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LOTUS ESPRIT 3.5 V8 SE TURBO - £Auction

This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2025 on Saturday the 8th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. By the late 1990s, the Lotus Esprit had reached the culmination of a lineage stretching back to Giugiaro’s original 1976 masterpiece. The V8 SE represented the pinnacle, a car that embodied both the artistry and engineering ambition of Hethel’s finest hours. This particular example, finished in Titanium Silver Metallic over red leather, stands today as a fastidiously rejuvenated and mechanically exceptional Esprit, restored to a standard that more than does justice to its legend. At its heart lies the 3.5-litre, twin-turbocharged V8, an engine now comprehensively rebuilt to an exacting specification. The work includes new CP forged pistons, a vapour-blasted engine block, reconditioned turbos with new feed lines, and replacement radiators and oil coolers. The gearbox has been stripped and rebuilt, while every suspension component has been renewed, fitted with Nitron adjustable dampers and fresh bushes throughout. A new sports exhaust system and catalytic converters complete the restoration of its mechanical soul. In total, more than £40,000 has been invested in recent works, carried out by South West Lotus (SWLC Performance) and the car is offered with a fresh MOT and a Lotus Certificate of Provenance, confirming its authenticity and heritage. The specification is both driver-focused and distinctly of its era: electric windows and mirrors, air conditioning, a removable composite roof panel, stereo/CD system, rear spoiler, and remote central locking with alarm. The Lotus Monoblock alloy wheels have been reconditioned, their sharp geometry perfectly complementing the car’s purposeful stance. Accompanying the car is an extensive history file, including photographic documentation of the engine rebuild and provenance paperwork from Lotus Cars. Having passed through the hands of just four discerning owners, this Esprit presents as a rare opportunity to acquire one of the best-sorted and most sympathetically renewed examples of the modern era. A definitive expression of late-20th-century British performance engineering, this Esprit V8 SE is both a technical achievement and a deeply emotional experience — a car that rewards the eye, the ear, and, above all, the driver.

  • 0 Miles
  • MANUAL
  • RHD
  • RefCode: 0B8BE973-8A2F-6E57-88B4-6473F9C00310