89½MY Esprit Turbo SE |
The Esprit Turbo SE (Special Equipment) was sold in
the US in what is known as the 1989½ Model Year and was built until
1993MY after which time the S4 was introduced. Apart from twin oil
coolers, different aerodynamics, and bigger wheels, what really sets
this car apart from its predecessor is the addition of a water-to-air
intercooler, which Lotus refers to as a "Chargecooler". This increased
horsepower dramatically from 228hp to a transient peak of 280bhp. When
new, SE's cost about $12,000US more than their non-SE counterparts.
In order to tell them apart, here are some cues:
SE's were introduced in May 1989. Check the date on
the manufacture plate on the driver doorsill, it will also say if it is
an SE. If the car you're checking out is anything like mine, the
exterior SE badges (on the quarter windows) may have been removed. But
there are still visual cues to help you determine if a car you see in a
parking lot or driving by is indeed an SE:
- Side skirts are parallel to body, not scalloped or
"pinched-in" at mid-door
- Front air dam is more "square-ish" and has 5
openings; the outermost openings are for the twin oil coolers, which
non-SE's do not have.
- An air duct on each side of the air dam, ahead of
the front wheels (oil cooler exhausts).
- All SE's have a rear wing (spoiler) of some kind.
The wing on '93MY is slightly larger than other years. Most non-SE's
(except commemorative editions, or aftermarket) do not have rear
wings.
- Wider and larger wheels: Front 215/50ZR15 on 7inch
wheels. Rear 245/50ZR16 on 8.5inch wheels
- And, of course, a big red rectangular box atop the
engine that says "Lotus Chargecooler".
Performance statistics included: 264 hp @ 6,500rpm
(280hp peak), 261ft/lbs at 3,900 rpm, 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, top speed was
164mph. Boost was increased to 12.4psi.
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90MY to 91MY Esprit Turbo SE |
These were the safety years for the Esprit. The major
introductions during this time were the inclusion of standard anti-lock
brakes and driver side air bag. Unfortunately, the air bag installation
was accomplished by grafting a steering wheel from a Pontiac TransAm -
Yuck!
Also during this time, the driver-side a/c vents were
moved to the instrument binnacle (dash). This was a huge improvement in
reducing soreness from the dreaded FKS (Frozen Knee Syndrome). In the
1990MY FKS now stands for Frozen Knuckle Syndrome.
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92MY Esprit Turbo SE Highwing |
There were no Esprits brought into the USA for the
1992 model year. The rest of the world received an Esprit with a new
oversized wing known as the "highwing". This wing looks like a normal
SE-style wing, but on much taller struts and with additional support
struts that attached to the top of the tailgate. Although it helped to
improve rearward visibility, most people regard this as one of the
ugliest wing designs ever to adorn the rear of an Esprit.
Most Stevens' Esprits up until this year (except for
commemorative editions) had a 3 separate pieces of glass in the rear
view. The rearmost of these was known as the "glassback" and helped
reduce the drag coefficient of the car. Unfortunately, this also
contributed to a confusing array of reflections, especially during night
driving. The "glassback" design was replaced with an open tailgate with
2 oval vents (for engine cooling) this year. Again another attempt to
improve the Esprit's dreadful rear visibility. The rest of the car
remained unchanged.
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