Lotus Esprit Turbo SE High Wing, 1992
Lotus Esprit IV
Lotus Esprit IV•
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Chassis No.: SCC082910NHA60175
Engine No.: LP910920727987
Registration: K221 RJU
Noted for its superb weight distribution and balance, this turbocharged, mid-engined, 2.2-litre supercar ticks all the boxes you’d expect. Not only is it charge-cooled, but it produces 264bhp, hits 60mph in just 4.7 seconds and with a stated 165mph top speed, it indeed impressive even by modern supercar standards. Built entirely by hand on the legendary Hethel assembly line in Norfolk, each takes 584 man-hours to assemble. Peter Stevens, who went on to style the McLaren F1, softened the edges of the Giugiaro-era cars and redesigned the rear end created a striking, wide silhouette.
A beautiful combination of high-quality, practically untouched leather, deep low-slung seats and an amazing wraparound dash create an immersive seating position. The removable glass sunroof can be stowed in the boot creating an open, targa-style experience, this is a truly special car both visually and viscerally with its super-wide body and rear tyres providing exceptional levels of grip and performance. The lack of driver aids, power steering and anti-lock brakes combine to provide a ‘pure’ driver experience which is hard to find on modern counterparts.
With such limited numbers of these handmade cars produced and this being the special edition ‘High-Wing’ variant, this is an incredibly rare piece of British car history. It should be noted that only 64 examples of this specific model were produced by Lotus in 1992 and this is extremely likely to be the lowest mileage example anywhere. Interestingly, the SE (non-turbo version) also reached star status when it was driven by Sharon Stone in the 1992 film, Basic Instinct and also the wonderful and spirited driver, Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
Indeed, it was recently invited to the concourse lawn at the Salon Privé at the Fête Champêtre & Concourse d’Elegance at the Hurlingham Club in June 2023. Needless to say, it was very well received. The owner has a collection of Ferraris, Porsches and other sporting greats and he was recently quoted as saying that he “thought the F355 was the most perfectly balanced car to drive. Until he drove the Esprit .” Supplied with a reasonable history including a number of invoices from Lotus specialist, Paul Matty as well as the original owner’s book pack, a brand-new light service and full one-year MoT test certificate.
With this sort of performance on tap, the next level of driver-experience can only really be found on the front line of racing-circuit grid.
