Detailed Ad: 240 Photos, 7 Min. Video, Original Paint, No Accidents

1995 Lotus Esprit S4S Description

Enjoy the thorough information below. Such comprehensive information/photos/video footage is provided for prospective buyers to be confident that this Esprit is for them. Purchase this vehicle with the utmost confidence. I have sold other vehicles via Ebay nationwide and worldwide with 100% positive feedback. I am a sports car and Lotus enthusiast that has owned other Esprits and other exotics (TVR, Porsche 964, 930, Ferrari 308, 348, etc.), know these cars well, and of course greatly appreciate them! I am importing a sports car from another country and getting into motorcycle racing which is why I am selling this Esprit.

Intro:

For your consideration is this 1995 Lotus Esprit S4S. For those unfamiliar, the “S” model is a higher performance and higher demanded model. In the Lotus Esprit enthusiast world, the S4S is often touted as the best of the breed, and as the best drivers car out of the range. The standard S4 models have 265 horsepower, which in a light car is still plenty of fun, but the S4S model bumps that up to 300 horsepower making it much more fun. In 1993 Lotus, unfortunately not in the United States, released the “Sport 300” Esprit which was the highest performance four cylinder Esprit at that time. The S4S Esprit basically uses that same engine which has larger valves and runs higher boost. The S4S offers though comforts that the Sport 300 did not. The S4S model also brings large Brembo four piston calipers to the front, wider wheels and tires, what is arguably the best looking rear spoiler for the Esprit, and other changes as well.

Lotus released the twin turbo V8 Esprit after the S4S, which offered only an additional 50 horsepower, thus rated at 350, but significantly more complexity and unfortunately so many with quality issues with the engine blocks until that was sorted out in about 2002. The S4S is said to offer better handling than the V8 version and with the addition of an exhaust and upgraded computer chip, can exceed the stock horsepower rating of the V8 version as well. Thus, the S4S has been deemed by many as the Esprit enthusiasts “holy grail”. There were approximately only 350 of the S4S model manufactured worldwide (for comparison, in 1995 there were 7,000+ 911’s produced). It seems only two to three come up for sale per year, and most not as nice as this example. The S4S Esprit is a genuine exotic offering a driving experience that only an exotic can. In 1995 the S4S model cost around $76,000, with inflation that being more like $118,000 today.

This is a very nice and presentable condition Esprit S4S that is ready to be enjoyed as is with $4k worth of service (including timing belts, receipt included) having been professionally performed within the last year. All of the Silver Frost metallic finish is believed to be the original factory applied finish. There is no evidence of repaint and the CarFax shows no accidents. Very importantly, the engine and head are numbers matching to the car. The transmission shifts great and without issue. The charcoal leather interior contrasts nicely with the silver as does the extremely rare five spoke Sport 350 magnesium rims. This vehicle has been driven so it does show some expected wear for the age and mileage. This example though is stunning to look at and exciting to drive. Please view all of the 240 photos, the 7 minute video, and detailed description to see how nice this Esprit S4S is.

Video:

A 7 minute long high definition video is provided to better show the condition of this Esprit. The video footage was taken in April of 2016. To view the video please click play below or copy and paste the link.

https://youtu.be/u_z6I8uRiJ4

Footage includes:

1.) Exterior walk around showing exterior condition. Notice the straightness of the body and nice condition of the finish.

2.) Doors opening and closing to show the doors open and close very nicely and easily and make a proper sound. Also, they do not have vertical movement. Also, view of the interior.

3.) Interior driving footage shows the car brakes, steers, shifts, and sounds great. (Because I am sure someone will ask: No, you do not have to put the trans into 2nd gear to go down to 1st. According to some reading I have done, it is a good habit for when driving an exotic car to always downshift into 2nd prior to 1st as it somehow lines the synchros up better and causes less wear on the trans)

4.) Gauges view shows all the gauges work and show proper readings and absolutely no warning lights on the dash are on.

5.) More driving footage showing this Esprit driving extremely nicely and sounding great. Notice the nice reflections in the finish.

