World's ugliest Esprit for sale

[Mark Blanchard]

Here's your chance to buy that thing . . . or not.

 

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/lotus/esprit/1628602.html

 

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/index.cfm?

 

 

 

[JayTwo]

I'm not the biggest stickler among us for originality so I was hoping to see something interesting here, but there isn't a single change I've spotted that I've learned to love.  Poor machine's been made over a bit like a cheap Peugeot, good intentions or not.  The rear view's less terrifying, but not one I can see blending in with the road-car design.

 

Still, it's low mileage (assuming that's more honest than the bodywork) and offered 'without reserve', so maybe someone will make a good car again out of it yet

 

Direct link to the AA auction:

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=AS14&ID=r1123

[neil e]

Those wheels look like they are off an Overfinch

[Mark Blanchard]

This is what it looked like before the subtle respray.  Looks like the vents in the bumper and sill scoop were removed and they put a smaller wing on it.

 

 

[Advantage]

Call that a knife?

 

 

[greentengu]

Wow. Just Wow, I thought, I gots to have me some of that!

 

It almost seems like the person who, uh, sculpted this particular beauty spent some time admiring the gills on a garishly colored tropical fish and molded the gills into the "show" car. Then, possibly after attending their nephew's fourth birthday party, they divined more inspiration a birthday cake--imagining what a giant wad of vanilla frosting would look like smeared it down its sides with a putty knife--while simultaneously shoving four wood burning stove pipes into the rear end of the cake.

 

--Scott

[marcbria]

On a positive note, body kits are usually easy to remove.

 

Right?

Edited March 26, 2014 by marcbria

[Kimbers]

Haha, that's Karls old car I have some pics somewhere of it. I think I upset him, meeting him for the first time and calling it a monstrosity that should never have made it past the "you know what would be a good idea?" Stage.

 

 

 

What ever happened to that car Bibbo?

[Bibs]

He's still got it, it's matt black now with gloss stripes and appears on ebay from time to time.

[The Pits]

Some people just love the cheap kit car look don't they?

[dodge1979]

Another throw up in ur mouth moment..mind u the s3 n/a on ebay at the moment with that stupid spoiler is just as much an embarrassment..at least with that one theres a chance a recovering the bodywork to how it should be... I mean did he not realise the engines in the middle when he fitted those stupid bonnet and wing 'cooling' vents?

[Mark Blanchard]

This is what Karl's GT3 looked like before he redecorated it.  It look really nice.

 

 

Any pictures of it now?

 

All I can find is this:

 

[Bibs]

 

[Daniel]

MY EYES!!!!!!!

[Kimbers]

Arg! GAK!

[CaptainBigleux]

 

 

 

 

after the italian style (Ferrari logo), the german look :

 

 

[Loose Cannon]

I take it Karl doesn't get on here any more? Whilst an attention whore and having rhino tough skin, he could occasionally be wounded by comments on his creation and generally everyone trod carefully. By the above this seems to have gone out the window!

 

Personally my only gripe was that he started off with a wonderfully original, low mileage little sweety of a GT3. If he had slapped all the bodge and paint on a rough old car and saved it from the scrapper that would have been different. Interesting he has returned it to nearly the colour it started as!

[molemot]

There seems to be a truism which one disregards at one's peril. Adding things = bad; taking things off and simplifying = good; trying to do better than the original designer = extreeeeeemly difficult, and beyond anyone whose name isn't Giugiaro...(!)

[Kimbers]

What the hell have they done to the suspension on that G car? Have they removed it all together?

 

Must admit the one thing I have NEVER heard from a Lotus owner is "Gee, I wish it could be lower!".

[Advantage]

It's on hydraulics and can go up and down at the push of a button. Looks good.

[Mark Blanchard]

I may as well show all the others will we're at it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark Blanchard]

Here is a sympathetically modified S1.  Well done.

 

 

 

 

[Bibs]

Airbags. There a topic on here about that car.

[Vanya]

Here is a sympathetically modified S1.  Well done.

 

 

It actually reminds me a little of a DeTomaso........

[Kimbers]

ARGGHHHH Stop it! You'll give me nightmares!