Lotus esprit s1-3

August’s Silverstone Festival will play host to a massive 50th birthday bash for the Lotus Esprit – we drive each generation to get a sense of what makes this sports car so special

Design is not a democracy.” Such a bold statement, wonderfully out of tune with modern group-think, could only apply to a car as radical as the Lotus Esprit. These words were only uttered today by Gio

We think of the Porsche 911 as being the stalwart of the junior supercar world, but after 28 years and more than 10,000 sales, the Lotus Esprit in all its guises was probably the closest contender. An

Looking for an alternative to Eighties German grunt? Then this masterpiece of Swedish engineering should be right at the top of your shopping list

Power/engine size: 118bhp/1.8 litre Engine/gearbox: V6/four-speed manual 0-60/top speed: 11.5 seconds/115mph Price new: £3,173 price now: from £750,000-£1m I'VE had a model of the Lancia Aurelia for m

2001-2005 From K-series smoothie to V6 firecracker, this Z-car is a performance car bargain