Social Distance Car: 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo S3

Before I pass on to the great junkyard in the sky, I want to own a supercar.  Not a "supercar" like a Honda Civic with a turbocharger and giant fart can exhaust, or a Fauxrari kit car that rides on Fiero suspension, but a legitimate supercar. Something that looks amazing, goes fast, turns heads, snaps necks, and costs a bunch of money to maintain. Ferraris and Lamborghinis are silly expensive but if you want the looks of a supercar and the budget of a classic British car...look for a Lotus. Find this 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo S3 offered for $19995 in Plano, TX via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Supercar Red: 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo

Imagine you are a successful 50-something car fanatic and you've decided it is time for  your supercar. Do you buy an older Ferrari 355 for $50k or a newer Porsche 911...or do you save a pile of cash and pickup something more exclusive and far less douchey? Like this 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo offered for $19,500 in Des Plaines, IL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

L'esprit d'escalier: 1983 Lotus Esprit Turbo

Have you ever thought of the perfect one-liner reply to some joker on the way home from your tête-à-têtem, there is a term for that L'esprit d'escalier-- roughly translated into english as staircase wit.  I don't have that issues as much as I have the issue of realizing that the price of some junker classic is going to skyrocket into oblivion about six months after prices jump.  L'esprit d'esprit is what I'm going to call this next thing.  Find this 1983 Lotus Esprit offered for $10,000 in Moreno Valley, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On.

Colin Would Be Proud: 1980 Lotus Esprit

Colin "Simplify, then add lightness" Chapman died in 1982, but he would be proud of this next Lotus, not because of what his company sold as a new car, but because of the dedication to speed that its disembodied form...well...embodies.  Find this 1980 Lotus Esprit here on eBay bidding for $1,055 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go, located in Oxnard, CA.

Turboadacious: 1989 Lotus Esprit SE

The Lotus Esprit (es-spree) enjoyed a remarkably long life with only minor changes in its 28 year lifespan.  Somehow, the little UK based car builder managed to produce over 10,000 examples from 1976-2004  Find this 1989 Lotus Esprit SE here on eBay bidding for $8,100 with 3 days to go, located in Orlando, FL.

Battered Brit: 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo

Eventually you come to the realization that your grilling career at Burgerland isn't going to catapult you into elite circles, but you're desperate and ask "Glenn, what is the absolute rock-bottom way to enter into the world of exotic car ownership?"  Well, let's simplify it a bit.  First, find a car that has been battered, bruised, abused, and neglected.  Bonus if it's a salvage or rebuilt title, the more mishmash-ed parts the better!  Lastly...to gently remind you of that time you passed a kidney stone...make sure it's British.  Find this 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo advertised for sale in Philadelphia, PA for $7,500 via craigslist.

Auction Watch: 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE

Take a look at this 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE here on eBay bidding for $3,150 with auction ending next Wednesday at 9:55AM Pacific time.  

Auction Watch: 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE

Take a look at this 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE here on eBay bidding for $11,900 reserve-not-met with auction ending Friday at 11:19AM PST.

Ladies' Night: 1977 Pontiac Firebird Esprit SkyBird

In 1970 Pontiac introduced their revamped Firebird, which lived on a 2nd generation Camaro F-platform, but with some unique Pontiac flair, such as Poncho and Oldsmobile V8s.  But what really differentiated the Firebird from the Camaro were the strange option packages, like today's Skybird.  Find this 1977 Pontiac Firebird Skybird offered for $13,000 in Palmer, AK. Tip from Zach Z.

Ugly Duckling: 1977 Lotus Esprit S1

Good news for cheap car lovers out there -- the derelict look is in!  Some folks call it outlaw style, but it means that unrestored cars are cool, and mismatching bumpers are hip.  Magnus Walker could affix a New Beetle roof on a 911 using the elastic from his tighty whities and a bunch of dudes under an air conditioned tent in the Phoenix desert would throw panties money at him. It also means that cars with peeling paint and starters that only work on the third try aren't a total embarrassment, so you can own one of these:  A 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 here on eBay bidding for $13,599 with 2 days to go, located in Olympia, WA.

