Custom 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 w/ Turbo Esprit Engine

A rare 1977 Lotus Esprit (S1) leaving The California Showcase at IKEA, organized by The Exotics Network (TEN) and Morning Car Club. This custom car, which has been kept in the same family since new, has been repainted in its original yellow color with red pinstriping. It has been modified with BBS wheels, a 1985 Turbo Esprit engine, aftermarket air conditioning, and Turbo Esprit bodywork. This car was featured on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage in September 2018.

With a production run spanning nearly three decades, the Esprit has spawned far too many variants and special editions for the average human being to keep track of. I find the earlier cars especially hard to tell apart, and it doesn't help that examples like this one have been so extensively modified that even experts may have trouble identifying them. Both inside and out, this Esprit has been upgraded to resemble the later Turbo Esprit. Those who have watched the episode of Jay Leno's Garage featuring this car already know that the family who owns it has plenty of experience in the business of fixing and modifying Esprits, so it only made sense to use the company car as a rolling testbed and advertisement to demonstrate what could be done. And while this car has lost some of the simplicity characteristic of the original Series 1 Esprit, its upgrades certainly help make it more of a usable and enjoyable car.

Would you modify your Esprit S1 with an engine and bodywork from the Turbo Esprit? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!