Iceman

Newest Artist's Rendition and Test Mule Here's another "what's to come", :rock: :lame the test mule, :fgay and a REAL damn Esprit!! hb =D> Nuff said!

Well guys, Here's yet another pic of the new 2008 Esprit. This is also an artist's rendition, but from my understanding, he has spoken to someone who actually has seen the actual car. Nonetheless, it's still an artist's rendition. Still looks somewhat like a Gallardo to me. So far, the word is a BMW 4.8 litre normally aspirated V8, pumping about 367 HP. I must say, it doesn't sound very impressive... but I still don't think that's accurate either. The first link is the new Esprit rendition, while the second is the entire article with spy pix of the test mule for the newer engine (just a F@#ked up Esprit). http://www.worldcarfans.com/spyphotos/6060....001.mini1L.jpg http://www.worldcarfans.com/spyphotos.cfm/...-with-bmw-power

Give it time guys... Let the damn egg hatch already... this is already at the point of Disney's marketing of "Dick Tracy" the movie... More money was spent on marketing than the movie made practically, not to mention the people expectations were at "Star Wars" levels! Need I say that movie was a flop in the box office. I'm tired of all the "artist renditions" already :rock: I can tell you that I have heard and "seen" clues to the actual car... and lets just say it is NOT disappointing whatsoever! :supz: :supz:

Interesting, I didn't know they stopped '06 production so quickly :goodman: Either way, you got yourself one HOT :prayer: looking exotic! I test drove the white one on tour (Well, I wouldn't have really called that a test drive, but close enough), and it was amazing... even the wife was turned on, and she's not even into cars :supz: :supz: Congrats, and welcome to the Lotus family! BTW, what area are you in??

You call your car the "street missle"? Do you call your arms "guns" and have a name for your dick too? hahaha. sorry bro, but you sound like Brian Fanatana in the opening of Anchorman. :finga: LOL! I must admit, I'm cracking up... BUT... Now let's see here... This coming from a guy (I think) that has been on this forum since 11/05, has only 12 posts listed, is an "Anchorman" fan, and spells this user name with 3 "n"'s..... :toimonster: :-& :-k Alrighty then... I really think you need to take a deep look at yourself before you go scrutinizing the use of "street missile" on an exotic car forum... :-# =D> :thumb :-s To answer your question though... "Street Missile" IS the name of my dick... Declared so by my Hot wife :fgay hb lhump :wack Hey, don't take it personally, just playing in on the fun :supz: :supz: Keep'm coming....

One thing to keep in mind gents... The Hummer H1 is NOT classified as a regular road going vehicle, but instead a "Commercial Vehicle". This exempts it from some of the DOT and Federal requirements like airbags and ABS. My best friend owns an H1, they are a blast, but I wouldn't give up my Street Missile for one... it's definitely in another league of exotics. Maybe they will now start gaining in value!?

Nice... But where the hell does the "Street legal" part of that equation fit it?! Not even by European standards... I'm sure this is just a prototype, but even so.... I could just imagine pulling up to a club down here with your date/wife... the Valet would probably pull out the airplane traffice direction lights to guide you in! :finga:

It was "Car" Magazine out of Britain. TREASON!!

Hey SoBe, You'll find the upgrades on his previous post if I remember correctly, on the Dyno list. I also currently have a '02 Esprit, and all but 2 mods (Well, maybe more than that now...), I'll be running about the same. I can tell you that these cars most definitely come governed from factory due to warranty (Tranny) issues, as you already know. That's why they are so easy to up the HP on with just minor upgrades and tunes, such as a simple ECU upgrade. I will be heading to the dyno next month, as soon as I get my Derek Bell upgraded UN1 transmission back from Jack Knight in London. I'll be posting my mods as soon as I get the gearbox back in there and give Blue Thunder a tune-up. BTW, I may have asked before, but are you located in Miami?? Hense the SOBE name??

:oops: :oops: :oops: Well I just received an email from a friend who in turn has a friend of a friend at Lotus..... :axe: Seems that these pix ARE NOT a representative of what the Esprit looks like!! Someone is trying to sell some magazines it seems to me :butthead: This is not 100% sure, as it could just be someone at Lotus saying, "Oh Shit, there goes the surprise!!" :jack Either way, I'll just get back to my 500 HP Esprit and keep injoying life :partyman:

YEP, I thought the same thing... GALLARDO! DAMN!! Great car the Gallardo, but unless the new Esprit posts some serious numbers and performance gains, I'm keeping mine!! I also think the rear end looks a bit too Retro!! :impact: ](*,) ](*,) #-o

Looks like finally there's something more concrete as to the new Esprit being released this year. We do have confirmation from some that have seen the car sitting in the factory that it is DONE! Tweeking and tuning going on now. Here's the article... will get more specs once I can get a big enough copy to read it! :thumb :thumb :thumb hb hb hb :supz: :supz: :supz: :supz: :twisted: :twisted: :partyman: :partyman: :rock: :rock: :supz: :supz:

I've longed been considering one of these for all the reasons (and not) mentioned above. I too wasn't too convinced as to the "different" anglular shape, but I am now... hell, I drive a wedged doorstop for an exotice (Esprit)! I'll definitely wait for the '07, thanks for the info! Just ask Fast Matt about these cars, he has a slightly suped up one and already pumping 500 HP!!

