Which is the coolest Esprit?

[The Pits]

The key thing here is which is the coolest, not the 'best'.

 

The 'best' is the Sport 350. Now that's settled, which is the coolest?

 

It's a very close call for me but I might have to go for the Esprit S2 in Championship Gold.

 

It imparts instant legendary status on anyone with that on their V5.

 

 

 

 

[Bibs]

Best is Sport300 btw. Just sayin'...

[v8vantage]

I'm partial but have to agree with you.

 

Roo

JPS #010

 

[Tocus]

S4s. (engine from the sport 300) and the looks of a V8!!!

[Advantage]

The S1. Sequels are never as good as the original.

[Neil Potter]

Has to be understated, well, as understated as you can with an Esprit.  Personally I'd say the S3 in a very dark blue, with cream leather.  S2 perhaps a bit noisy to be truly cool?  Same for the S1, also not so keen on the S1 front lip.

 

That said, any early Stevens without a spoiler does look great - not as cool as the G cars yet, but one day.  It's the lack of ears...

[mayevora]

Best is Sport300 btw. Just sayin'...

Agree.

Gota go Essex for my 2p

[Loose Cannon]

The S1. Sequels are never as good as the original.

 

Very occasionally they are;

 

Esprit S2, The Empire Strikes Back, Godfather Part 2, Terminator 2, Batman Returns, Mad Max 2, The Little Mermaid 2......

 

If the equation is coolest, it has to be a Giugiaro version. I think women are usually the best judge of this kind of thing as they are immune to the classic car bullshit. It may be a cliche but I reckon most would say a white S1

[ramjet]

Mine's the coolest you bunch of clowns.

 

If I was to be serious though, I always really liked the copper turbo with the ski racks that James drove.

[Iconic Ride]

I would crawl a mile over broken glass just to sit in the same seat as Sharon Stone.

[Vulcan Grey]

Have to correct you all, but you are forgiven since you never got the X180-R outside the USA.  The X180-R is the best!  And the coolest...  You would not believe how much traction those have with the roll cage, and the ZF LSD.  The Sport 300 is close, but lacks the cage and chassis stiffness of the X180-R.

 

[Advantage]

Roll cage and cool do not make good bedfellows.

 

 

Unless you think collecting serial numbers of trains a cool thing to do, that is.

[Vulcan Grey]

well then, there were only 20 made!

 

It also has a 220mph speedo  Which the kids at car shows think is really cool

[Bazza 907]

G car no question.

The pure lines of the S3 come close but here we have the Daddy..   

 

 

[mdw]

Got to agree with Neil , any early g or s car.  For me the later cars of both designs have too much bling!!!

[Loose Cannon]

^^^^Those two are 66.6% of my dream Esprit collection!

[The Pits]

Worthy contenders all, but this isn't 'which is your favourite Esprit?' nor 'which is the best looking' but which is the coolest. Not as easy as it first appears and made a lot harder given that all Esprits are enormously cool to begin with.

 

My favourite Esprit is currently the early dry-sump Giugaro Turbo, the best looking is probably the Essex. It's also very nearly the coolest car on planet earth but not quite the coolest Esprit of all time. For starters the coolness of a supercar is often inversely proportional its performance.

 

Having just 160bhp gives the Esprit S1 and S2 a massive advantage over the later, faster Esprits. Rear wings are an instant fail I'm afraid. Because a big part of coolness is not trying too hard and not caring too much about what anyone else thinks. It's the art of impressing people without trying. I don't think Steve McQueen was trying to be cool, I just think he was. The attitude in the Southern Comfort ads sums it up quite well: 'this is me, deal with it.'

 

Now this is harsh but I'm giving it to the S2 because the James Bond connection with the S1 actually counts against it. Firstly because you can't buy one that turns into a submarine and secondly you'll never achieve the full potential of its coolness unless you are Roger Moore. Seeing Joe Public getting out of a white S1 is always a little bit disappointing. But anyone can get out of an S2, providing it is isn't white, and just be the owner and total legend that he is.

 

Finally, the ultimate test of any car's coolness - the Ed Miliband test. You need to imagine seeing Ed Miliband getting out of an Esprit, which one would most make him go up in your estimation?

 

This is proper scientific stuff this!

 

[Whirlybird]

 

Finally, the ultimate test of any car's coolness - the Ed Miliband test. You need to imagine seeing Ed Miliband getting out of an Esprit, which one would most make him go up in your estimation?

 

 

One that's on fire ?

[Trevsked]

S2 is very cool car and fabulous in gold as above. S3 Turbo has too much attitude but of course is a cool car however the interior of the S2 steals it.

 

Trevor.

[The Pits]

Allow me to demonstrate.

 

 

BINGO! Image problem solved overnight!

 

Mind you, he should have left his chin spoiler black though... missed a trick there.

[Mark Blanchard]

S2 for me too

 

[rizla603104]

For me the S1 has it for the G car. I prefer it because it doesn't have the SD1 lights at the rear. As well as it being the truest form to the original Ital Design.

 

For the later cars - the S4 - I love the mid boot spoiler - I know it is an acquired taste - but love it all the same.

[The Pits]

Sorry, but spoilers are almost never cool and I'm the proud owner of a whacking great one on the back of my Exige!

 

I might make a totally unfair exception for the Sierra Cosworth in that the spoiler was so outrageous for a production car and it had such a transformative effect on the mundane base car that it was a fundamental part of what was cool about the car. Without the wing it's just another Sierra - not cool!

 

Sure the F40 would have looked rubbish without its beautifully integrated rear wing but isn't the 288 GTO actually the cooler car for having a kick-tail instead?

 

Likewise isn't the V8-GT Esprit cooler for having an extended tail and no V8-SE wing? I always thought so.

[CaptainBigleux]

For pure vintage design, exterior & interior, regardless cost & reliability, to me the S1 is the best !

Turbo Esprit (and even more the essex) is a close second.

 

Not fan of Stevens cars, not vintage enough, not modern enough, bit inbetween...

 

Love the external design of my early V8, with the futura wheels that's remind me wheels of an F40, and nice smooth rear spoiler (not fan of the S350 wing, neihter the SE wing attached to the trunk).

But I would prefer the interior of a GT3 (sport seats, non woody dash...) or the late dashboard.

Edited December 6, 2013 by CaptainBigleux

[tonytransam]

Wow that question actually hurts my brain!