Pete Hizzey's 2002

Pete Hizzey from Toulouse, France owns a 2002 V8 in Lazer Blue, with a Black interior.

Model:	V8
Year:	2002
Colour:	Lazer Blue
Interior:	Black
Driving Style:	Normal
Miles per year:	4,000 – 8,000
Owned Since:	2007
Purchase from:	Private
Serviced at:	Sportomotive, Marcassus Auto
Other Cars:	TVR S
Previous Lotus':	None, just jump in at the deep end :-)
Why an Esprit:	I had always promised myself a mid-engined supercar with the underlying idea that it would probably be red with a 'dancing donkey' on the front. An F355 looked like a candidate until I researched known problems and local servicing costs. About the same time I discoved LEW and the Esprit V8. Here was something that just looked so right and any further thought of Ferrari evaporated immediately.
Upgrades:	The car wasnt 'standard' from day one as it was supplied with the OZ Magnesio wheels from the Sport 350. Other than that the first change so far was the rear suspension bushes - the top link inner ones that are between the turbos and cats were comprehensively cooked. All replaced now with polybushes from PUK.
Problems:	Did suffer from the broken boot floor problem around the chassis mount. Sportomotive did a superb repair and all is now solid.
Info:	It turns out that this car is somewhat better known than I ever imagined - especially when I discovered the video of 'the Stig' driving it.

  

Now that the geometry and suspension bushes are done the car is so much better, both dynamically and visibly. There was so much rear camber that it was like the only thing I could see when looking at the car. In any case I am sure that 3,5° of camber would have scrubbed the rear tyres in very short order!

So, what's it like living with an Esprit?

After 3000km I can honestly say that I dont like the handbrake, all the rest is just great but the handbrake is awkward. For me the most noticeable thing about the V8 is the power delivery. My only experience of the 4 cylinder models was with an S4s which could best be described as having a somewhat non-linear power curve varying between 'ho-hum' and 'OMG' and kick in the back as the turbo suddenly spooled up. The V8 (or most likely, the ECU) doesnt have the same sudden kick but what is more like a wave of torque that just seems to pull harder and harder as the revs rise - an almost turbine like delivery. I feel more comfortable driving the V8 in the rain than I would the S4s as that Jeckel and Hyde peak in the power curve is not there. That said, you are going to be short shifting in the wet and only letting those turbos have just the slightest sniff of gas when exiting corners. This V8 revs very easily, no doubt due to the light flywheel and the fact that a flat-plane crank needs less dynamic balancing weights, give it a wet road and heavy right foot and it WILL happily demonstrate this fact....me, I prefer reversing when in reverse gear.

The other side effect of this combination of rev-happy V8, an undamped twin plate clutch and the handbrake (did I mention that I dont like the handbrake......) is that you can guarantee that you will stall it (several times) in the first few weeks. Rest assured that this is most likely to happen when there is an audience who will tut and think to themselves "should learn to drive before buying a something like that".
In any case this car is chalk and cheese to TVR. The only points in common are British and fibreglass. Notice that I havent said 'slightly dodgy electrics' because its not true of either. The only electrical problem with the Esprit was that the battery in the remote keyfob died - fortunately at home.
Well maybe there is another common point. "What is it?", "Who makes TVR/Lotus?", "Never seen a Ferrari this colour before", "Is that a Lamborghini?". Dont worry, you'll get used to it, along with all the people who will stop and take photos.

Life in a rural area with a car this low only means one thing - gravel rash. Fortunately the previous owner gave me a tin of touch-up paint because the front spoiler seems to attract gravel off these country roads like a magnet. It has now become a monthly ritual and I am seriously thinking about one of those film protection products for the front. Parts of the car are already protected as supplied but in my case, rather more is needed.

OK then, there are a few trivial 'issues' with the Esprit V8 but if I had to sum it up in one sentence.....

"It doesnt feel like this car accelerates..... it feels more like someone has grabbed hold of the horizon and has thrown it at you".

What more can you ask from a supercar?

Running costs
June 2008
There are many comments about the costs involved in running a V8. I have finally sorted out all the service records, invoices etc to create a table of what was changed when. Hopefully this will give some guide as to the longevity of various parts and approximate costings for typical services.

Certainly a 4 cylinder Esprit is not going to be as expensive for some items, notably the clutch which is a fairly special twin-plate unit. Note that any Lotus part described as ‘special’ is going to have a serious price tag even before you start adding labour.

Date	Miles	Description	Cost : Euro
3/02	1500	1st service	209
6/02	6000	Service (no invoice but nothing special mentioned)	300
11/02	12979	Service + Pads	1215
5/03	18000	Service + Pads	1147
5/03	18340	4 tyres	1012
12/03	23657	Fr disks + Pads	2900
1/04	24859	Service + Cambelts	1160
3/04	29767	Clutch , ARB Bushes + Exhaust	6910
4/05	36585	Ball joint, Trackrod End, Transmission seals, Fr pads	1443
6/06	39694	Service	330
5/07		Wheel refurbished, (magnesium – paint and lacquer)	1450
7/07	44934	Service, Cambelts, tensioners, Aux belt, water pump + Trackrod end	2519
10/07	46287	Exhaust, EGR pipe, Rear body mount repair	1525
11/07	47606	Rear suspension PU bushes, toplinks unseized, battery	300
6/08	48050	Transmission seals, seized RHS wastegate, transmission oil	250
		Total	22,670

Overall this has come out to approx 0,50 Euro/Mile. There would certainly have to be other expenses to add as I’m sure the tyres have been changed more than once!

Many of these jobs are not going to be so different on a 4 cylinder model as the only real difference is the motor. The majority of the work has been done by Lotus main dealers and some by independent specialists. The final two I have done myself (hence the bargain prices).

I cant see anything special to comment about regarding the service life of parts and there doesn’t appear to have been any nasty surprises either.  Having researched other owners comments about what was changed and when, most the items covered here seem to fall within the norm for a V8.

icom.flo@wanadoo.fr