Sold for $112,000 at 2018 RM Sothebys : Monterey.
Lotus' public relations manager in 1977, Don McLaughlin, placed a badge-less Lotus Esprit in front of the James Bond production offices. The result was a Lotus Esprit being featured in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Over the two decades that followed, Lotus updated and revised the Esprit. In 1993, it was redesigned by Julian Thomson. Additional upgrades included an increase in power and the addition of a rear spoiler. In 1996, the Esprit was fitted with a V-8 engine. Two years later, additional modifications were bestowed upon the Esprit, including the Lotus-developed, flat-plane crank V-8 engine with twin Garrett turbochargers along with a revised transmission and new interior. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine delivered 350 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque. This increased the top speed to 175 mph.

This particular example is a late V8 SE that was originally delivered in 2000. It has the redesigned five-spoke alloy wheels, a Silver Frost exterior, and black leather interior. It has a wrap-around rear wing, plush leather interior, and air conditioning. Perhaps its greatest feature is its extremely low mileage of just 80 kilometers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2018