Lotus Esprit Turbo
I photographed this 80s Lotus Esprit Turbo when I visited the 2023 Artmobilia Lotus event in Carmel Arts District on the North side of Indianapolis.
The event hosted well over 100 classic and modern Lotus sports cars. While I am a huge fan of Lotus cars, namely the Elise, the 80s Turbo Esprit is one of my favorite road car designs of the 20th century -I had to feature this one!
Ushering in the 80s.
cue synth music
The boxy yet sleek design of the Esprit was based on a radical Italdesign concept from the early 70s by legendary automotive designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Esprit entered production in 1976 with a stunning angular design and arched side profile with a fast-back style rear slope meeting the rear lip of the car. The car was a departure from previous Lotus design philosophies with modern styling and a much more powerful powertrain, but kept some of the same DNA like lightweight design and a focus on handling.
The Turbo model Esprit has seen multiple generations of chassis designs, but one of the most iconic is the first gen built from 1980-1987. The car features a 210 hp turbocharged 2.0L V8 which made an impressive 200lb-ft of torque and an even more impressive (for the 80s) 0-60mph acceleration time in the mid 5 second range, putting the car at the top of sports car performance at the time. The Turbo had an improved suspension design and most notably, distinct enhanced aero bodywork all around the car.
Featured in the 1981 Roger Moore James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, the Turbo Esprit was featured with roof mounted ski racks in a bronzy maroon with gold stripes and was filmed in snowy alpine scenes. The film also featured a white version of the Esprit too, which meets a fiery demise!
