:9162
Location:

Advertising:

1988 LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO SE!!

ONLY 9,162 MILES!

NO RESERVE!!  WINNING BIDDER

TAKES IT HOME!!

 

*Limited Anniversary Edition

*Number 66 of 88 Built

*One of only 44 Produced in Pearlescent White

 

Now you can take home a very unique vehicle with quite the colorful history.  This car was owned by Stuart Arnold, founder of the Auto Trader publishing empire.

 

Full set of owner's manuals, original window sticker, copy of insurance registration card in the name of Stuart Arnold adds to the authenticity of this vehicle.

 

For 1988, Lotus introduces an all-new body for it’s flagship. The original body, designed by Gioggetto Giugiaro at Colin Chapman’s request on a modified Lotus Europa chassis, had that folded paper, automotive origami styling so in vogue in the Seventies, best exemplified by Giugiaro’s design of the original VW Scirocco. While many a more recent design has aged more rapidly, the Esprit styling has stood the test of time very well, but is now beginning to look just a bit dated. To inject some more life into the design, and to campaign in the American marketplace with renewed vigour, Lotus has designed an all-new body shell for the old mechanicals, still attached to the same steel backbone, but this time to body is an in-house design by Lotus’ own Peter Stevens. The body is made by Lotus’ patented VARI ( for vacuum assisted resin injection) method, allowing greater strength and better consistency than the old bucket and brush hand lay-up methods.

The new body exhibits a smoother, more rounded shape, the rear buttresses have been cleaned up, combustion-air inlets have been blended in behind the rear quarter windows, and a sheet of smoked glass open at the bottom for ventilation, has been added to improve aerodynamics, replacing the sopped backlight and black louvers of the earlier models. Also gone is the tacked-on appearance of the skirts and bumpers: the new car has a much more integrated look. Not surprising, because the older body had to change over the years to meet changing times and performance levels. For example, in the original road test (R&T July 1977) the Esprit ran 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds, the quarter mile in 17 flat, and topped out at 120 mph. The Turbo, as last tested (June 1986) did 0-60 in 5.6, the quarter in 14.3, and had a top speed of 152. That sort of top-end performance will exact its toll in aerodynamic changes, hence the somewhat cobbled-up look of the last of the Giugiaro-based Esprits.

Lotus had big plans for the future: the active suspension project M300 intended to compete square in the same class as the ultra-exotics such as Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche’s 959; and project M100, a small, more affordable sports car. Meanwhile, we have the new Esprit Turbo. An exotic by any standards, offering high performance in a limited-production car, Lotus hopes it will re-establish the company’s image in the U.S. as a maker of fine sporting machinery and pave to way for Loti of the future.

www.lotusespritturbo.com

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY!!

 

OFFERED BY FAYETTEVILLE NC'S PREMIER

IMPORT AND EXOTIC DEALER:

DAX'S DEALS, INC.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:

DAX YARBOROUGH (910)527-4050

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lotus cars to be 'Made in China' at new Geely plant, according to documents

Thu, Jan 17 2019

BEIJING/SHANGHAI — The Chinese owner of Lotus plans to start producing the British sports car brand in China for the first time with the opening of a new 9 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) factory in Wuhan city, company job advertisements and government documents showed. The previously unreported plans are Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's first move to shake up the British brand since its purchase of a majority stake in 2017. The move is in line with Geely's ambitions to build more up-market cars and throw off its reputation for copycat designs and shoddy quality. For Lotus, it could mean greater production volumes and new models such as SUVs to boost sales. "For Geely, going high-end can help it take more market share," said Alan Kang, Shanghai based analyst at LMC Automotive. "Geely needs to do that to better compete with global brands." Lotus cars are currently built in Norfolk, England. Geely and Lotus said in a joint statement that while Norfolk was Lotus's manufacturing home, a key part of the firm's strategy to revive the brand was expanding the brand's manufacturing footprint globally. "Details on additional locations and models will be confirmed in due course," the company said in an e-mail to Reuters. The planning authority of Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, last month approved Geely's plans for the plant. The factory will be able to manufacture 150,000 cars annually, according to a document posted on the authority's website. The Wuhan Development Zone, where the factory will be based, said in a statement posted on its website last month that production at the plant would include "Geely's Lotus project". The Wuhan Development Zone did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. The documents did not say when the plant would start operations. The facility is approved to build all-electric battery cars, electric hybrids as well as combustion engine cars like Lotuses. Job advertisements on Geely's website show the automaker is looking to fill at least 20 Wuhan-based roles for the Lotus project. LUXURY AMBITIONS While is not clear what portion of the new Chinese production line would be devoted to the British brand, greater production volumes would be consistent with Geely's stated ambition to grow the market for Lotus by broadening its line-up. Geely sold only 1,630 Lotuses globally in 2018. Lotus currently produces models such as the Evora and Elise.

