LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO SE

Engine In-line 4-cyl, 2174cc, turbo Power 264bhp @ 6500rpm Torque 261lb ft @ 3900rpm Weight 1300kg (192bhp/ton) 0-60mph 4.7sec (claimed) Top speed 159mph (claimed) On sale 1989-93 Value now £19,000-28,000 Rating

THE EXCITEMENT GENERATED at the prospect of having a Lotus Esprit Turbo along to our photoshoot was visceral. Classifieds were frantically scanned, voices raised, and the older ones amongst us were already driving badly around the posh, hilly suburbs of Los Angeles. It matters not that the boisterous TVR elbowed it aside in the final reckoning, the point had been made: despite only four cylinders, the Esprit will always have the magnetic aura of a genuine supercar. That’s partly why we’re crying out – still – for a new one.

The Turbo SE is also unequivocally a classic car: this is not the sort of purchase you’re going to drive daily. It’s too old, too rare, and – dare I say it? – too valuable for that now. Don’t expect Germanic build quality, but by the same token, don’t let yourself be put off by the tired old Lotus gags: find an Esprit that’s been loved and you should be fine.

An SE will mean the charge-cooled version of the venerable 2.2-litre turbocharged fourpot, with 264bhp and 261lb ft of torque, sub-5.0sec 0-60mph performance, brilliant steering and the unmatched handling prowess that seems peculiar to that small corner of Norfolk. Tempting, isn’t it?