1999 Lotus Esprit V8 GT

“With approximately only 200 ever manufactured this Lotus Esprit V8 GT is a very rare car,” states vendor. “It’s also had a large amount of recent expenditure – approximately £16,000 – to ensure that it’s absolutely on the button”.

That outlay included a full engine rebuild (by South West Lotus Centre at a cost of £8500), a new clutch (£2390 supplied for fitment) and full ‘C’ service. Other works include the fitting of a new exhaust back-box, two front springs and front dampers, an air-conditioning pump, and heater matrix.

All of which combine to ensure that the next owner can climb in, power up and get out onto his Maj’s highway to utilise the V8’s monstrous grunt to obliterate fellow road users at the earliest opportunity.

The included V5c document shows that the Esprit was first registered on the 1st of January 1999 and has had a total of eight owners from new. It comes with a relatively fresh MOT pass, with the certificate running until the 9th of January 2024.

Also present is the car’s original green leather folder, which holds the service book and instruction manuals. The former shows an incredible service history that includes nineteen (yes, 19 service stamps in the history folder! These include one for every year between 1999 and 2016). A quick online check of the Esprit’s MOT history shows only negligible annual mileage between 2016 and when its recent restorative works were completed.

See more on that comprehensive service history in the History Highlights section, below.

The 'Aluminium' bodywork – that’s Aluminium as in colour, not as in material – is simply stunning. The structure of the glass-fibre body itself appears sound, with excellent shut lines. We haven’t come across one in this particular colour before and it shows off the V8’s muscular wheel-arches, wing, scoops and scallops to perfection.

At the rear you get the later style round rear lights, which, to our eyes, are most pleasant indeed. The paint finish remains excellent and there is very little to find fault with. At the rear, that big wing was an option when new – some love it, others don’t. We do. It suits the GT’s persona.

Very clean 19” Oz racing wheels complement the aesthetics, giving it a mean disposition, and add seriously wide rubber boots to the driving equation. Each is shod with a Michelin tyre, and all look to have a good amount of tread remaining.

This is one mean looking mother of a Lotus – every inch a supercar.

If you think the V8’s exterior is smart then popping the driver’s door reveals a highly complimentary cabin; it’s a sea of Red cross-stitched leather, thick carpets and alcantara. The Cobra racing seats offer oodles of medio-lateral support and both present in first-class condition.

The thick Momo leather steering wheel is a pleasure to handle and is complimented by a similarly manly gear knob – be in no doubt, that they’re needed because this is a hooligan in Esprit form.

Each of the four VDO dials straight ahead of the driver in the dashboard are clear, but the most important one lies in the centre of the trio mounted in the centre column – it reads ‘Boost’! Get used to seeing that needle whip itself silly with wild, tsunami-proportioned movements.

The entire interior appears from the images to be excellent. The only thing we could pick up is that some leather areas (such as the left-hand side of the centre column covering) could do with a light clean.

The cabin colour works perfectly with the exterior, and you get the added bonus that it’s also colour coded to match that magnificent V8 engine.

The GT variant whipped 40kg off the standard V8’s 1365kg, to leave it marginally more slender – every kilo counts, in the supercar game. As mentioned earlier, this example has had serious recent outlay and as you’d expect, the rebuilt engine looks glorious in its bay.

It’s a thunderous thing to pilot. The V8 loses a little of its four-cylinder siblings’ lightness of touch, but more than makes up for it with out-and-out accelerative grunt. The gearbox shifts well and the large Brembo brakes provide the perfect partner to rein matters in when required.

Pop your head underneath the car and you’ll find the undertrays still in situ, and from what can be seen, other than a bit of road dirt and dust, it looks to be in good fettle.

The key document in the V8’s history file is the service history, which details the level of care and expertise that it’s had through the years. It shows the following:

· After Sales Service – 1500 miles, Ryland Birmingham (25/1/99)

· A Service – 4197 miles, Ryland Birmingham (23/7/99)

· A Service – 5477 miles, Nick Whale Sports Cars (17/01/00)

· A Service – 8446 miles, Nick Whale Sports Cars (16/01/01)

· A Service + Cambelt change – 9475 miles, Nick Whale Sports Cars (28/02/02)

· A Service – 11,228 miles, Nick Whale Sports Cars (27/08/03)

· B Service – 12,291 miles, Bell & Colvill Ltd (23/05/05)

· A Service – 14,089 miles, Bell & Colvill Ltd (29/06/06)

· A Service – 14,708 miles, Morland Jones (15/05/07)

· B Service – 18,782 miles, Morland Jones (15/05/08)

· A Service – 25,287 miles, Morland Jones (15/05/09)

· A Service – 29,039 miles, Morland Jones (11/05/10)

· A Service – 34,245 miles, Morland Jones (24/05/11)

· B Service – 38,364 miles, Morland Jones (25/05/12)

· A Service – 42,113 miles, Morland Jones (24/04/13)

· A Service – 44,737 miles, Morland Jones (14/05/14)

· A Service – 49,877 miles, Morland Jones (14/05/15)

· B Service – 52,155 miles, Morland Jones (04/03/16)

· C Service – 57,552 miles, Noble South West Lotus Service Centre (26/01/22)

Also present are several expired MOT test certificates, the V5c document and all recent receipts documenting the restorative works carried out. There’s also a Lotus Esprit manual on CD, and a fresh Vehicle History Check.

This is a rare, well-maintained, and relatively low-mileage example of the Lotus Esprit in brutish V8 GT form. It has a superlative service history, has recently had some big-ticket (engine, clutch, etc) items rebuilt/restored and comes in a first-class colour combination.

As such, we think that it will realise somewhere between £38,000 and £55,000. At the low-end of that we’d be screaming ‘bargain’ at the top of our voices, at the top end the next owner should be assured that they are getting a fine example.

Once in your garage it’s time to start plotting the where, the when and the why of how you will use it. Long-distance, pan-European road trips or track-based, high-speed shenanigans, or early morning blasts to Cars’n’Coffee and the like… it should take all in its stride and leave you begging for more.

Say it again after me: V8, baby.

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’.