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2002 Lotus Esprit V8 25th Anniversary Edition Is a British Sportscar Icon Up for Auction

Sportscars and supercars are some of the most beloved automobiles in the car community. Whether it’s their performance, styling, or status, they have something for anyone to love.
Lotus Esprit V8 25th Anniversary Edition 17 photos
Photo: RM Sothebys
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The car at auction today brings those things together and adds a dash of coolness, as it is a 25th Anniversary Edition Lotus Esprit. This car isn’t special just because it comes as the last hurrah of a model that saw a production run of over 25 years, but also because it almost never happened.

The gorgeous, wedge shape design was penned by one Giorgetto Giugiaro, which you might have heard of. He is the man behind many famous cars, with the BMW M1 from the late 1970s, the DMC DeLorean, and the VW Golf Mk1 serving as good examples.

The Esprit is the car that replaced the Lotus Europa, leaving behind its questionable styling and becoming a huge success for the company. However, the story starts modestly with the project being canceled by the legendary Colin Chapman due to poor aerodynamic results in wind tunnel testing attained by the 1:4 model of the car.

Still, Giugiaro was unphased by that decision and went on to create a mockup anyway, dubbed the silver car, which made a debut at the 1972 Turin Auto Show on the Italdesign stand. The positive reception received made Chapman change his mind and approve the car for further development leading to its launch at the Paris Motor Show in 1975.

Since that debut, the car has received a plethora of changes and upgrades, building up to this, the 25th Anniversary Edition Lotus Esprit. The car features a refined design, which includes the taillights from the Lotus Elise S2. It comes with a mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged Lotus 918 V8 engine capable of 350 hp (355 ps) and 295 lb. ft. (400 Nm) of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

This specific Esprit is still in its stock configuration, complete with the staggered Lotus wheels (17-inch front and 18-inch rear) and impeccable bodywork. It is number 55 out of the 100 sold in the United States and is finished in a gorgeous Solar Yellow, complemented by a black interior with contrasting accents.

As far as service history goes, the car has been properly maintained throughout its 33,004 miles (53,115 kilometers) with invoices to attest it. Since 2010, the car has been taken care of by import car specialists Kauth & Mayuer of Peoria, Illinois, who have done extensive engine work on it. In 2020, this Esprit has also seen a coolant system repair along with a change of brake fluid.

Considering all the work that has been done to the car, its limited production, and the heritage of the Esprit, it comes as an amazing opportunity to own one of the greatest British sportscars.
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About the author: Bogdan Bebeselea
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As a kid, Bogdan grew up handing his dad the tools needed to work on his old Citroen and asking one too many questions about everything happening inside the engine bay. Naturally, this upbringing led Bogdan to become an engineer, but thanks to Top Gear, The Fast and the Furious series, and racing video games, a passion for automotive entertainment was ignited.
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