1986 Lotus Esprit S3 Coupe 2-door 2.2l on 2040-cars
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
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Behold
an amazing example of the beautiful Lotus Esprit S3. This car is
arguably the ultimate Lotus Esprit, marrying the gorgeous Giugiario body
with S3 galvanized chassis, 5-lug BBS wheels, bigger brakes, and more
robust rear suspension than the earlier models. This car is one of only a
few in the United States and may be the nicest example on Earth! This
car was purchased new at the factory by a Californian and shipped back
to the United States when the gray market was alive and well. It has
lived it's life in garages in California and Nevada and has zero rust
and corrosion. I am the second owner of the car. The original owner parked the car in his garage with a thick cover on it in 1991. There is sat for the next
20 years. When I purchased the car, it needed a little TLC to get it running again. Exterior: The
paint is in excellent condition except for a few small blemishes that
are captured in the pictures (some rock chips in the lower front valence
area, 1 chip in the right rear bumper, and one craze mark in the rear
hatch near the lower left corner of the window.) The red color is very
deep and could be polished to new condition without much elbow grease. I
polished a few sections with Zymol as a test and they turned out
beautiful. The BBS
wheels are in perfect condition except for one small curb mark shown in
the one picture of the front right wheel. The Goodyear Eagle GT tires
are certainly period correct, and may be the original units. The tires
are in very good condition with no cracks in the rubber. The
sunroof is one of the great features of the S3. I've seen many Esprits
hacked to try to
recreate this effect, but this car has the actual factory sunroof with
all the required reinforcement that go with it. For taller drivers, this
feature helps provide more head room. The sunroof mechanism works fine
and there are no leaks. All of the lights on the car are in good condition except for one crack in one of the front turn signals. The underbody of the car is in excellent condition with no signs of damage or jacking at the wrong location. Engine:
I checked compression, rebuilt both carburetors, replaced the factory
fuel line with modern braided stainless lines made by Dave Bean,
replaced the fuel pump with a New Solid State Unit, replaced the spark
plugs, changed the oil and filter, and rebuilt the clutch slave
cylinder. It comes with a K&N air filter that has not been
installed yet. The engine runs rough when cold but smooths out when
warmed up. A tune up by a Lotus expert would help get
the most from the engine, but it is driveable as it is. The engine has
no oil leaks. Drivetrain: The transmission shifts perfectly into all gears. The clutch works perfectly. Brakes: The brakes do not pull to either side, indicating that all the calipers are functioning correctly. Interior: The
interior is in excellent condition. The leather dash is like new and
has had no chemicals put on it under my watch. The seats are in new
condition, having been protected by custom sheep skins their entire
life. The sheep skins are in excellent condition too. The carpet is in perfect condition. There are slight signs of wear on wear points like door handles. Electrical: All
electrical components that I have tried work including the dash lights,
turn signals, headlights, power windows, and radio, except the horn. I have not tried
the air conditioning,
but suspect it would need a recharge at a minimum. Note: the car will
not be shipped with a battery. Accessories: The car comes with the original spare, manual, jack, and tool kit. The
car has an audiophile stereo from that era including Nakamichi TD-500
deck, Proton amplifier behind the passenger seat, and Blaupunkt
speakers. The car comes with service records dating back to the 1980s and all the receipts I have generated. It also comes with a thick form-fitting car cover that protects the car well. Things
the car needs: The shocks for the rear hatch need replacing, I took
the buckles for the engine cover off when I was replacing the fuel lines
and have not put them back on. This is why the carpet looks like it is
falling down off the engine cover in the boot area. The
Actual VIN number is SCC085912GHH10647. I had to change the check digit
to 6 for Ebay to accept the VIN number. This is probably the result of
the Gray Market entry into the US. You can decode the actual VIN at
espritfactfile dot com to see the manufacturing details of the car. Bottom
line: If you have ever wanted a Giugiaro-bodied Lotus Esprit, this is
your best shot of having a museum example. This car is amazingly correct
with perfect seats and good original tires. It is currently located in
Las Vegas, NV. I'd be happy to answer any other questions that you have.
