GTP Cool Wall: 1976-1979 Lotus Esprit S1

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1976-1979 Lotus Esprit S1

  • Total voters
    112
  • Poll closed .
Jahgee

Jahgee

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1976-1979 Lotus Esprit S1 nominated by @Spacegoat
Lotus_Esprit_S1_1977_Fed.jpg
Engines: 2.0L I4 (Lotus 907)
Power: 160 hp
Torque: 140 lb-ft.
Weight: 1006 kg
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Drivetrain: Mid engine, rear wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door coupe
Additional Info: "The car gained fame through it's appearance in the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. Where it was featured in a long chase sequence ending with it converting into a submarine."​
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Gave it a meh, more of a lukewarm cool.

The yellow Esprit in OP just looks horrible with the 5 MPH bumper on it.
 
Was the inspiration and had the layout for one of my most favorite cars ever made. (See my signature) Sub zero.
 
One of the only cool Esprits other than the 80s ones.
 
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Ah, the seventies. If I got to sit in one of these I would laugh uncontrollably. The plaid, the green, the instrument panel. That gear shifter. Those giant switches.

Anyway, just bought a Hotwheels of this car in white. Even with the really long production runs of cars in the 70's and 80's, I don't think any car evolved like or as long as the Esprit. The original wasn't as pretty as the later versions but this car eventually became very cool.

Sub-Zero.
 
Not my favourite Esprit, the wedge shape has aged more like an Austin Princess or a Dino 208 than Ferrari 308 or Lancia Stratos but these things are great.

The interior though... in the OP it looks like the inside of a Scottish pub!

Cool
 
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Like the 1st generation Countach or Muira, the best shape of the entire model life.

Of its time, but just wonderful.

SZ
 
I really like this car, but it just isn't quite a sub to me - solid cool.
 
Roger Moore, uncool.

I'd love a second gen Essex Turbo though.
 
It's the first of a whole range of Sub Zero Lotus wedges. But doesn't quite reach the same heights as the last S3 Turbo HCs.
 
Hmm just voted this Cool then change my mind to SZ, oh well. I think very early and very late Esprits warrant SZ, any in between a solid cool. The early ones because I love their economy of design, lack of weight and general fun factor (admittedly I am basing this partly on how much fun they are to drive in games), and late models because they also looked awesome and were actually really fast, and a little overlooked at the time. Esprits are now getting more of the attention they deserve, and the recent Top Gear special hasn't hurt its rep either.
 
This car isn't just edgy, it's wedgy!

Seriously though, this car is defintely a legend in car lore. It still is one of Giugiaro's finest designs, even if it didn't age as well as other wedge designs. Bond connotations, Chapman legacy, this car has it all. This car lived a long life, much like the Honda NSX. Sure, it grew old and somewhat frail in face of the ever improving competition, but this isn't really a car you compare to a Ferrari. You know why? Because it offers a driving experience that no other sports car could\can deliver. Even the 5 mph bumpers and Scottish Kilt interior cannot bring the rating down. It still is one of the greatest sport cars of its era. I, personally, think all Espirits have the same rating, even the later ones. Also, this:

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I think I've said enough. Even it comes from a city that makes toasters, this Lotus can only go to one place. Send this badboy to the fridge, it's not cold. It's just Sub-Zero!
 
It has character, a killer engine sound (according to my dad) and good looks. Not to mention I have never seen one in real life. Sub Zero
 
Tyger
Hmm just voted this Cool then change my mind to SZ, oh well. I think very early and very late Esprits warrant SZ, any in between a solid cool. The early ones because I love their economy of design, lack of weight and general fun factor (admittedly I am basing this partly on how much fun they are to drive in games), and late models because they also looked awesome and were actually really fast, and a little overlooked at the time. Esprits are now getting more of the attention they deserve, and the recent Top Gear special hasn't hurt its rep either.
Click to expand...

Was stuck between Cool and SZ and settled on the former, but voted SZ to re-balance your vote. It's unpretentious enough to warrant a higher rating than the average exotic, but also ended up being too unpretentious: something like an XKSS or Miura has more presence.
 
It's the anti-supercar.

We'll forgive and forget the James Bond thing.

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Obligatory: It's so fast, it's gone straight to plaid!
 
Being a Canadian the plaid compels me to at least vote cool, lest I be denied entry when I leave France.
 

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