1998 Lotus Esprit GT3

The last iteration of the four-cylinder Esprit was the GT3 you see here. Fitted with the turbocharged two-litre engine, it’s 240bhp and 216 lb.ft of torque see it streak to 60mph in 5.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of well over 160mph.

This one is finished in Calypso Red (colour code B03) with a Magnolia leather interior. Still showing only 93,000 miles on the odometer, it’s been in the care of the vendor since July 2018.

Whoa Neddy, not so fast.

Because the vendor actually first bought the car in 2000 when it was only a couple of years old. He ran it as his daily driver until he sold it in 2012. He took it to Le Mans and it was his “courting car”.

This is an Esprit with a rich, romantic history. One so good he’s owned it twice.

Calypso Red is a great colour for a Lotus, and it helps showcase the Esprit’s updated lines beautifully. The GT3 graphics, which are in great shape, help too, and work in conjunction with the sill-mounted air intakes to give the Lotus a racy look we love.

The rest of the badges, the lamp lenses, and the window glass are very good, and the headlights rise and fall as they should.

The sunroof fits well and opening it floods the cabin with light in addition to a decent breeze when you’re underway.

The 17-inch OZ alloy wheels show only a little peeling lacquer (e.g. #109 and #112) and minor marks (e.g. #141). Black Brembo brake calipers peek out from behind the five-spoke design.

The tyres, which are Kumho Ecsta on the front and Avon on the rear, all have good tread.

As for the coachwork, the good news is that the Esprit benefits from a recent respray, undertaken because the lacquer had started to peel. It looks great.

From a distance. The trouble is it’s covered with tiny bubbles, which our experience suggests is a result of the second coat being applied before the first was completely dry, which means the solvent had nowhere to evaporate other than through the top layer of paint.

It could perhaps be saved by flatting it back but we suspect the only real solution is to have the whole lot rubbed back and new paint applied.

Other flaws are minor and include some paint loss to the offside mirror (#90) and some peeling lacquer (e.g. #103).

The Sport 300-style Magnolia leather seats are terrific. A feature of the GT3, they are as supportive and comfortable as you could hope for – and they look great, don’t they? They’re also manually adjustable and feature inflatable lumbar supports. Lightweight, you see?

Other GTs accoutrements include a Senotex (a grey textured coating) instrument mask, a body colour composite gear lever shroud with its wonderfully drawn gear position diagram, and an aluminium gear knob.

There’s also a Momo steering wheel in there plus good carpets and door cards. These are, like the headlining and dashboard, black but the contrasting trim and seat colour lift the cabin well.

The tool kit is present, and the lettering on the switches and instruments is still bright and clear.

Flaws? Well, the driver’s side bolster shows the usual wear and the base is a little rumpled (#4). Given how good the rest of the interior is, we suspect the new owner might like to get a car trimmer to refurbish the seat to bring it up to the same standard as the rest of the cockpit.

Other things you might like to add to your To Do list include fettling the handbrake handle (#247).

That’s it though.

As you can see, it starts well and ticks over and revs as it should with no warning lights illuminated. It’s got a lovely crackle to the exhaust too, and while access is a bit tight in the engine bay this is a genuine mid-engined supercar, so what did you expect?

And, it’s in good cosmetic condition with a clean engine bay and working bonnet support struts.

The underside looks as well maintained as everything else.

Recent work includes a hefty service in in December 2022 with Max 500 Ltd in which £2,287.50 was spent on labour alone. You can see the full breakdown in slides #324 and #375 but it bodes well for the winning bidder that the seller invested such a sum on putting right the sort of niggling faults many might have ignored.

April 2019 saw £1,657.50 spent in labour with the same firm remedying a few engine-related ills. Slides #323, #325 and #326 show the work that was carried out, but the fact that the final bill came to £3,557 illustrates how serious the seller was about getting his car properly sorted so he could enjoy it fully again.

June 2018, shortly after the vendor had brought the Lotus back into the fold, saw him spend over £2,000 with them for the work you can see in slides #334 and #335.

There are plenty of prior invoices too, including many from Bell & Colvill and Lakeside Engineering, two of the foremost independent Lotus experts.

All-in-all, they add up to an impressive service history file.

The Esprit’s MoT certificate is valid until December 2023 and there is a thick wad of expired MoT certificates on file.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and there are two sets of keys.

With a guide price of between £21,000 and £26,000, this Esprit has an awful lot going for it. With great panels, good wheels and a cracking interior, the mechanical condition is just as good.

Yes, there’s some fettling to do but none of it is urgent and, in the meantime, you can make a start on creating your own 17-year relationship with it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.