Lotus Esprit cancelled? [UPDATE]

Thu, 04 Oct 2012

Two years ago, we were gobsmacked when humble Lotus shocked the automotive world by wheeling out no fewer than five new models - admittedly in various stages of development - at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The ambitious onslaught of new sheetmetal came at the behest of then-CEO Danny Bahar who aimed to broaden the British marque's appeal by dramatically expanding its portfolio. Bahar was later thrown out by new Malaysian owners DRB-Hicom in a management shakeup that seems to still be, well, shaking out. Bahar was deposed over accusations of financial wrongdoing and the controversial executive has fired back with a $10.6M lawsuit.
Against this chaotic background, a cornerstone of Lotus' revival plans hinged on the rebirth of its Esprit supercar (shown in 2010 concept form above). According to new reports, however, the Esprit has been cancelled, a victim of the company's uncertain finances and direction. Depending on which rumor you choose to believe, the two-seat coupe was slated to receive a house-built V8 and possibly turbocharging or hybrid power. That may all be moot now, however, as DRB-Hicom is reported to have scrapped Bahar's plans wholesale, a development that apparently includes killing off the mid-engined Esprit, too.
UPDATE: And this, friends, is why we have this story with a question mark and a Rumormill tag - Lotus is denying that the Esprit has been killed off.

Lotus runs the Emira hard - and sideways - on track

Mon, Dec 20 2021

Lotus sent Gavin Kershaw – the British automaker's attributes and product integrity director – out on track with an Emira and a camera crew. In between reminding us that manual transmissions are wonderful and getting the Emira increasingly sideways, Kershaw's job was to explain how the last ICE-powered Lotus is still a Lotus. In this extended teaser, Kershaw offers us a look at a fresh new tidbit, that being the car's four driving modes. "Tour" mode will handle everyday driving, programmed for "maximum stability and control." "Sport" does what we all expect "Sport" to do, tightening responses and loosening slip angles. "Race" opens up even more slip angle, and changes the gauge cluster to display racy dials like the performance tachometer. Then there's the wonderfully named "Fully Off," which shuts down every nanny save the ABS. And remember, the Emira will be offered with two suspensions, either standard Tour or stiffer Sport, and will only come with hydraulic steering. Sounds like Lotus has delivered on its quest to make the Emira "for the drivers."  The engine in the V6 First Edition is the same Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-liter V6 found in the Evora, producing 400 horsepower and 310 or 317 pound-feet of torque depending on transmission — the automatic gets the greater torque, but why would you do that? This one comes just about fully loaded, graced with the Driver's Pack, Lower Black Pack, Design Pack, and Convenience Pack, plus optional 20-inch wheels with diamond-cut two-tone finish and two-piece brake discs with branded calipers. It won't cost anything to swap the wheels for silver or black versions. The only other big-time options we know about so far are the $1,400 Extended Black Pack, which adds more black accents in places like the roof, mirror caps, and exhaust finishers, and the $2,150 six-speed automatic to replace the six-speed manual.  Next year's base model will run with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder procured from AMG, producing 360 hp and shifting through a dual-clutch transmission.  While you wait, the Emira V6 First Edition configurator is online and ready for flights of fancy. To get in one when they begin arriving Stateside, the V6 First Edition opens up the bidding in early 2022 at $93,900. Late 2022 brings a base four-cylinder Emira that starts at $74,900. Neither of those prices includes destination. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.