White Knight: 1978 Lotus Esprit S1

You'd have to be brain dead to not love Giorgetto Giugiaro's Series 1 Lotus Esprit -- its polygonal folded paper design is drop dead gorgeous and beyond reproach. It is also extremely affordable compared to similar era supercars like a Lamborghini Countach or Porsche 911 Turbo.  It may have something to do with small inline-4 cylinder engine tucked under the stylish sheet metal fiberglass, but going slow is cool these days...right?  Find this 1978 Lotus Esprit S1 offered for $14,000 in Miami, FL via craigslist.  Tip from Greg.

15k: Swap Meet Exotic: 1985 Lotus Esprit Turbo

Exotic cars are expensive.  Forget buying a Ferrari or Lamborghini from the late 1970s, early 80s without serious cash (and reserves) and the Porsche 930 Turbo has recently skyrocketed into trust fund money levels as well.  What does that leave for the poor man on the street?  What about a Colin Chapman inspired mid-engined turbocharged Lotus with style by Giorgetto Giugiaro?  Sounds exotic, but the sticker price is about as exotic as a new Nissan Versa.  Find this 1985 Esprit Turbo offered for $12,500 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

RIP James Garner 1928-2014

It is with some sadness that we report that noted actor, racer and all around nice guy James Garner passed away this weekend of natural causes at the age of 86.  Garner's first big break in the acting world was as the lead in the TV series Maverick, but as gearheads we will forever remember his breakout as the lead in the 1966 film Grand Prix.  Most of the other actors in the movies were only willing to drive the cars at low speeds or flat out refused to do anything other than towed shots, but Garner discovered he had a knack for high speed driving and he developed a fascination with racing that continued for many years.

15k: Turbocharged Beast: 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo

The Lotus Esprit Turbo is a bargain supercar on the market today.  You can't touch a Lamborghini or Ferrari for the same price and while the Lotus does use a simple 4-cylinder engine for motivation, its turbo equalizes the performance gap and 99% of the people on the road aren't going to know anyway....and frankly impressing random people is sort of the point of a supercar - not actual performance.  Find this 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo offered for $14,700 in Irving, TX via craigslist.

10k: Turbo-4 Banger: 1990 Lotus Esprit SE

The Peter Stevens (of McLaren F1 fame) designed 4th generation Lotus Esprit was visually similar to Giorgetto Giugiaro's polygonal "folded paper" design that lasted for the first three generations with only small changes.  The big improvement to the third generation car came from the use of vacuum assisted resin injection (VARI) and kevlar reinforcement to increase chassis rigidity, but power-trains were slowly evolved over time as well.  Find this 1990 Lotus Esprit for sale in San Antonio, TX currently bidding for $8,100 with 2 days to go.

5k Flash: 1978 Pontiac Firebird Esprit

Introduced by Pontiac in 1970 and made famous by Burt Reynolds and James Garner - the 2nd generation Firebird is a poor man's classic today.  The Bandit drove one around Jackie Gleason's bumbling southern accented highway patrolman in Smokey and the Bandit, and Jim Rockford did all manner of j-turns, (aka the Rockford turn) jumps and crashes in his gold Firebird.  Make your own TV show/movie with this 1978 Pontiac Firebird Esprit for sale in San Jose, CA for $3600 via craigslist. (Big thanks to tip from Kaibeezy T)

15k: 1979 Lotus Esprit - John Player Special

The Lotus Esprit (es-spree) enjoyed a remarkably long life with only minor changes in its 28 year lifespan and over 10,000 examples built from 1976-2004.  In 1979 Lotus released a special edition - the John Player Special to commemorate its 1978 F1 world championship winning car - really just a stickers package - but cool nonetheless.  This 1979 Lotus Esprit John Player Special is offered for sale in Knoxville, TN currently bidding on ebay at $13,799 with one day to go.