Lotus Esprit: The Complete Story [Paperback]

Walton (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Story | Publication Date: September 6, 1997

The evolution of the Lotus Esprit from the origin of its first design through a long production life up to the Esprit S and Esprit Turbo SE. Filled with practical advice on buying and running an Esprit in the 1990s. Includes specifications, road test details, comparisons with rivals, and profiles of the men behind the machine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Crowood (September 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861260660
• ISBN-13: 978-1861260666
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,184,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Opinions, July 12, 2000

By 

Martin Liew - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lotus Esprit: The Complete Story (Paperback)

As a recent purchaser of a Lotus Turbo Esprit S3, I can honestly say this book lived up to my expectations of providing a history of this mid-engined superar.

The book is comprehensive and candid about the car performance, pros and cons. There are excellent exerpts on road tests and reviews which should give a potential buyer valuable information.

Subtle differences between the various Esprit designations are highlighted and placed into context and there is much quantitative data for comparision to other Esprits and performance marques such as the 308, 911 and 924.

Info on buying a used esprit was helpfull but not comprehensive, however several noteworthy points are worth mentioning such as the section on galvanization and subtle differences in suspension geometry which makes a fair difference in handling feel between various esprits designations

The section on turbo charging is very comprehensive and one will definitely gain a deeper appreciation of lotus engineering after reading about how they approached and solved the problems of turbocharging within tight financial and time constraints

With it's exotic Italian designer looks, race car handling, composite body and finely tuned turbocharged 150mph engine, the Esprit Turbo is truely a drivers car par excellence with this book being a worthy introduction to mystic of the Marque

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lotus Esprit By Jeremy Walton, September 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Lotus Esprit: The Complete Story (Paperback)

For anyone whether an owner, enthusiast or prospective owner of an Esprit, this is a book well worth purchasing and reading. Full of history, detailed information, pros and cons of ownership, details of the models so far (except very recent), performance, statistics, great photos and so much more. Well worth the money if the Lotus you want, or want to know about, is the Esprit.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent summary of the Esprit and its development., December 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lotus Esprit: The Complete Story (Paperback)

Anyone interested in this supercar and its evolution should own this book. Walton has an inside look at the Esprit from the very start. The book is very candid about the car's faults as well as its fine looks and performance in the turbo models. Excerpts from magazine tests, factory specs and production figures, and interviews with Lotus employees are included. The book has several fine illustrations of all models including commemorative editions (JPS world champion, etc.). Good books on the Lotus marque are few but this is a book every owner and enthusiast should own.