The Commemorative Editions were all 1988s. They were NOT SEs. AFAIK that is the only year to get the blue Alacantra interior, along with its roof mounted sound system.

There was a batch of North American Commemorative cars (with Citroen transmissions). The rest of the world got their own batch and they had Renault transmissions. Where are you looking?

If you have a nearby shop familiar with K Jetronic FI they could assure that it works fine. The Usual Lotus Parts Suspects have sourced almost all the unique Lotus KJet parts you would need. (Factory Lotus shop manuals specify the K Jet differences)

The GM MPFI cars have their own quirks. That said, if you want the extra power (and YEAH, your butt dyno can feel it) get an S4 or S4s.

 

I am looking for a U.S spec car and I am looking to drive it a lot. Where is the jetronic module located? Is it easy to get to? What quirks do they have over an se? Are the Citroen transmissions that much more fragile than the Renault? I see you own an 88, how has your experience been?

 

The WUR (Warm Up Regulator, AKA Control Pressure Regulator) is right on top of the engine.

The fuel distributor (Lotus-only) is underneath the air filter box.

The biggest issue is that parking a car for months with modern ethanol fuels COULD cause corrosion. Our '88 has been driven constantly, so it has 100K miles on it. I HAVE replaced some FI parts but the car has been reliable overall, only left me stranded once for the issue, below.

The Citroen transaxles suffer from input bearing failure, but that can be fixed either pro-actively, or when it fails (which is a good time to do the bearing/circlip fix).

There are Buyer's Guides on LotusEspritWorld.com, give it a read before buying any Esprit...and be wary of differences in equipment of various markets.

Buying an Esprit

Your complete guide to Britains Best Mid-Engined Supercar, the Lotus Esprit

www.lotusespritworld.com

 

The WUR (Warm Up Regulator, AKA Control Pressure Regulator) is right on top of the engine.

The fuel distributor (Lotus-only) is underneath the air filter box.

The biggest issue is that parking a car for months with modern ethanol fuels COULD cause corrosion. Our '88 has been driven constantly, so it has 100K miles on it. I HAVE replaced some FI parts but the car has been reliable overall, only left me stranded once for the issue, below.

The Citroen transaxles suffer from input bearing failure, but that can be fixed either pro-actively, or when it fails (which is a good time to do the bearing/circlip fix).

There are Buyer's Guides on LotusEspritWorld.com, give it a read before buying any Esprit...and be wary of differences in equipment of various markets.

Buying an Esprit

Your complete guide to Britains Best Mid-Engined Supercar, the Lotus Esprit

www.lotusespritworld.com

I appreciate that Atwell, very useful information.

 

I just lost a bid on an s4s on eBay, still looking. Unable to post to classifieds here.

 

You should be happy that you didn't win that car, unless you are a mechanic. That car needs a lot of work. Fuel tanks needs to be replaced and that's an engine out job. There is so much rust underneath the car. The springs and suspension need to be replaced as well. All the gear linkage is also rusted.

 

ps I'm up to 6 posts, waiting for the magic ten

 

Hopefully, this post allows me to post inquiries on the classifieds. Nt a game player, just looking for the right car(s)

 

Im working to get there as well haha

 

Please take a look at 'My Showcase' for my late 88 and current 87 Bosch CIS Esprit experiences.
I drove the late 88 50K miles/49 months (2011-2015) and current drive an 87 Turbo Esprit (the Giugiaro bodied version).

 

Keep in mind you are looking for a very limited production car. Refining that search by particular color choices can make your search almost impossible (that combination is rarer still). Compound that by tryiing to find a good, well maintained example and you won't find it. Just about every year/model of Lotus has it's known problems, some are more expensive to fix than others. If you are looking for reliability you should try to find the newest, best taken care of car you can find (or afford), never mind the colors. Colors can be changed but it will cost $$$$ and it won't be original. The Bosch FI was one of the best systems of it's era but now there are not many places that can service it and parts are expensive and scarce. The 88's big known problems are the transmission, fuel tank vapor hoses, and the rusting fuel tanks. If the car was not well taken care of there can be a LOT of other problems but that can be said for just about any Lotus. Beware of a car that has gone through many owners, it usually means it has problems and each owner got out before spending a lot of money. The very best money you will spend will be for a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection) BEFORE you buy a Lotus. If there are no or missing service records, either pass on the car or get it cheap enough that you can afford to do whatever is necessary. Avoid cars with an accident history of a serious accident, it makes the car difficult to resell and reduces it's value significantly. Don't limit your search geographically, what you are looking for is rare and you have to broaden your search accordingly. Go over to Lotus World for more information about each year/model. Depending on the reason you are buying the car, some years/models may make more sense than others. Lotus cars generally don't fit large people well so before you buy, try to drive the year/model you think you want to make sure you are comfortable in it. If you are thinking of buying a particular Lotus just because you think it is "cool" or nearby, see one up close and drive it or you may not be happy with it once you get it.
David Teitelbaum

 

This one popped up on Ebay today, very low Km's. Not 100% original (chrome wheels) but other than that she looks nice a nice example.

1988 Lotus Esprit | eBay

Garage kept and in excellent condition 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo #3 of 88 for the collector. This Lotus Esprit has a touch over 10K original miles and it shows! The Paint is flawless, and she has recently been checked out at Rosso Exotic Service.

www.ebay.com