I was in exactly the same dilemma. I had had a 4 cylinder years previous and I narrowed it down to a 1997 onwards with the revised interior but with the bodykit so I had no other choice than to buy a V8. The engine was not a consideration at the time as it didn’t matter to me.
I purchased my V8 about 4 years ago and the engine let go after 3 weeks. This was a failure of a rebuilt engine by an ex Lotus dealership where they had used too much sealant on the sump which had caused blockages of the oil galleries and complete engine failure rather than a design problem.
I decided to upgrade and rebuilt the engine which cost around £20k. The figure is high but it included a new billet crank, forged pistons, forged rods, ARP studs + Mike etc so although I nearly had to remortgage the house it was my choice, I think it could have been done for around £12k standard.
my engine was rebuilt by MikeS and now spends its time happily dealing with daily driving duties and also spirited weekend runs. It’s an absolutely great car which I use as much as possible. Having the confidence in the engine means a lot to me and it has proved to be extremely reliable. As has been said earlier, it is a rapid car but is sometimes disguised by how refined the V8 engine is. It sometimes doesn’t feel overly fast in isolation but if my wife is in her 981 boxster the Esprit absolutely leaves it for dead. Also if we are going out anywhere the esprit always feels such an occasion to use, even if it spent the day just driving to work and back.
if your anytime around Yorkshire your more than welcome for a cup of tea and a chat and a run out in the car.