Anyone know what was done to the Esprit in the Video? I think the owner is on 6speed. Anyone know if they are on here?

Car is FAST!

 

This thread, and Simba is gonna be responsible for corrupting me into buying an Esprit this summer.

I've been dead set on purchasing a NSX for I can't remember how long but i've always LOVED the Esprit. If the gearbox's aren't that big of a problem and everything else is pretty good it would be even more rare, faster (HP wise), and maybe even better looking. (That orange one is RIDICULOUS - if you have more pictures i'd appreciate them!). Obviously its probably going to be a more "exotic" car in all aspects than the NSX, but are there any major downsides to the Esprit over the NSX?

Basic questions are...
- I'd be shooting for a 00+, but they are considerably more expensive in a lot of cases - whats the disadvantage to getting a 98-99?
- What do you need to watch out for?
- Is there a "too many miles" limit on these cars? (NSX is uber reliable up to 200k miles)
- Hows the handling compared with say an NSX on the track? Obviously both mid-engined so I would think the esprit has gotta be a delight in the corners. - Does it have any bad habits in the handling department?
- How expensive are modifications?

 

Not a lot. Open exhaust, cats deleted, red race ECU, intercoolers, ~14 pounds of boost. Good for ~400 at the wheels, which is plenty to stomp a Gallardo.

 

Eye of the beholder and all, but I find the NSX quite boring, and they're difficult to get reliable power out of. The Esprit looks much better, and with a little work, drives better. That said, the Esprit is a bit more finiky maintenance-wise, especially if they aren't looked after properly, whereas a NSX will pretty much run like a clock unless you try and make a bunch of power on one.

The Esprit gearbox is fine if you take care of it and drive it properly. That means gentle 1-2 shifts and generally not beating the crap out of it. If you want to beat on it, you'll have to shell out for one of the gear/shaft upgrade kits.

Some of the earlier cars had cylinder liner problems, which is a big deal to get fixed. If you consider an earlier car, make sure the liners were fixed under warranty if they became an issue.

00+ also got the uber AP brakes, the refreshed interior, and various other tweaks that just make them better cars overall. Well worth spending a few grand extra for the initial purchase on an 00+, unless you have crazy plans for the car and are going to tear the engine down for a build anyway.

The liner issue I mentioned, the gearbox (should be readily apparent if gears crunch/grind), the cooling system (radiators on all the cars are junk, easily fixed with an aluminum aftermarket unit).

I've seen them with 80k+ and still going strong.

Stock, not as good. With some sticky tires, better coilovers and the AP brakes, it should eat a NSX's lunch with the significant power and torque advantage.

Not really. I've out-handled modern Ferraris and Lambos in an Esprit with a blown front shock.

Depends what you want and how crazy you want to go. Gearbox upgrade is around 4k, aluminum rad is around $600, intercooler setup will run you 1-2k depending on how you do it, race ECU is around a grand, coilovers are around ~$1800 for the entry level stuff, and up to $10k for the moton setup.

 

 

love the esprit

 

Simba - Thanks for answering all my questions! I really appreciate it!

4Wheels - Thanks for the photos! That thing is gorgeous. If i do it, i'm totally sold on Chrome Orange.