This Lotus Esprit Turbo SE appears on these pages courtesy of Chuck Foster, who also found a rare Eclat for us – thanks, Chuck! Of course, the two cars could hardly be more different. The Eclat landed in the market like a piano on a sidewalk – unwelcome, mostly – while the Esprit ginned up increasing excitement as it evolved over thirty years of production. Always wedge-shaped, always bodied in fiberglass, the Esprit was made in more than twenty variants, many simultaneously. The Esprit Turbo SE was launched for model year 1989, differentiated by name – its predecessor was called the Turbo Esprit – but also by a modernization of its styling and powerplant as well as a “special equipment” package including body-colored mirrors, a wing, front-dam air ducts, and side skirts. Boy racer, indeed. This example is offered here on facebook Marketplace for $29,900, and it’s located in Richmond, Virginia.

The same old 2147 cc DOHC four-cylinder originally planted in the 1980 Lotus S2.2 soldiered along for more than a decade, but with many improvements along the way. In the S2.2, it wore two Dell’Orto carbs (Euro delivery), made 160 bhp, and had enough torque to reach 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. By 1989, when the Turbo SE was made, the 2.2-liter was wholly revised with a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger, air-water-air intercooler (“chargecooler” in Lotus nomenclature), multi-point fuel injection, and an adaptive Delco electronic control module managing fuel delivery. Output shot up to 264 bhp, and 60 mph came up in less than five seconds. The gearbox is Renault’s five-speed manual transaxle. The new owner of this example would be wise to confirm when the timing belt and tensioners were serviced – a broken belt will result in an engine catastrophe. The odometer reading is 28,000 miles – a few miles over the recommended interval for belt changes though the passage of time since the last service is also a factor.

The SE package included leather upholstery and a burl-wood dash – despite the swanky trappings, the gauges are still difficult to read. No clear photo of the driver’s seat is supplied, but there’s plenty of wear on the passenger’s side. The glass sunroof pops out – mind that those seals don’t leak! Air conditioning and power door locks were standard.

Dedication, tolerance, and a generous budget are the essential attributes of Lotus owners. The expense of repairs – unless you are a skilled DIYer – is daunting, and unfortunately, said “repairs” will come at you like hail in springtime. No mention is made of service records available here, but when we’re talking Lotus, I don’t think it’s enough to just have the records. I’d interview the mechanic, too. These Esprit Turbos sit in the valley of the value chart – early Esprits can top $100k these days, and the later V8s are getting there. Mid-range four cylinder cars are still hugging the $20k to $30k range, but as always, condition is paramount.