Wedgie: ’89 Lotus Esprit Turbo

Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the Esprit but by the late 80s, it looked dated. In-house designer, Peter Stevens, freshened the Esprit in late 1987. This new “Stevens” Esprit Turbo was available in the U.S. starting with the 1988 model year. Mechanically, the car was identical to the previous year, with a 2.2-liter turbocharged I-4 making 215 hp in U.S. trim. These Esprits have depreciated to the point that some have attracted owners who don’t always follow the necessary maintenance routine. This era Esprit represents fantastic performance with a sub-5-second 0-60 in a relatively inexpensive supercar. But you need to be careful if you want it to be a good experience and not a nightmare. Read More