Faults:

Keeping up with the oil leaks from the drive shafts has been a problem.

The reverse gear is hard to select when the car has been driven through urban slow traffic and the running temperature is warmer.

The gears can be difficult to change.

General Comments:

This car is always exhilarating to drive.

It handles beautifully and the turbo sounds gorgeous.

Faults:

Cam Belt Tensioner required rebuild.

Water pump leaking.

Oil seals on rear output drive shafts are failing.

General Comments:

This car looks sensational, especially in black. Although old, the car has been quite reliable, utilising simple, but sound engineering practices.

Lotus cars of any age will always cost more to run than to buy, so don't make budget estimations for ownership on the screen price!

There are several non-main dealer specialists who can supply parts or service for you from £25 to £50 per hour. Depending upon your skills as a mechanic, hobby ownership should not present too much of a problem.

The car handles very well. The 2 litre engine was always a stop gap for a more powerful V8, but the Esprit did not enjoy this power plant for another twelve years after my car was made.

Driving the car is always an experience for both driver and onlooker. People are always drawn to the car because of its timeless looks penned by Guigaro thirty years ago. The car has not aged as most super-cars of the seventies and still looks fresh and stylish today. You can buy good ones, but the estimations given by most Classic Car magazines do not represent the true cost of finding a good unmolested example. For an S2, expect to pay £6K for one in 2002, and check the car out first!

Faults:

There was a gear linkage problem. The reverse gear could not be selected.

Rusty exhaust pipe.

The brake pads where badly worn.

New cam belt and "C" service.

These cars need a lot of care and maintenance to keep on the road and you need a big wallet. They are cheap to buy and expensive to run, however, worth every penny.

General Comments:

The car was purchased as a "classic car" to enjoy on Sundays and holidays.

I bought it for £6,000 knowing it needed some work and it cost me £2,500 to get it working correctly.

The performance of the car is amazing. The acceleration is very quick and will leave most cars standing. It has Turbo lag which is not ideal, but you get used to. The handling is the best I've seen, it eats up corners.

It's a real head turner, were ever you go people look inquisitively and presume it's a Ferrari.

It's expensive, but I love this car and would recommend it to anyone who loves driving.

Faults:

Anti lock braking system failed.

Engine cooling pump failed.

Clutch master cylinder failed twice.

Gear train failed.

Clutch was destroyed by the above fault as the car struggled to the Lotus garage.

Fuel tank leaked into the cabin.

Turbo charge cooler broke.

Front spoiler always catching on ramps etc.

Steering rack failed.

Gear train failed (again).

Electric windows failed.

Air conditioning failed.

Electric antenna failed.

Exhaust failed and caught fire.

General Comments:

The Lotus Esprit is a staggering car in two ways. Firstly its performance is absolutely devastating; with 280bhp this model will reach 60mph in well under five seconds and attain a top speed of around 165mph. The car handles very well, able to corner positively and remaining stable even at exceptionally high speeds.

However, even more staggering are the running costs and the rate at which things go wrong with this most unreliable super-car. I used to joke with my friends that the Esprit would beat every car on the road... and then break down. This joke wore very thin as a succession of faults sent me to the main dealer time and time again.

Despite a full Lotus service history and my careful adherence to the maintenance schedule, things went wrong very regularly. And not just little things.

The car interior is very comfortable and roomy for a 2 seater; a pleasure to drive on a long haul trip lasting many hours. Despite its mechanical shortcomings, actually driving the Esprit was always a great pleasure, and the only thing lacking in the cabin was a decent sound system (the standard one is very poor indeed).

Owning the Esprit was a real love/hate relationship! I am hoping my next performance car, a new 996, will be more reliable, if a bit slower!