No Reserve: 1995 Lotus Esprit S4

The Lotus Esprit remains one of the more under-the-radar exotics on the market today. It’s surprising given its primary competitor, the Acura NSX, has made considerable strides value-wise, often commanding close to $100,000 or better when in excellent condition. The Esprit, despite looking every bit like an exotic and offering more than respectable performance, somehow trails cars like the NSX and 911 despite its sterling credentials. This 1995 Esprit S4 is one of the last editions of the turbocharged exotic, and it’s listed here on eBay with bids to $17,600.

One of my favorite details about the Esprit is the tail lamps: those are the same rear lenses as found on a late 1980s Toyota Corolla hatchback. So, if you see an old Corolla SR-5 in the junkyard, grab the taillight assemblies as they’ll be useful to both Toyota and Lotus owners. The Esprit would grow up in a big way with the next iteration packing a V8 for the first time, which was a dramatic turn of events for a supercar that withstood the test of time with a turbocharged four-cylinder mounted midship behind the driver’s ears. This particular Esprit has been upgraded with an exhaust system and rear valence from a V8 car, but is otherwise largely stock.

The seller notes he purchased this Esprit with a rebuilt title and proceeded to use it as a daily driver for several years. Ironically, the car that he replaced it with was an NSX. The British exotic has largely been sitting ever since, so it may need some freshening up before hitting the road once more. The seller notes that the tires are old despite not having many miles on them, and the only real modification inside the cabin is a a set C-channels added under the driver’s seat to help him with finding an ideal driving position due to him being shorter in stature.

It’s amazing that a supercar could go so many years with a four-cylinder turbocharged engine as its primary engine choice, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the Esprit doesn’t make good power: the engine kicks out a healthy 285 b.h.p. and a meaty 290 lb-ft of torque. Sure, those aren’t game-changing numbers today and most sport compacts and minivans make well more than that. But at the time, it was plenty, especially when competing with other performance models like the C4 Corvette, NSX, and 964-chassis 911.  This Esprit looks like a very pretty driver and with no reserve, it’s likely to sell for a fair price.