To answer the questions...........
The car feels WAY more raw than the Esprit. Doesn't feel as "nimble" at all. Doesn't feel as "quick" either.
However, it feels like an older race car. I imagine it feels a lot like Nascar would in comparison to driving ALMS. A ton of HP and deceptive handling with a helluva lot of sound and raw power.
You know as much as the Esprit feels a lot more responsive, I was taking a corner in the Diablo a few days ago that didn't feel like I was going as fast as the Esprit. I was thinking, "Yeah, I am going to have to watch my speed a bit until I get used to the car.". I looked down at the speedo and I was actually going 10mph FASTER than I normally do in the Esprit. I did a double take and was like "What the??" I attribute it to the car just being lower and wider than the Esprit. That alone makes for better cornering (usually).
The sound is pure aggression. It really sounds a lot like a big block muscle car with a bit of "Euro" sound at higher RPM. After all, it is a 5.7L motor so you get that big sound but it is 12 Cylinders which makes for pretty small
"per cylinder displacement", hence the Italian sound.
As far as the attention goes, it doesn't even compare. The Esprit got a lot of attention (even in the Bay area). Last year in Monterey, I had more people coming up to the Esprit than my friends in their 360s and 430s. People were coming up saying "Oh, an Esprit!!! You NEVER see these around!!"
However, this has been that x 10.......
Last week, for example, I was in the left lane waiting to make a turn and was the 4th car in line in the lane. The right lane had a green light and the cars were going past. Suddenly a car stops right next to me and I look over. It is a 20 something year old girl all alone stopped in traffic with the window rolled down taking pictures and smiling from ear to ear. Cars were 5 deep stopped behind her and she didn't even care. That is what driving this thing has been like.
Maintenance is NOTHING compared to the joke that is "every 3 year" belt changes on a Ferrari. Been there, done that. Sick of it. It is not cheap when you want to do something with the motor because you have to pull it EVERY time, which automatically costs money. Clutch at the dealership is everyone's biggest spend. That can cost $12k. I happen to have the #1 Lamborghini service place in the country right here in Gilroy.