Lotus Esprit V (Type 114) photos

The fifth and final generation of the Lotus Esprit (Series 4, S4, and V8, codenamed Type 114) launched in 1993 and remained in production until February 2004. Stylist Julian Thomson refreshed the exterior with sculpted front and rear fascias, integrated side skirts, a mid-mounted rear spoiler, and recessed door handles. For the first time in the model's history, the Esprit was equipped with standard power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and a Delco four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS). The initial S4 model utilized the 2.2-liter turbo inline-four producing 264 hp, followed by the 300 hp S4s in 1994 and the lightweight 2.0-liter GT3 (240 hp) in 1996. The defining moment of the generation came in 1996 with the premiere of the Esprit V8, powered by an in-house developed 3.5-liter all-aluminum twin-turbocharged 32-valve 90-degree V8 engine (Lotus Type 918) with a flat-plane crankshaft and dual Garrett T25 turbos. Developing 350 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, it propelled the car from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds via an uprated Renault UN1 five-speed transaxle. In 1998, Lotus revised the interior with circular instrument binnacles and split the lineup into the stripped-back V8-GT and high-spec V8-SE. A final visual facelift in 2002 added quad round rear taillights derived from the Elise and high-performance Brembo brakes. Production concluded on February 20, 2004.