Images:

240 high resolution images of this 1995 Esprit S4S are hosted via PhotoBucket. The photos were taken in April of 2016. All of the pictures can be seen by either clicking the slide show below, clicking any of the sample images below, or copying and pasting the web address:

http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/OldSkoolFool83/library/1995%20Lotus%20Esprit%20S4S

As stated, this Esprit is an extremely presentable example. The exterior cosmetics are great for the age and at a level appropriate for an Esprit example that will be admired but also driven. Below are further details about the condition of the finish, body, and other cosmetics.

The Silver Frost (code B09) metallic finish with clear coat is an excellent color for the Esprit. It is timeless making the car feel more sleek and classy. All of the finish is believe to be the factory applied finish, which has been verified by a 40+ year experienced automotive finisher and per the CarFax as well, showing now accident history. There is not evidence of repaint or issues like masking marks, runs, fish eyes, dirt in the paint, orange peel, overspray, clear coat peeling, etc. The finish matches in glossiness, metallic consistency, shade of silver, and quality throughout on each panel, in the door jambs, under the front cover, etc. There is some typical and expected wear for the age but it is limited and not distracting. The lower half of the front bumper has a decent amount of stone chips. If the finish were black, it would probably be more noticeable but due to the silver it does not stand out. The chips do not distract from the presentation of the car and are more so noticeable when one leans down about three feet from the front end looking for them. Luckily, the chips are not extensive on the rest of the front end or rest of the car. The front fenders and front cover (hood?) are great showing limited markings. Both doors are great. The passenger door mirror has a pencil eraser sized chip and driver door mirror has a small scuff. The roof, rear quarter panels, rear spoiler, engine cover, and rear bumper are great as well. The rear spoiler had a chip touched up. There are a couple areas with the clear protective 3M plastic (behind the rear wheels on the bumper, on the edges of the scoops on the rockers). It has somewhat yellowed with age so if someone was so inclined could have it removed. I peeled a very small section of one off to see the condition of the paint underneath and it is great. These protective plastic pieces are not distracting from the presentation from the car. As mentioned, the paint is in very nice condition and presents very well. It is very attractive. It still has good glossiness and reflectiveness which is attempted to be shown in the photos and video (see the photos of the book next to the finish and video walk around of the car). The finish aides to the presentation of the car and really is one of the better colors for this generation of Esprit.

The actual body itself on this Esprit is very nice. The gaps line up as they should. The doors open and close VERY easily and without sagging or vertical movement. The front cover and engine cover also open and close easily. Absolutely no accidents or body work has been performed. You can kneel down to look down the side of the car and it is beautifully straight on both sides. The broad flat areas like the front cover and engine cover are nice and flat and smooth. The roof section can be removed for sunny day driving, kind of like a targa top, and this Esprit comes with both glass sections and a painted fiberglass section. This Esprit exhibits absolutely NO crazing which is often seen on fiberglass vehicles. There are of course a couple limited in size and quantity “surface stress cracks” in a few spots like one on the “A” pillar and around the passenger mirror. This is my 6th Esprit, and every single one I have had or seen has had some sort of minor “cracks” like these no matter the age and mileage. The door jambs, floors, front compartment, and engine compartment look very nice as well in unmodified stock condition. The lenses throughout are very good and without cracking. ALL of the glass, including the windshield, is the original Triplex glass and in nice shape. The underbody itself looks as it should for an Esprit that has been driven but also been taken care of. The frame has its original coating and is in great shape not showing any damage, cracking, etc. The rims are from the Sport 350 Esprit which of about only 50 were manufactured. They are OZ Racing Magnesio Esprit rims. They are made of magnesium thus are extremely lightweight.

As a whole, this Esprit has a very nice body that is ready to be enjoyed as it is. It is in very nice original and presentable condition. It is absolutely stunning offering a style and stance that only an exotic car can.

Interior:

The interior overall on this Esprit collectively is presentable and shows expected wear for the age. Most importantly, the interior is a comfortable place to be that aids in the driving enjoyment of this vehicle. There is no evidence that it has been smoked in. No cigarette burns, no tar, no ashes, no bad smell. The full charcoal leather trimming really gives off a feeling of luxury and style, thus feeling appropriate for the premium sports car designation. Both door panels are very nice and show limited markings. The driver seat leather is somewhat dry and shows some wear, most on the seat bottom, but it is still presentable and comfortable. The contrasting grey piping is in nice shape and bolster is NOT worn through. The passenger seat, as expected, is in nicer condition that the driver side showing less aging. The steering wheel is in nice shape. The leather on the dash presents very nicely with a couple minor areas of shrinking. The shifter boot and parking brake boot show some typical wear from use. The arm rest which is the lid to small storage area shows some warping and could be replaced by another flat panel covered in matching leather or reusing the original leather. The carpet is very good throughout. The headliner is very nice. The wood around the instruments has the typical surface cracking but is not falling off or apart. The gauges look great.

