With little that Lotus could do to improve its outdated 4-cylinder engine, a radical change was needed. Things finally started to boil in 1996 when the British brand fitted the rear engine compartment with 3.5 liters of twin-turbocharged V8 wholesome goodness, completely developed in-house no less.
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| The Esprit's 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged V8 produces 295 lb-ft of torque and 350 horsepower. (Photo: Lotus) |
What a perfect 20th birthday gift for the venerable Esprit. Charge-cooled (an alternative to the intercooler) and featuring quad over head cams and 4-valves per cylinder, this engine may seem almost average by today's technological standards, but its proven engineering yielded decent results. For one, its total output was and still is 295 lb-ft of torque and 350 horsepower, making for a 100 horsepower per liter rating - impressive. Though currently there are competitive cars that develop up to five, ten and even fifteen horsepower per liter more in naturally aspirated form, this engine entered production in 1996, and due to funding challenges, was in development for a lot longer than that.
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| Getting yourself into the Esprit can be a chore, with its tiny doors leading way through a particularly narrow entrance. (Photo: Lotus) |
Most enthusiasts consider the Esprit to be the equivalent of a British Ferrari, but it delivers in more ways than just long, lean mid-engine styling and raw power. Though the driving experience is there, as is the reported experience of your wallet being emptied, so is the heart-through-the-floor faint feeling when squeezing into the driver's seat. It's a chore in itself; the tiny doors leading way through a particularly narrow entrance which is mostly blocked by the low sills, the steering wheel and heavily bolstered seats. It requires the driver to put one foot in and swing down, head bowed for safety. Mess up, and you get a swift bump on the noggin.