first time buyer

[mcpie]

Hi Folks,

I've logged on to ask your advice. I'm looking to buy a Lotus after many years of yearning after one! I'm quite a young driver and have only had one car (my Alfa 156 2.5 V6) and want a rear wheel drive sports car. After narrowing it down from many different makes I've settled on my old favorite - the Lotus. I'm a designer and have always loved the work of Giugiaro, in fact one of my relations worked with him on the Alfa Bat concept cars - a chap by the name of Scaglione. I've always hankered after the S1 but understand the S2 would be a more sensible choice. I have

[cbclotus]

Can anyone tell me if there is any differences to the exterior lines of the S1, 2 & 3s? I know the bumpers are different but is the actual

[Jussi]

Can anyone tell me if there is any differences to the exterior lines of the S1, 2 & 3s? I know the bumpers are different but is the actual

Edited November 8, 2005 by Jussi

[dazmans3]

Hi Ron

Well I though I would add my pennies worth, if I had any left that is after 10 years of ownership of my baby. No realy, I have an 85 S3 Turbo & despite the very large folder of bills I wouldn't part with her at all now. & I still have a list of things I want to do to her. She is on LEW under the G cars 3rd from the top in Pearlwhite, that should give you an idea of what to expect with ownership of these beutiful cars. In fact any of these owners pages is good reading for a bit of an insite into ownership.

I was working Nr Glasgow & looking for an S3 at the time. I ended up travelling all over the UK, looked at some right dogs but after 6 months searching I found this one near Nottingham.

People buy them at average car saloon prices and then expect to run them on same sort of money. & it's that treatment that does the real damage. Looked after they are reliable. A mate of mine has the same colour & spec car as me, He bought his about the same time as I bought mine. He's been all over the place in his. It's done 130k of which he's done 100 k of that. It's only now that he needs an Engine rebuild of which he's in the middle of now, but thats another story.

What more can I say that's not already been said. One of the best things to do is to go to the Lotus shows & meetings, & meet the owners see their cars. Reading up is one thing, actually having the owner point to the gromet that caused his engine to go bang is another.

Next recomended meet is at Stoneleigh,Nr Coventry this week end. A bit of a treck for you I know, but there will be plenty of esprits there & that's probably garantied with LEW's group alone. After that will be Donnington around mid March 06.

Just take your time, never rush into a purchase and I can assure you when the right one is found it will bring a smile to your face.

Daz

85 S3 Turbo owner

Portsmouth

The need for speed can be found with a Lotus. B)

[mcpie]

Jussi,

It looks to me as if the only detail which changes is that of the front bumper, in particular the front skirt.

Am I right?

Ron

[WayneB]

Hi Ron, the bumpers changed for the larger squarer type on the series 3 cars. but the federal(for USA) spec. S1 and S2 had larger bumpers than the european cars.

Also the S3 has the larger Ex. Rover SD1 tail lamps fitted in ABS adapter panels,(replacing the Fiat X/19 sourced lamps on the S1) and faux air inlet "ears" behind the side windows.

The Turbos have a different rear panel with a duck tail spoiler to take the tailamps (also Rover), rear louvre instead of glass on engine hatch, ground effect sill panels with naca ducts, larger functional air inlet "ears" behind the side windows and a different larger more aggressive front spoiler.

On the 1986 on HC Turbo the front spoiler was changed to one with a bigger opening.

IMO the S1 is the most aesthetically pleasing of all the Esprits, but the performance of the Turbo Esprit makes up for its less clean styling.

[mcpie]

will the S2 bumper fit the S3?? I don't like that bumper style but I think the S3 would be the safer option for me, also slightly quicker...

[WayneB]

The front fenders on the S3 are recessed to accomodate the wrap round sections of the bumpers. If you filled it you could install a S1/S2 front bumper

On the rear the lower valance panel differs so that would have to be changed as well as filling the recesses on the fenders.

I guess you REALY dont like the S3 bumpers !

Edited November 8, 2005 by WayneB

[mcpie]

Correct, I hate the shape of the S3 front bumper, if you look at the lines of all seventies derived british cars and look at their Federal accepted front bumpers, you can clearly see a bodged approach!

[WayneB]

The S3/Turbo bumpers dont look too bad painted

Edited November 10, 2005 by WayneB

[Loose Cannon]

S1

S2

S3

Hi McPie

I was always amazed at how different the Esprit could look with relatively minor changes in detail cosmetics and wheels. I personally prefer the S2 but I'm in a minority. The reason the S1 looks a bit slab sided next to an S2 is that on the S2 they painted the sill line black to optically lower it, and the black airscoops make the side windows look longer. The reshaped front valance on the S2 with the wraparound spoiler (instead of the bib-style on the S1) may have helped too.

By rights when the S3 lost the black sill line and airscoops in favour of body colour it should have looked stumpy again, but the valances were reshaped a little and a lip moulded in to "catch" the light. I also think the extra length of the wraparound bumpers helped the illusion (even more so painted, but the black ones looked best IMHO)

Theres a new owners page just been added on LEW where the guy with a JPS likens the S1 to glamrock and the S2 to disco, which I think is a great analogy! If thats the case then the S3 for me will always be a new romantic! B)