The interior presents as it should for a 20 year old Lotus.It is not perfect but looks nice, is functional, and aids in the enjoyment of the car.

Mechanical:

This Esprit is a get in and drive vehicle that is well sorted. Within the past year, it had been gone through and had $4,000 worth of service completed (receipt included). This Esprit starts the first time every time, runs, and drives great. It is so important with these cars to find an example that is good to go as is as getting one up to running shape can be a pricey endeavor. This Esprit is “turnkey” with only regular maintenance should be being needed in the foreseeable future.

The engine is a Lotus designed and built 2.2L all aluminum four cylinder with dual overhead cams, fuel injection, and a intercooled turbocharger.These Lotus designed and built four cylinder engines have been around basically since the mid-1970’s.These engines actually are quite rock solid and only got better as time went on, ending with the S4S model.The “S” model has larger valves, higher boost, and some other changes resulting in an output of 300 horsepower.The engine number is: LN910950328859T and that final “T” designating it the higher horsepower “S4S” engine.One of the most important maintenance items on this engine is the timing belts and tensioners, which were replaced within the past year on this Esprit.By this time the engine management system, and fuel injection components from what I remember, are GM parts thus a higher reliability than the 1989 and prior systems.This engine starts easily the first time every time and does so without smoking or odd noises.It maintains its idle, goes through the RPM range properly, has great throttle response, feels like it has the power that it should, does not blow smoke out the back, does not burn oil, and does not leak oil from what I can see as it is definitely not dripping any on the ground.It has good oil pressure through the RPM range and holds a proper temperature, no cooling issues.The engine should need no attention.The red powdercoating is still bright red and looks nice.The rest of the engine bay looks good and as it should for the age and mileage.The exhaust is an upgraded what looks to be stainless steel exhaust and it sounds great, nice and throaty.The catalytic converter is still present.I purchased this vehicle from California and it passed emissions there so this Esprit should be 50 state friendly in that regards (please note:in the history it was stated as one time not passing emissions in CA in 2012 but it has passed since, last on 3/31/2015).Absolutely NO warnings lights at all on the dash have ever lit up for me.None!

The transaxle is known as a weak point on these cars so it is important to find one that shifts in all the gears and does so without grinding.This Esprit shifts excellently in every single gear, including 5th and reverse, which some Esprits have issues with.The 2nd gear synchro is great as is are the others.I have NEVER experienced any synchro issues, grinding, or sticky shifting in this car.It shifts nicely and properly for an Esprit.Because it is British, it needs to drip something so it does leave about a 25 cent piece sized drip on the ground after driving it for a while and letting it sit.There is a photo showing that with my foot included for scale.The clutch feels great.It has a braided stainless steel line instead of that dreaded red plastic one.

The suspension, brakes, and steering feel proper on this Esprit.The suspension visually inspects well with nothing of concern.It feels proper.Nice and tight but not punishing.A nice addition to the S4 was power steering which really makes the Esprit more pleasurable to drive for extended periods.The steering still has a lightning quick feel that only other exotics can match.The tires have some dry checking on them so it would be best to replace them some time soon although there is plenty of tread.Tires are available and reasonable (from Tirerack:Sumitomo HTR $511, Hankook Ventus V12 $500, Bridgestone S-04 Pole Position $630).These Esprits are just a joy to drive out on the back twisty roads.These truly are driver cars.The brakes are good on this Esprit.The Brembo calipers up front for the S4S model are a nice addition and bring the car to a stop quickly.This Esprit goes down the road straight, stops straight, and is a joy to drive.

The A/C system received a new pump and servicing in 2015.The headlights, blinkers, brake lights, windows, and gauges are all functioning properly.