AWESOME Matt!!! You're quickly becoming our next Master... As for the Boost, as we discussed previously, I've also had those spikes as well. Supposedly, my upgraded wastegates are tuned to 12 PSI, and after installing, I would get well over 15.5 PSI (My boost gauge only goes to that), but then again, my wastegate rods weren't tuned properly either. I'm with you on the fact that the Esprit's ECU's can't handle the boost control very well when you switch up the turbos and such. Glad I listened you you and forked up the extra moola for the Blitz Boost controller! Thanks again... As for Allan's discussion on "How the tranny is holding up", I'll soon have the Derek Bell upgraded UN1 transmission installed in about 2 to 3 weeks. Just shipped the gearbox out today. Will let you guys know of the progress as it goes. I also followed Esprit shifting protocol on my car and have never really had issues either, and I was running in the 340-360 RWHP as well. I did grind second twice when I was first got the car, but it was only a split second and my mechanic has since dismantled and blueprinted it, no damage at all. After I finish with it now though, I'll sleep better with the Bell upgrade...

Looks like Toyota finally got too big for themselves! :toimonster: Looks to me like their designers are beginning to peak in through Nissan's Design Room window!! :lame :lame :lame

Are you ever planning on displaying that bad boy in South FL for any events!?

Hi there, Well the Final Edition will most probably retain value better than the '03. If the difference is less than $6K, I'd go for the '04. Otherwise I think $63K for an '03 is a more than fair and reasonable price. As mentioned, the '02s and '03s are in the same range of $$$, due to the 2002 production being limited to 100 and its anniversary theme. The '03 is identical, but some or all may have come with the High-Torque ECU already installed... as I know that the '04 models do. I have noticed a bit more of an Esprit V8 craze over the last couple of months. Seems people are finally beginning to notice the performance for value on these things. I used to see a bunch of Esprits on Ebay and other auto sites for a while, and now they just seem to sell pretty quick. I'd defintely haggle the price big time (I did!), play it smart and shoot low... sales people will be keen on getting rid of them, while private owners will tend to reserve their price. I've owned my '02 for a year and a half now, and I've recently been offered the same amount I payed for it!!

Hey Mendoza, What year Esprit do you have??

Hey guys, From what Matt told me, it is a re-flow of the turbos. You send in your stock T25's and he gets them back to you in about 2 to 3 weeks with the Dr700's. If they are new turbos, well then I stand corrected. I have been looking into an alternative to intercoolers myself, b/c as you know, they need more than half your already tiny trunk space in the Esprit when installed (no to mention modifying the trunk area). Finally someone tried the bigger turbos, and I myself am astonished that they actually reduced the temp.! The methanol injection will throw in some extra cooling... but that's just what I would want it for, the added HP with the Stage-2 kit is a bonus! I'm already running a few mods on my '02 Esprit, and am very interested as well. If I do go Matt's route (which is 90% sure at this point), I will also be getting Derek Bell's UN1 Transmission Upgrade from England. It is meant for Esprits running more than 475 HP, not to mention that it stregthens the entire thing. We all know that this is the Esprit's Achilles tendon. BTW Matt, did you get the RED Race ECU from Lotus, or Johan's version?

Man, you have my taste! Lotus AND CTS-V... Soon looking to buy a '05 myself. Didn't go for the Exige, as although it has AWESOME performance, just doesn't have enough power (although for $28K, Force Fed has a kit that will bring it to 380 HP, and it includes suspension!). Anyhow, that's what I have the Esprit for... I need more of a daily driver.

