1983 Lotus Esprit Turbo review from North America

The car had sat for a few years when I found it so it had some of the usual Esprit issues such as rusted fuel tanks and a need for a full service including timing belt. I learned the hard way with an '84 Esprit that replacing the timing belt before the factory recommendations is the best way to go. Otherwise, bent valves and possibly worse is the result. Now that the carbs are rebuilt and the timing is proper it starts and runs great.

It's nice to drive an exotic that is relatively easy to work on and gets good gas mileage, as well. The early Turbo Esprit can be serviced by a knowledgeable owner without the need for all the code readers and computer knowledge of the later cars. These cars are quick, handle great and are wonderful to look at with the best a/c of any exotic I've driven. I'm always surprised how relatively inexpensive they are to buy.