2000 Lotus Esprit Sport 350

We get to see a lot of cars of roughly this age here at our Oxfordshire HQ.

With many, what may have been an absolutely drool-inducing aesthetic a quarter of a century ago now looks to our middle-aged eyes about as stylish and desirable as shoulder pads, pop-socks or acne.

But the Lotus Esprit, particularly in its later iterations such as this, still looks keenly contemporary, svelte, purposeful and, despite its age, thoroughly modern.

That’s quite an achievement – and this car is a fine exemplar of both the marque and the model.

We understand this car to be number 40 of the production run and, to be fair, there’s a pretty definitive account of the car’s production genesis and its numbers in letters and certificates from the Lotus archives, which you’ll find in the document section.

The vendor, who has owned the car since 2013, has clearly looked after this vehicle with a great deal of diligent care and attention.

We’re assuming that the only other owner did much the same, because this car is in outstanding condition throughout.
 

The car presents very well from every angle and sits with a properly square and purposeful stance.

We’ve seen no dinks, dents, creases or folds that shouldn’t be there and the car’s shut-lines and panel gaps are consistent and even.

As you would hope and expect of a body constructed from composite materials, there are no signs of any ferrous oxidation on any panels.

The ‘New Aluminium Metallic’ paintwork has lost very little of its lustre and shine to the inexorable passage of time.

The OZ Racing magnesium alloy wheels look fabulous, have no evidence of kerbing to show, and are shod in Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber at the rear and Toyo Proxes at the front – all of which appear to have a good deal of useful life left in them.

The bodywork and finish are really very good indeed and any faults or flaws are in reassuringly short supply, with even entirely standard scuffs, scratches and stone chips being far more notable for their absence than their presence.

But it’s our job to find things to moan about, so here goes.

There’s a tiny spot of surface rust that’s crept into a paint chip on the metal trim where the base of the offside ‘A’ pillar meets the base of the windscreen.

Beyond that, we noticed a few scuffs to the rubber strip at the base of the front valance; a short strip of missing lacquer on the rearward edge of the carbon-fibre spoiler; and a paint chip to the lip of the boot/engine lid just above the o/s/r light cluster.

That’s it.

Everything else is just fine and dandy.
 

The condition of the interior is far more a reflection of the car’s indicated low mileage than its age.

It’s also aged very well, much like the car’s exterior, and the only tell-tale sign that the car is now 25 years old is the refreshing absence of touch-screens and other digital sorcery with which modern offerings are so liberally festooned and encumbered.

It’s all beautifully analogue, purposeful and driver-focussed - all of which are good things, in our opinion.

The striking interior and upholstery are trimmed in black leather, blue and black Alcantara, black carpets, and ‘Kestrel Raven’ cloth headlining for the roof and lift-out ‘Targa’ section.

The blue seat panels really lift the interior aesthetically and are a signature accompaniment to the car’s blue AP Racing competition brake callipers and the engine’s blue cam covers.

Cast your gaze wherever you fancy and it will more than likely be met with a vista containing carbon-fibre inserts – all of which are in very good order, from what we can see.

The door cards are in fine fettle, as are the carpets and mats. There is a small crack in the speaker cover on the drivers door.

As far as we and the vendor are aware, every knob, button, lever, dial, switch, instrument and gauge responds faithfully to inputs in a timely and accurate fashion.

The carpeted front and rear luggage spaces are following the same script in terms of preservation and condition. 
 

There’s really not much point peering into the engine bay on this car – all you’ll be rewarded with is a view of the blue cam covers.

Rest assured that lurking underneath them is a mid-mounted Lotus 3.5-litre aluminium alloy 90°C V8 engine boosted by two Allied Signal T25 turbochargers.

All of which gives the car and driver access to 349bhp, 295lb-ft of torque and the potential to reach 175mph.

The undersides of the car are very clean and straight. They have given us no reason to tut, frown or otherwise question the car’s structural integrity, honesty or character. 
 

This car’s service book comes with more stamps than a Stanley Gibbons showroom (and it’s also been signed by the F1 and Lotus test driver, Martin Donnelly), with the majority coming courtesy of the Lotus Cars Service Department and main dealers.

The most recent service included fitting new belts and was carried out by respected marque specialists South West Lotus Centre on 14th August 2024 at a cost of nearly £3,000.

The car comes with its original books, full sets of keys, various letters and certificates attesting to its manufacturing provenance and original specification, a recent HPI report and an MoT certificate - with no advisories whatsoever - that’s valid until 17th August 2026.
 

This is a car that’s covered no more than 1,000 miles in the last decade and has yet to reach the 26,000 mile mark.

It has been serviced, maintained and looked after as and when needed and by all the best people.

It is in exceptional condition even for its super low mileage, never mind its age.

It is also very rare and a true driver’s car.

We like it a great deal and we’re confident that you will, too.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £47,000 - £57,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.