A review of The Lotus Esprit Sport 300 Sports Car, covering development, important features, and technical data of this the twenty fourth model in the Lotus range.
In this Article, I offer a nostalgic look at the Lotus Esprit Sport 300, one of an elite group of classic cars, which was manufactured during the period 1993 to 1994.
The body styling of the Lotus Esprit Sport 300 was by Julian Thompson, the chief designer at Lotus.
The car was originally presented in the form of a concept at the NEC Motor Show in Birmingham in 1993, and was an immediate success, notwithstanding the fact that it was coloured bright yellow.
It was conceived as a limited edition sports car with a target market of about 50 units and was, in essence, the road going version of the Esprit X180R.
In the end, 64 units of the Sport 300 were built over a two year production period.
Although it had a price tag of nearly £65,000, it was still cheaper than a Ferrari 348TB.
The styling of the body was based on the Esprit Series 4 model, to which was added:
- A front airdam which incorporated a number of ducts for cooling the brakes
- The wheel arches were significantly extended
- A large wing was added at the rear
The rest of the car was, in fact, a variant of the Esprit X180R which was entered, with great success, during the 1991 to 1993 seasons, in the America World Challenge series, sponsored by the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America).
It embodied a four point braced frame which provided additional tortional rigidity, something that had always been lacking in earlier Esprits.
Unusually for Lotus, it was fitted with a limited slip differential, which came as standard equipment.
The overall weight of the car was reduced by the extensive use of composite materials.
It had powered assisted steering, and the suspension geometry was modified with much stronger coil springs and dampers, which were fitted all round.
Furthermore, the front track was increased, whilst that at the rear was widened by two inches.
A very noticeable feature of the car were the OZ three piece wheels, which measured 8.5×16 inches at the front, and 10.5×17 inches at the rear, and produced outstanding grip and braking.
It sported 327 mm front ventilated discs with 280 mm discs at the rear, used racing calipers, and was backed up by a Delco ABS anti lock braking system.
It was powered by a Lotus 910S, 2174 cc, 16 valve, twin overhead cam engine, linked to a revised Garrett T3/T4 turbocharger, and a charge-cooler (intercooler).
With a compression ratio of 8.0:1, it was fitted with Delco Multi Point Fuel Injection.
Using enlarged inlet valves, polished inlet ports, and a recalibrated engine management system, it developed 302 bhp at 6400 rpm, and 287 ft/lbs of torque at 4400 rpm. Hence the name Sport 300.
With a power-to-weight ratio of 243 bhp per ton, this was on a par with the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 of the period.
It had a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 secs, a 0-100 mph time of 11.7 secs, a standing 1/4 mile time of 13.4 secs, and a top speed of 161 mph.
A reflection of the engine’s flexibility was shown in the following figures:
- A 30-50 mph time in fourth gear of 8.0 secs
- A 50-70 mph time in top gear (fifth) of 7.4 secs
The weaknesses of the Sport 300 included:
- A hard ride
- Restricted visibility caused by the large rear spoiler
- The engine became noisy at 100 mph
- The sound of only a 4-cylinder engine was uninspiring
- Its hefty price tag
A variant of the Sport 300 was to be found in the launch, in 1999, of the Lotus Esprit Sport 350, featuring a V8 engine.
This marked the end of the Lotus Esprit Sport 300.
Perhaps this stroll down memory lane might have answered, or at least shed light on, a possible question:
Which Morgan Sports Car is Your Favourite?
However, should this question still remain unanswered, I will be reviewing, in some detail, in future articles within this website, the entire range of Morgan sports cars which were featured in the memorable era spanning 1911 to 1996.
I hope you join me in my nostalgic travels “down sports car memory lane”.
If you would care to view my Original article, containing Photographs, Videos, Technical Data, and Charts not shown in this Article, then please click the following link:
http://www.sportscar2.com/sports-car-lotus-esprit-sport-300.html
Alternatively, please view my website on:
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Peter_Radford/202518
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