The Lotus Esprit Turbo S4 was the last 4-cylinder turbo model — and the best The S4 is the final, best-developed (and longest-lived) phase of the Esprit, which was launched in 1976 as a replacement for the Europa. Like that car, its appeal lies in its superb handling and performance, at less than Porsche or Ferrari money — if you can stand the “otherness” and perceived poor reliability. Inevitably that means that Lotus owners tend to stick together, which fosters sharing of intelligence and knowledge of specialists who can keep these things running. As even the youngest S4s are now over […]
The Lotus Esprit Turbo S4 was the last 4-cylinder turbo model — and the best
The S4 is the final, best-developed (and longest-lived) phase of the Esprit, which was launched in 1976 as a replacement for the Europa. Like that car, its appeal lies in its superb handling and performance, at less than Porsche or Ferrari money — if you can stand the “otherness” and perceived poor reliability. Inevitably that means that Lotus owners tend to stick together, which fosters sharing of intelligence and knowledge of specialists who can keep these things running. As even the youngest S4s are now over 20 (and the oldest over 30), problems are known, and the fixes too. There are a bewildering number of variants, even in this final phase, so we’ll try to list them sensibly.
Series 1–3
First, a bit of history. Under its angular Giugiaro styling, the Esprit used a similar backbone chassis to the Europa (essentially a reversed Elan design, with the driveline in the “fork,” now at the back), but it was larger and more luxurious. Lotus founder Colin Chapman wanted to push the company’s output upmarket to maximize profits, largely to prop up the racing team.
The Esprit went through several iterations. The Series 1 (S1) came with a basic 160-hp (140 for the U.S.) 2-liter inline-4, as seen in 007’s “The Spy Who Loved Me” (with Fiat X1/9 taillights). The S2 (with Rover SD1 taillights) arrived from 1978, and the first Turbo from 1980. In 1981, the engine was enlarged to 2.2 liters, bringing the S3 tag. It’s worth noting the U.S. didn’t get Turbos until 1983, with fuel injection instead of carburetors.
The X180 Esprits from 1987 feature the rounder-edged restyle by Peter Stevens, seven-spoke alloys and first use of Citroën CX mirrors. And the name was changed again, to Esprit Turbo. From 1989, the Esprit SE (Special Equipment) offered 264 hp (280 briefly, on overboost) thanks to an air-water-air intercooler, which Lotus called a Chargecooler. The most collectible variant is the Sport 300, a stripped-down racing version intended for the American IMSA series, with just 64 made.
Fourth time’s the charm
The S4 arrived in 1993 following another freshen-up of the styling, this time by Julian Thomson, though retaining the same “Type 85” internal designation as the Stevens cars. Unique to the S4 is that it wears its spoilers halfway up the rear window. As Lotus extended the life of the venerable design, this led to a number of variants. At first there was the same 264-hp engine (0–60 mph in 4.7 seconds, 160 mph top speed) and the same Toyota AE86 taillights, but new five-spoke wheels. The new car’s power steering was an Esprit first.
For 1994, the S4s (little “s” for Sport) offered 300 hp, 290 lb-ft of torque, 4.6 seconds to 60 mph and a 168-mph top speed from its turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-4. Spot one by the big, rounded, conventionally placed wing from the Sport 300 racer, and six-spoke alloys.
The last iteration of the 4-cylinder Esprit was the 1997 GT3, a turbocharged, Chargecooled variant with the 240-hp 2-liter Type 920 engine, which had previously been used only in Italian-market cars. These are light, weighing only 2,710 pounds, and only 190 were built. Production of the S4 Esprit Turbo ended in 1999 (though U.S. sales ended in 1995), while the 350-hp Esprit V8, introduced in 1996 to battle the latest from Porsche and Ferrari, continued until 2004. (Interestingly, the final Esprit V8 was sold to a Chicago-area customer.) These V8s routinely sell upwards of $70k, so our focus is on the 4-cylinder S4 models.
Where the gremlins live
Neglect is the main cause of pain here, so you want to see lots of service and oil-change history, and bills for some of the more-expensive items. Radiator and water-rail replacement — even fuel-tank replacement and clutch change on higher-milers — are good to see. The most basic check is to see that the coolant in the header tank is nice and clean, harboring no nasty grunge.
The body fiberglass is usually pretty good, as S3s onwards were made using Lotus’ new VARI (Vacuum Assisted Resin Injection) process, which includes Kevlar in the roof and side panels for roll-over protection, but check for obvious nicks, cracks and sinkage. Do not expect Corvette-quality ’glass.
S4 interiors last better than the early cars’, though no Esprit interior truly wears well, so expect baggy seats. The gear shifter isn’t ideally placed, so shorter drivers feel as if they are reaching back. Electric windows are likely to be slow.
Paul Matty, who looked after old Lotus cars for more than 40 years until his recent retirement, told me this when we last looked at Esprits eight years ago, and it all still holds true: “Basically, the later the car, the less trouble they are. Head gaskets aren’t bad if they haven’t been overheated, but they do need the right coolant with corrosion inhibitor for all-aluminum engines. Also, don’t let them warm up from a cold start. The cams run in plain aluminum, and oil doesn’t get up there at low revs, so drive straight off instead.”
Other things to look for, says Matty, are cracked exhaust manifolds from continuous heat cycling, sludgy radiators, corroding cooling pipes and rotten fuel tanks. “If there’s a strong petrol smell from near the outer seat-belt mounts, the fuel tank on that side has rotted out. It’s a massive job, so best walk away.”
What you’ll pay
To say that few S4 Esprits were sold in the U.S. is slightly understating things. There were 137 sold in 1994, 217 S4 and S4s models in ’95 and no cars in 1996 before the V8 arrived in 1997. The shopping pool is larger today since non-U.S.-spec S4 Esprits are now over 25 years old and eligible for importation, while U.S. models come up semi-regularly at online auction.
Sales for early S4 Turbos have been in the $35k–$45k range, with S4s models typically running from $50k and up. Sadly, no GT3s or Sport 350s were officially imported to the U.S., but if you can find one, or a Sport 300 (technically still an S3), it’ll be more. Do your homework, find a good car and enjoy a 1990s exotic for a relative bargain compared to its Italian and German alternatives.
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