1999 Lotus Esprit V8 GT

This Lotus Esprit V8 GT is, by any measure, in excellent condition.  

Cosmetically and dynamically it is far more a reflection of its low mileage - just 38K - than its age.

It has been owned by the vendor since 2002, at which point it had 19,900 miles on the clock.

At first, he used it as a daily driver. Then, as other cars came and went, he found himself using it on high days and holidays. Ultimately, he wasn’t using it much at all and the car was garaged and laid up for long periods of inactivity.

In 2007 he had the turbos removed and completely rebuilt by Field Motorsport of Essex (they worked on the turbos) and Dolphin Sports Cars of Kent (who supplied the peripheral turbo parts and labour) at a combined cost of over £2,700.

In June 2023, he and a friend decided to completely recommission the car prior to selling it to someone who might get more use from it. 

The engine was rebuilt by Rawlson Racing, under the auspices of Lotus expert Tom Smith, originally of Canterbury Sports Cars, now of GS Motor Services. 

Tom Smith also carried out the extensive and exhaustive list of work to refurbish, restore or replace (as necessary) the brakes, belts, front and rear coil springs, filters, hoses, rubbers and all manner of other bits and pieces – all of which is covered in the invoices and bills you’ll find in the documents section. 

The car received a full service as part of this recent recommissioning.

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed the ‘Sport 350’ decals on the car’s flanks and the ‘T350 ERA’ registration.

These are an homage to the car’s ultra-rare track-focussed sibling, the Sport 350, which has a lighter body, AP racing brakes, a whopping great spoiler at the back and a blue-painted manifold cover.

The vendor tells us that he thinks the car has had the decals from new. 

With any other manufacturer (with the possible exception of Aston Martin) we would be inclined to doubt that.

But this is Lotus, and they’re famous for their cavalier approach to badging, naming and numbering, and their predilection for suddenly announcing sub-sets of special editions without any accompanying documentation or official accreditation.

So, it’s quite possible that it did indeed leave the factory looking much like it does today.

Wiser heads than ours will no doubt know better.

Certainly, the vendor has done nothing to alter its cosmetic authenticity – which can only be a good thing as this car really does look absolutely superb – inside, outside and underneath.

It’s definitely one of the very best low-mileage examples we’ve ever seen.

We have driven it and can attest to its authentic, and still impressive, Lotus DNA.

It hugs the road like a guided missile, goes around corners as if it’s on a monorail, feels genuinely very fast even by modern standards, and is a visceral joy to drive.

It’s a proper driver’s car.

It has a clutch that needs a firm foot and a notchy, positive gear change that requires a decent shove from the shoulder. 

It won’t thank you for anything less than a good workout – and both you and the car will know that you’ve had one after a drive of any real length or spirit. 

We noted that the engine warning light is showing, but temperatures and pressures seem fine.

The bodywork is untroubled by any dinks or dents of significance anywhere that we can see and the red paintwork has resisted any of that hue’s tendency to fade and looks pretty much brand-new in its quality of lustre and shine. 

The shut lines and gaps are impressively crisp, consistent and even. 

The OZ Racing wheels are very good, as are the matching Pirelli Pilot Sport tyres, although they’re probably a little long in the tooth now.

The car’s badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all good.

There’s a paint chip on the n/s/r wing and some paint has rubbed off the edges of the driver’s door, which also has a couple of paint chips in evidence.

Some stone chips may be seen on the front valance and the bonnet, plus a few scratches on the o/s/r wheel arch.

The interior is in equally impressive condition and, again, is far more in keeping with car’s mileage than its age.

The main exception to this rule can be found on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat back, which has a hole worn into it through the egress and ingress of people climbing in and out of the low-slung bucket seat over the years. 

Apart from that, the seats are in good condition and the leather has yet to earn more than a few creases let alone any meaningful patina. 

The carpets, mats, door cards and headlining are all in fine fettle.

So, too, are the steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake.

The dashboard and most of the trim are also good. 

We didn’t flick every switch, press every button or twiddle every knob, but those we did flick, press and twiddle responded faithfully to our instructions. 

The vendor tells us that the radio is currently refusing to work, and he believes that one of the door lights has also downed tools for the time being.

The engine and engine bay look very clean and dry. Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car look to have plenty of structural integrity.

Watch the video to see/hear it start, running and revving etc.

This car comes with plenty of history and all sorts of bills, receipts and invoices covering work done to it both very recently and over the years.

It has a service book with a few stamps in it, the vendor’s original purchase invoice, a current V5, a clear HPI check, two sets of keys, and an MoT that’s valid until 19.05.24.

Where there are gaps in the car’s history, the car has been in storage and/or under SORN conditions. 

These cars were more than good enough to give the best of their contemporary competition from Italy and Germany a very decent run for their money and, more often than not, a bloody nose. 

Despite the presence of the big V8, they were light, fast, beautifully balanced, nimble, responsive and entirely worthy of Colin Chapman’s Lotus badge.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.