Lotus Esprit V8
source: ShutterStock
The Lotus Esprit was produced from 1976 to 2004, with the Esprit V8 arriving on the scene in 1996. It maintained the same general styling as previous Esprit models and was one of the designs by Giorgetto Giugiaro known as a “folded paper” design with polygonal influences.
The V8 version got the Type 918 V8 from the Lotus brand. That powertrain was a 90-degree DOHC V8 made from aluminum and featuring both two Garrett T25/60 turbochargers and a flat plane crankshaft. To stop damage to the gearbox, the engine was detuned to drop it from 500 horsepower to 350. At the time, it reached 175 mph and was able to get up to 60 mph from a stop in 4.4 seconds.
source: ShutterStock
When creating the new engine for the Esprit V8, Lotus went for an all-new powertrain created by Lotus Engineering in-house. During the design process, the team aimed to keep things simple, sticking to neat designs that minimized complexity as well as production costs. They also made sure that nearly every part of the engine was used. The result was a compact 2.2-liter engine that weighed just 15 percent more than the previous one. However, it increased horsepower by 50.
Reviews from the time had a few complaints about the Esprit V8, including the cumbersome shift and the disappointing V8 note. Overall, however, the vehicle is stylish. In addition, the engine wasn’t designed just to deliver power in the Esprit but also to work in other Lotus models. The Esprit V8 was able to produce better figures than other vehicles of the time. However, it would take more effort and concentration on the part of the driver to get there. Yet once you got it going, it would be a purely enjoyable experience that made you glad you were behind the wheel.