Happy Bidding! On Oct-21-13 at 19:27:08 PDT, seller added the following information:
On Oct-22-13 at 17:26:50 PDT, seller added the following information: Additional Information.. |
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Auto blog
Lotus reveals Exige 360 Cup, limited to 50 cars
Sat, Aug 15 2015After over a decade on the market, Lotus keeps finding ways to sharpen the already razor-like Exige, and for the new 360 Cup the company incorporates even more improvements for the venerable sportscar. Chief among the upgrades is freer flowing induction and an improved exhaust to take the supercharged 3.5-liter V6 to 355 horsepower, a 10-hp improvement over the standard V6 Cup. In a vehicle weighing just 2,491 pounds, that should be plenty, and the Brits promise the engine sounds better too. On the outside, these Exiges, which are limited to 50 copies, wear new lightweight pieces for the front access panel and louvered rear tailgate. The rest of the body uses the V6 Cup's aero package that produces 93 pounds of downforce at 100 miles per hour. Improved brake discs are hidden behind Motorsport Red wheels, and each car comes with a numbered build plate. They're eligible to race in the Lotus Cup series, and for those really wanting to hit the track, the options include adjustable anti-roll bars, Ohlins dampers, a fire extinguisher, electrical cut-off, FIA carbon seats, air conditioning, and a removable steering wheel. Lotus is returning to the US market with the Evora 400 in December and plans to bring back the Elise in 2020. You need to be in Europe to get one of these Exiges, though. Prices in the UK start at 62,995 pounds ($98,558), including a 20 percent tax. THE LOTUS EXIGE 360 CUP 14/08/15 Limited edition - 1 of 50 - Exige V6 Cup Increase in power of 10 PS New lightweight louvered tailgate and front access panel Lotus Motorsport redefines the Exige V6 Cup with the introduction of the Exige 360 Cup. New lightweight panels and an increase in power mean the Lotus Motorsport Cup model continues to provide a benchmark in handling and performance. The Exige 360 Cup bespoke styling signals an evolution in design, with an option of four colours (Metallic White, Metallic Grey, Metallic Black and Metallic Silver) and stealth matt black roof, front access panel and louvered tailgate. This design is a limited edition run of 50 vehicles and each of these special Exige 360 Cup cars will receive a numbered Lotus Motorsport build plate. This new model boasts an increase in power of 10 PS with freer flowing induction and a sports exhaust system, which combined with a low vehicle weight of 1130 kg gives an incredibly pure driving experience on road and track. The powertrain updates also give the Exige 360 Cup a sportier soundtrack to enhance the driving experience.
Lotus Evora 400 Roadster won't save the brand, and that's okay
Mon, Mar 7 2016There may not be a more disappointing brand in the United States than Lotus. It's not because the British brand can't make a good car. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The big problem with Lotus is that it builds highly compelling cars, but can't actually sell them in America because it can't afford to make them meet the complicated set of safety requirements required by US regulators. That makes us sad. Fortunately, there's one upcoming exception. For 2017, Lotus is bringing the Evora 400 to our shores, and a North American version of the Sport 410 has been promised. We welcome them with open arms and a proper pair of Southcombe driving gloves. But that one model line isn't going to be enough to keep Lotus in the minds and hearts of driving enthusiasts from sea to shining sea, nor will it keep the admittedly small number of US dealers happy. As pleased as we are to see reports that a Roadster version of the latest Evora is on the way, more will be needed. Lotus told Autocar that it expects the convertible to account for half of its sales here in the States, and we don't doubt that. But it's still just another version of the same automobile, and 500-700 additional sales is not going to be enough to reestablish Lotus as a legitimate sportscar contender here in America. For that, it's going to need another model line or two, hopefully at an entry-level pricepoint. A range-topping halo car wouldn't hurt, either. On the bright side, the Evora Roadster sounds like a solid step in the right direction. It's apparently just as stiff and lightweight as the coupe – "It's so simple it makes you wonder why it wasn't done six years ago," says Lotus chief Jean-Marc Gales – and that means its 400-horsepower, supercharged V6 engine will still propel it from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds and to a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Plus, the Lotus name is well established and highly respected. We don't think we're smarter than the men and women leading Lotus in the UK. So, we're sure Lotus doesn't expect the Evora Roadster to completely reverse its unfortunate fortunes in the States. The promise of a new Elise in 2020 ought to help in that regard, assuming it will be more attainable than the $90,000 Evora. In the meantime, we can't wait to feel that familiar wind-in-the-hair excitement we're sure the Lotus Evora Roadster will provide.
This is how ground effects work in a nutshell
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