Many sellers “dump” off the exotic vehicles when it is time for a significant servicing like timing belts.As mentioned, this Esprit is good to go as it had its timing belts replaced in spring 2015 thus will not need such servicing for multiple years.Here are some significant recent service items from 3/25/2015:

-Brake light switch

-Sender for coolant temp

-Thermostat

-Oxygen sensor

-Timing belt

-Timing belt tensioner

-Other engine belts

-A/C compressor

-A/C drier

-Engine and trans oil change

Conclusion:

What is it like to drive and own a S4S Esprit? It definitely is a unique experience. These vehicles truly are exotic cars offering an experience that only an exotic car can. The performance is great for the context of 1995 and still of course offers plenty of fun for the current roads. Having owned the Porsche 930, Ferrari 308, Ferrari 348, and other sports cars, I can say the Lotus Esprit offers the best handling and steering of the bunch. These Esprits hold the road so well. Acceleration wise it is on par with its competition, besting some of them due to being lighter. Due to how low the Esprit is and due to the driving position, it actually feels and looks more exotic than the others as well. It doesn’t have the V8 tone of the Ferrari but with the upgraded exhaust it does sound nice. Also, compared to the competition, I would argue the Lotus four cylinder is the more dependable engine compared to its competitors and offers more “bang for the buck”. As exciting as the Esprit is to drive, it is yet still a comfortable vehicle and has decent storage in the rear compartment.

There is a great amount of support for these vehicles.There are a couple different Lotus and Esprit internet forums, just about every region has a significant Lotus club, and there are numerous Lotus parts suppliers (JAE, R.D. Enterprises, Lotus Prepared by Claudius, etc.) in the USA as well as in the UK.Lotus sourced many parts from other manufactures to produce these vehicles so many parts can be very reasonably priced and sourced.

As mentioned, I would plan on keeping this vehicle but decided to make a big purchase with importing a vehicle from the UK and also am getting into motorcycle racing.I only have so much time and there are only so many nice driving days in Wisconsin thus it is best for the Esprit to find a new home.The “S” model does not come up for sale often and it is difficult to find one that is in such original condition, thus kind of tricky to put a value on.This example is in above average condition, especially with just having the timing belts done, and average pricing for the S4S model is listed around $32,700.I have tried to set the price fairly and have priced it a bit under that.The Lotus Esprit is a very special vehicle and the S4S model is arguably one of the best iterations of the model offering more trouble free miles and less expensive miles than the V8 version.This example is an extremely presentable example that is well sorted and ready to go.The finish, body, and mechanicals are in original presentable condition which is difficult to find.Due to having had significant recent maintenance this Esprit should be able to be enjoyed exactly as it is for multiple years.Get in, drive, and enjoy as its value increases.

This Esprit has a clean title ready to be transferred to the next owner.Serious buyers are welcome to contact me with any questions or to arrange to see this Esprit in person.Preferred calls are between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM central time.

262-391-1069

This vehicle is located in Sussex, WI 53089.The nearest large airport is Mitchell International in Milwaukee, WI (MKE) which is about 40 minutes away.

This is a serious and actual auction so please treat it as such. The car will be sold through Ebay, and only Ebay, with proper procedures and reduced risk for both buyer and seller.Putting in an offer is committing to a contract to purchase this vehicle and the following terms.I have attempted to describe this vehicle very fairly but it is the buyer’s responsibility to determine their opinion of the vehicle’s condition prior to submitting a bid.It is recommended possible buyers inspect the vehicle in person prior to putting in an offer but extensive details and pictures have been provided as I understand in person inspection is not always possible. If a professional pre-purchase inspection is wanted, it must be completed prior to committing to buying through putting in or accepting an offer.The auction winner must deposit a non-refundable $1000 down payment within 48 hours of auction close via Paypal. Remaining funds must be received no later than two weeks from auction end. Negative feedback will be given to non-paying buyers and a case via Ebay will be opened. Vehicle must be picked up from Sussex, WI no later than two weeks from auction end. $15 per day fee for extended storage.Vehicle will not leave nor title mailed until all funds have been received/verified. Wire transfer is the preferred method of payment for the remaining funds.Bank check is also accepted.Once auction is over, the vehicle will be kept in appropriate generalcare by the owner. Buyer is responsible for insurance once auction has ended. No warranty is expressed or implied. Vehicle is sold as is. Transportation of the vehicle is the buyer's responsibility. If special circumstances are needed for anything, including time, please contact me. Thank you for reading through this whole vehicle description and honoring the procedures that make this a great buying and selling experience!