Vehicle Description
-Camel Yellow (after the Camel cigarettes - sponsored Lotus F1 cars
of the period) with Black leather interior and Black carpeting,
2,174cc twin-cam 16-valve turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing
302 bhp, 5-speed manual gearbox, 102,000 kilometers/63,000 miles
from new. Limited edition, 1 of 64 in total, manufactured by Lotus
Cars, exceptional condition throughout, full service and ownership
histories.
This extremely rare Sport 300 is a lightweight, high-performance,
road-going version of the Esprit X180R American SCCA Championship
winning race cars and widely regarded as the best Esprit ever
produced. Manufactured in a limited edition of only 64 in total, it
was a rare and a very expensive commodity at the time, $37,000 more
than an standard Esprit S4 and only $18,500 less than a Ferrari 348
TB.
Powered by a 2,174cc twin-cam 16-valve turbocharged 4-cylinder
engine as in the Esprit S4, but with hybrid Garrett T3/T4
turbocharger being fed air through a more efficient intercooler,
the engine sported larger inlet valves with polished cylinder head
ports which, when combined with recalibrated engine management, a
little more boost the Sport produced 302 bhp 302bhp at 6,400 rpm
and 287 lb.ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. 0-60 acceleration in 4.7
seconds with a top speed of 169 mph.
Cosmetically, the Sport 300 had a new front air dam with integral
brake cooling ducts, extended wheel arches and a new rear wing.
Extensive use of composites in its construction shaved about 175
lbs. from the Esprit S4's 3000 lb. weight.
The suspension was essentially a road going version of X180R
racers. Torsional stiffness was improved through the use of an
engine bay cross-brace as well as a modified front cross-member and
subframe. The Sport 300 received stiffer springs and shock
absorbers, the hub carriers were modified, an adjustable rear
sway-bar link on the rear suspension added and the suspension
geometry received updated settings.
Road grip and stopping power was achieved by the use of massive OZ
Racing 3-piece wheels, 8.5x16" at the front and 10.5x17"at the
rear. Braking comes from 4-piston AP Racing calipers mated to 327mm
ventilated discs at the front and 280mm discs at the rear
supplemented by its anti-lock system.
With pin-sharp handling, race bred responses and more power, the
Sport 300 has become the 'Holy Grail' amongst Lotus Esprit
enthusiasts. With only 64 ever built, the Sport 300 is regarded by
all concerned as "The best Esprit ever", they are very rarely found
on the open market, especially here in the United States.
This Lotus Esprit Sport 300 has been mechanically serviced and
sorted throughout and comes complete with all books, documentation
and service records from new.
