European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday March 1,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 134-Cylinder engine with 264 he car Corner Esprit Turbo be the ultimate Lotus the Lotus Esprit Turbo be has a top Speed approaching the 170 Mph Mark. A amps Dave Diehl the luxurious Interior features leather seats and trim. A amps Dave Diehl the British Lotus firm is better known for its illustrious role on the worlds race tracks than it is for the manufacture of production sports cars. Hut production cars too Are All part of the firm \ heritage. The late Colin Chan Nan who founded Lotus in 1948 at the age of 19, built his first Lotus car to go trials racing. Other racing cars followed a All successful ones a and in 1957 Chapman built his first Road car a the Lotus elite. The first Lotus formula one car followed in 58. And then Chapman s inv Lotus firm truly established itself with a grand Victory in i960. That initial Victory was scored by the legendary Stirling Moss and it occurred at Monaco. The Best possible place to win a grand . Along with Ferrari Lotus dominated grand racing during the 1960s and Quot of. And Lotus production cars flans Kuropas and Lotus sevens a sold Well throughout the world. One of the most innovative car makers in history. Chapman died in 1982 and Lotus racing fortunes have still not recovered. But the production Lotus sports cars have held their own and with the injection of general motors Money pm purchased Lotus in january of 1986lotus has produced the new flan the Esprit and the top of the line Esprit i Urbo be Suer car. Dave Diehl Quot our Man in Britain a had the Good Fortune recently to Check out an Esprit Turbo be and his report follows. A Randy Barnett a a a by Dave Diehl . Bureau the Lirosi drive of the new Lotus Esprit Turbo be has an exhilarating but unfamiliar feel. But to know it is to love it. It is a mistake to assume that this mid engine Lotus of the 1990s would be just a sports car. It is not. It is More. Ii Sou want to open up the 2.2-Litcr. 16-valve. 264-horsepower turbocharged engine and whoosh Down the Road at 170 Miles per hour you can. This is a tremendous amount of horsepower from a tour Cylinder engine. And there Are few ears to rival the Esprit s 0-60 Mph time of 4.7 seconds. But that is not the Only Way to appreciate this ear. It is equally enjoyable to get acquainted with it slowly and to feel the smooth ride brought to you by the innovative Lotus Active suspension which pm has also added to the new Chevrolet c Orvette. Lotus engineers have exorcised that kidney jarring feeling associated with virtually every Low Slung car in the world. It is a sure footed machine and one that never sways bobs or Bottoms out under Normal driving. While it is tightly sprung it does t let m the feel of even the bump est of roads. At its Best on the Highway the Esprit Turbo be is also at Home on the narrowest of country roads. Long drives in this ear Are surprisingly comfortable and pleasant. The computer controlled engine and Turbo also make certain that the engine performs Well Down at the Low revs too. The engine does t miss a beat at any Point on the tachometer and Power is always available. Lotus even boasts that the Turbo engine adjusts for Altitude a drive in the scottish Highlands showed no noticeable difference in the cards performance. The inter cooled Turbo engine Power ing the new Esprit Turbo be is one of the most potent production engines in the world and it appears virtually without fault. Its smooth Power band is aided by the Garrett Turbo that neither lags nor jolts but is always conveniently there on demand. The engine uses electronic ignition and it runs on regular octane unleaded fuel. Outside the Lotus is unmistakably a Lotus. The Esprit Turbo sets handsome body is merely a refinement of the three year old Esprit body style. To say that it is sporty looking is something of an understatement. Inside the car at first feels cramped but that can be attributed to unfamiliarity. It does no to take Long for even a 6-footer to get comfortable in the Esprit and that cramped feeling soon gives Way to a feeling of Security and a a oneness with the car. The Nome Sunroof not Only allows for More headroom it gives the inside of the car an airy and open feel. Surprisingly the Esprit Turbo gives the Driver a Good View although from the outside it appears that there is Little visibility. But inside the Driver benefits from the raked Large front Windshield and plenty of Glass on each Side. To the rear however there Are three Glass sur faces and a rear Wing that sometimes obscure the View. It must be said that Lotus with its Headquarters in Hethel near Norwich is undergoing a transition. If this car is any example the general motors owned company is on its Way to earning an enhanced reputation for producing finely built automobiles. The company has been showered with extra attention since last Falls re emergence of the Elan. Buyers have been lining up at Lotus dealers to buy the two seater convertibles sight unseen says Ian Adcock the company a head of Public relations. Adcock says that the first two years production of the Elan and Esprit be Are already promised to buyers. The Esprit Range will also Benefit from the research and Cash injection from general motors that helped bring the Elan Back to life. And that will go further to help the British company attract the porsche and Ferrari Drivers that it seeks to win Over. Adcock says. He also Points out that in addition to the Esprit a performance the attraction will be its relative rarity on the roads. And with a Price tag in the Low $80,000 Range that s easily understandable. Adcock says that Lotus is Well on its Way to expanding its american Market and that american buyers will get about 200 of the 800 to 900 Esprit that will be built this year. About 50 percent of Esprit production is reserved for the United kingdom. There is Little to fault in the Esprit Turbo be but there is room for improvement. Its dashboard a Replete with some rather obsolete and sometimes hard to find gauges a would Benefit from an update. The heating system while functionally Fine gives an incessant whistle when the fan is on. This is ironic really considering that barely a whisper is heard from the engine that is located Only inches behind the Driver. But these Are minor drawbacks that make the car no less fun to drive. Perhaps most importantly the Esprit Turbo see which is Lotus top of the Linc car a benefits from the essential attention to detail that British built cars often lacked in the past. Everything a from doors and windows to the Hood and Sunroof a fit neatly and snugly on the Esprit. These Are products of excellent design and meticulous workmanship. The Esprit Turbo be retails for about $80,000 on the . Market. Although Lotus has no formal tax free program Adcock said that the company would happily work out any personal requests from prospective buyers. For information Contact the company a sales and marketing division at 0953 608000.Geneva show set for March 8-18 new Cycle club to meet saturday the 60th International Geneva Auto show will be staged from March 8 to 18, this show being one of the major exhibitions in Europe. It will be held at the exhibition Center pal expo near the Geneva International Airport. Among models making european debuts will be the Mercedes 190 e 2.5-16 evolution ii with 155 Mph on tap the concept Cerv Iii from general motors the 100-Mph electric powered Impact sports car from pm and the opel Omega station Wagon with a new 200 he 24-valve engine. Along with new automobiles from the worlds most important manufacturers the show will also feature special bodies parts and accessories. In Germany meanwhile the newly formed european american motorcyclist club will hold its third general membership meeting at 3 . On saturday at the Frankfurt Edwards Dys Center near Drake Edwards Cavern North of Frankfurt. James s. Bricken club founder says that final processing of charter applications with the american motorcyclist association Ama will take place. There will also be a final Roll Call to include names of club members on the Ama charter application. Activities programming will also be introduced Bricken said. Those interested in joining the new club should write Bricken at c co 143d Sig in Apo 09039.�?r.b