Matt, We know the Esprits are not preferred Stop Light cars, but a little fun now and then never hurt anyone! Just wondering if you've tried a 0-60 or 1/4 in the Esprit yet?? I can tell you that a '97 & '99 stock V8, as per Car and Driver, did 0-60 in 4.1 and 1/4 mile in 12.7... and as well all know, "Stock" in a V8 Esprit actually means "Heavily Governed"! :week :week :week

Here's Blue Thunder: (Note that I replaced the stock lower lip with a lighter previous model... I got tired of scraping up gum off the pavement ](*,) #-o )

Hey Matt, What's Up!? First of all, I want to congratulate you on those HP/Torque numbers! Secondly, as a fellow Lotus enthusiast, it's nice to see such fantastic comments and following from the other members on that board regarding the Esprit! There's so much that is unknown or even underestimated about the Esprit V8 on the street that it's almost an injustice. I have an '02 V8, Azure Blue/Mag int., with 14K miles. I've drive all types of American muscle cars, Porsches, Mercedes Benz, EVOs, STi's and others; and so far, nothing beats the handling, steering, control and performance I've attained from my Esprit (except maybe the Noble M400, although not as classy nor is it a production car). I will also mention that I am an avid racer with the SCCA, CMS, and NASA, and HAVE tracked my Esprit twice so far in two states. It ran awesome, although the second time (Homestead) I did not have the Wastegates tuned right (nor the Race ECU in yet), and therefore I didn't push at all... that's all fixed and ready now! I have the following mods on mine: K&N's Hyperflow Exhaust (with cats) Johan's Race ECU (Also have the Lotus Hi-Torque ECU) HKS SSBOV's (with recirculating hoses) Custom Upgraded Wastegates from Claudius Blueprinted Transmission Quaife Limited Slip Denso Iridium Spark Plugs E-Code Headlights w/Silvania bulbs One-Touch Windows Custom A-Arm installed Boost Gauge (also by Claudius) Daytona Raid Steering Wheel I dynoed my car when it was bone stock and achieved 312 RWHP & only 265 lb/ft Torque. I was happy with the HP, but unsatisfied with the Torque! The Hi-Torque ECU from Lotus changed all that, but I never got to dyno the car again though. The Hi-Torque practically made if feel like a whole new engine! We are all in agreement that these cars come VERY governed from the factory due to warranty issues with the transmission. With proper driving skills and expereinece though (or Derek Bell's Trany upgrade), that should not be an issue. At 312 RWHP, these cars actually come stock with 360-365 HP at the crank considering a 15% loss, but due to U.S. DOT regulations and the Renault built transmission being limited to 350 HP, they keep the statement at that same 350. Other than that, "Blue Thunder" is quite the popular street car down here. :twisted: Nice going on the numbers BTW... :prayer: :prayer: :prayer: Were the Turbo upgrades bolt on??

BTW, That's one sharp looking Esprit you've found there! Definitely sounds like you've done your homework as well. As for the comment on "have you driven one yet"... You definitely need to drive one and know that this is a Race car for the street. No Nonsense crap here. Aside from the Noble M12/M400 and Lotus Elise/Exige, there's nothing out there with better steering or road/handling feedback. I have some friends down here with modified Porsche Twin-Turbos, Ferrari 360's & 355's, Lambos and Vipers... they've all taken my car for a spin and agree. Granted, not all Esprits drive the same, as I said before, you gotta know what you're doing when modifying and properly maintaining these things. Stay Focused!! You definitely need to join the "Turboesprit" list on yahoogroups.com. Laterzzz, The Iceman

Hey Guys, Well I am a pretty hardcore Lotus fan, and not only b/c of the Esprit, but also due to Lotus history and their involvement in a plethora of high performance and exotic cars all over the world (most of which people aren't even aware of!). Most of Lotus revenues before the Elise over the past decade has actually come from their "engineering & consulting" end of the company. They even have an engineering lab for AIr Bags in the States, for which they produce for GM. Definitely a wise choice! So long as you properly maintain a Lotus religiously, they are garanteed to give you incredible performance and unforgettable memories! I currently own a '02 Azure Blue w/Magnolia interior. I searched for specifically this year & combo for 2 years, and took 3 months to actually get the car (Long story!). As for modifying the car, I've done some hardcore research with ALL the Lotus forums and their best Lotus guys, including our local dealer mechanic and an independent Lotus trained race car mechanic to arrive at the following mods: K&N Air Filters Denso Iridium Spark Plugs Limited Slip Diff "Blueprinted" Transmission Upgraded Wastegates Race ECU (a.k.a. Lotus Red Race ECU) SSBOV's (w/Recirculation hoses) Porterfield Race Brake Pads Hyperflow Free-flow Exhaust E-Code headlights Mounted Boost Gauge Raid Daytona Steering Wheel And then some..... :supz: :supz: I'm not in anyway bragging, just helping to get your juiced flowing for that Esprit, and to answer the post concerning Modding the Esprits. On can talk forever on this, so I'll just quit right here. Laterzzz, The Iceman NEED MORE DRIVERS IN MIAMI!! Here's BLUE THUNDER: