The Lotus Esprit seems to have been around forever. First introduced in 1976, and treated to a successful restyle at the hands of McLaren F1 stylist Peter Stevens in 1987, the Esprit has become part of the supercar scenery. The latest generation of cars, kicked off by the S4 have come a long way from the days of Roger Moore and his amphibious antics. Despite their renown as a driver's tool par excellence, can a used Esprit make a case for itself in the 21st century?

About the Lotus Esprit

Whilst its elegant mid-engined styling may be reminiscent of an Italian exotic, the Esprit is a proper, hairy-chested British sports car. It requires strenuous effort to drive, yet will reward the skilled driver like few others. It's always 'in character', inconvenient, straining at the leash, and darting towards apexes. Anyone who thinks they can step out of a civilised commuter-friendly rival such as a Honda NSX or Porsche 911 into an Esprit without a murmur will be in for something of a shock. Used models are, on the whole, well looked after, and probably the best bets are to try to track down either a V8 SE or a barking mad late-model GT3. Both will cost a small fortune to run, but in the end it's all down to degrees of madness.

Representative finance example

If your borrow amount is £7,000 with a deposit of £1,000, a selected term of 48 months, at a representative APR of 17.9% (fixed) and an annual fixed interest rate of 17.9%, you would pay £171.83 per month. Total charge for credit would be £2,247.84 and total amount repayable is £8,247.84.

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