The 160bhp 2-litre is happy to gargle away due to it being fed by two great big twin-choke Dell’Orto carbs. The S1 will never thump you in the back in the way that an Espirit Turbo does, but the tacho needle spins smoothly all the way up to 6000rpm. The higher the needle climbs, the smoother the four-cylinder feels. The gearchange is fantastic, three metal rods positively actuating the cog swapping in the longitudinally-mounted Citroën Maserati gearbox to good effect.

   Performance claims of the time were a little ambiguous, but the car will cover the 0-60 sprint in a creditable sub 9 seconds and wind its way onto a maximum of 124mph. 

   Problems? The Espirit was designed as an upmarket GT, but poor ventilation – hot or cold – could put pay to that; the front screen trapping the sun’s heat so much so that Bond could have started a sideline in cabin-grown Sardinian tomatoes... The rear screen seals and boot rubbers used to leak, consistently providing condensation to all surfaces of the inner glass which the heated rear screen could never clear. Then there is the hump, a heavy plastic cover that seals the engine, trapping heat and preventing owners from checking oil and water levels with the regularity the motor needed. Coupled to this was the carburettor banjo bolts’ desire to separate themselves from the carbs, spewing fuel all over the distributor...
 
   To drive it though, you forgive the car all its foibles. To look at the car only makes you want to drive it more, more, more.

S1 Lotus Espirit

Technical Specification

Body
Glassfibre-reinforced plastic body with steel backbone chassis, passenger compartment incorporated in a ‘safety-cell structure’. Weight: 1980lb.

Engine
Lotus 907 1973cc, four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC, two Dell’Orto carburettors, 95.3 x 69.2mm, CR: 9.5:1. Power: 160bhp @ 6200rpm; torque: 140lb.ft @ 4900rpm. Performance: 124mph top speed; 0-60mph 8.6 secs; fuel consumption 26mpg.

Transmission
Mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, five-speed manual with synchromesh on all forward gears. Clutch: 8.5in diaphragm spring, hydraulically operated.

Suspension
Front: independent unequal length wishbones and coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Steering: rack and pinion.
Rear: independent diagonal trailing arms and lateral link with fixed-length driveshaft, coil springs, telescopic dampers.

Brakes
Front: 9.7 inch discs; rear: 10.6 inch inboard discs. Dual circuit system with split front/rear circuits.

Wheels and tyres
Front: 6J x 14in with Goodyear Grand Prix 195/70 HR14
Rear: 7J x 14 with Goodyear Grand Prix 205/70 HR14