1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE |

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1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£15,500

Mileage~90,964 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine2.2-litre
LocationCroydon

SOLD

1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Dom Ginn

Professional Consigner

An icon of ’90s performance, blending exotic looks with a turbocharged punch for pure, driver-focused thrills.

The Lotus Esprit Turbo SE represented a bold evolution of Lotus’s flagship supercar, blending the unmistakable wedge-shaped silhouette with refined aerodynamics and serious performance upgrades.

At its heart sat a turbocharged 2.2L 16-valve engine, paired with Lotus’s Chargecooler system, producing an impressive ~264BHP. This gave the Esprit SE the ability to accelerate from 0-60MPH in just ~4.7 seconds and reach a top speed of ~165MPH - figures that firmly placed it among the quickest cars of its era.

The engineering went beyond outright speed; Lotus’s legendary chassis tuning ensured razor-sharp handling, remarkable balance, and driver feedback that few rivals could match. Lightweight construction and mid-engine layout provided agility and poise through corners, making the SE a genuine drivers' car in every sense.

Styled by Peter Stevens, the Turbo SE carried a sleeker, more modern look while still paying homage to Giorgetto Giugiaro’s original design. Luxurious touches inside, combined with its exotic performance credentials, made the Esprit Turbo SE not just a supercar to admire, but one to truly experience.

Coming to market from three and a half years ownership with our vendor, this honest Esprit does need a little love to bring it back to its former supercar glory, but, with some work and attention, this one could be a truly shining example. The car also comes with a fresh MOT and low recent usage - plus refreshed in 2023 through a specialist, covering off over ~£6,000 worth of works.

This listing was written from information supplied by Dom after meeting Charles the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I'm a real fan of these older Esprits, it's got the all the right looks and performance to match!

Charles, the current owner, has been an enthusiast of all things Lotus for as long as he can remember, and tells us, "There's just something so special about these cars, I love the shape and driving style. I've been proud to own it over the past few years, plus it looks great on the driveway".

As a bit of collector, Charles is always on the look out for his next car, he said, "I do love the Lotus, but I also enjoy experiencing different cars and tend to only keep them for a few years before I get the itch for another one. I'd love the Esprit to go to an enthusiast like me and I know the next owner will have a great time driving it".

Should you have any questions about the car, Charles would be happy to answer these in the comments section below.

Charles

Vehicle Owner

Charles saved £2,700* when they
sold their Lotus with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

The Turbo SE cuts a striking figure, with its sharp wedge profile, pop-up headlights, and aerodynamic lines that scream pure style.

Wheels and Tyres

The car is fitted with 17" 5-spoke alloy wheels. These displayed in fair condition as we noted several signs of kerbing and markings to the edges. If we were being particularly picky, a wheel refurbishment would be of benefit here.

The front of the Esprit is fitted with Avon ZV7 tyres with date codes from 2004 with a spec of 215/40. To the rear the car was fitted with Toyo Proxes Sport from 2023 with a spec of 245/40.

Please take a look at the photos and videos for a detailed view of the exterior of the Lotus and a closer look at the wheels and tyres to make your own assessment of their condition.

Bodywork

Overall the bodywork of the Esprit is in good condition - the panel lines look straight and well-aligned and both doors, bonnet and boot open and close without concern.

The panels gaps all looked to line up well and there were no obvious signs of major dings to the panels. With the main panels being constructed from fibreglass, we saw no apparent signs of damage to the body.

We noted the drivers-side pop up headlight trim had come away from its fitting and showed marks on the finish.

We've highlighted our observations in more detail through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take the time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The Lotus is finished in an attractive red finish which stands out from the crowd. The paint coverage appeared even across the car although could benefit from a polish over to bring back some extra shine.

The car looked great standing back, but we noted several areas over the Lotus when looking closer which are worth noting by the future owner.

We observed a scratch and paint chips on front bumper top, base and edges with paint correction seen around headlights. There were scuffs to drivers door edge and front quarter panel edge and also on the door edge rear quarter panels.

Marking was noted to rear bumper, rear wing and passenger door front edge. There was a scratch on rear passenger side quarter panel, a paint crack and paint chips to rear roof edge and paint bubbling around the passenger side mirror edge.

Overall, a respray may be a worthwhile consideration by the future keeper to improve the final look of the Esprit, although perfectly enjoyable in its current form taking advantage of the low reserve.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there yourself. Please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos of the car to form your own opinion about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

Overall the glass on the Lotus showed in respectable shape. The window edges do show with some signs of age where the finish had slightly degraded. There were signs of delamination to rear window edges.

The exterior trim and body fittings are in good shape, although there was a slight issue with the fitment of the drivers side pop-up headlight which didn't fully raise, since our visit Charles has sorted this, you can see a photo with both lights up at the end of the paperwork gallery. For the interior, the door cards were showing their age with a few marks and scuffs.

On the front of the car, the mesh was pushed back on the underside of the front bumper and the lower splitter was slightly scuffed and marked on the edges. The front lights showed with signs of misting and some water ingress when we visited, but to the rear, these all showed nicely. Lotus badges to the front and rear presented in good condition.

We've taken you around the car in greater detail in our exterior review video, please take the time to look over the video and see how the glass and trim look from different perspectives.

VIEW ALL

INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

The cabin is a blend of retro charm and driver-focused precision, wrapping you in leather, purposeful controls, and a cockpit that’s all about the thrill of the drive.

Seats and Carpets

The seats were in reasonable shape for the mileage, but did look a little tired especially on the drivers seat where several creases to the leather and marks through use were noted. The passenger seat faired better in terms of condition.

Carpets in the front of the cabin would ideally benefit from replacement, particularly the drivers section. The floor pans didn't show any concerning issues with the base panels, but restorative work to the floor covering would improve the overall look.

We've captured high-resolution photos and a full interior video tour through the car. This covers off the angles inside the car for you to review and check over the condition of what's on offer here in our interior review section.

Dashboard

The leather finished dash across the centre console all appeared in good condition for the most part, although there was a scuff on the passenger side. The driver facing dials looked good although the wood effect fitting to the rear of these had noticeable cracks. The odometer showed with ~90,964 miles at the time of our visit.

The dials facings all appeared to show well, with surfaces free from fogging or scratching. We noted no issues with any warning lights and the oil temp, fuel gauge, rev counter, boost pressure gauge, speedometer and digital clock were all functioning without concern when starting up and driving the car.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The Lotus branded steering wheel shows signs of use - there are marks that come with age, and wear to the outer rim.

The gear stick shows in honest condition, where we noted splitting to the leather gaiter.

We've captured high-resolution photos for you to review the condition of the interior in our gallery section.

VIEW ALL

'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The 2.2L turbo-charged engine delivers sharp performance, combining punchy acceleration with the precision and agility that made the Esprit a true supercar star.

Engine and Gearbox

The car started first time from cold and performed well on the road, plus the manual gearbox showed no concerns with shifting the Esprit through to the gears.

We took the car out around some local roads with Charles to get a better feel for what this vehicle is all about. Take a look at the mechanical video to see the car starting up and more detail in the engine bay.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs or other issues from the suspension when we were on the road, and it gave us no concerns in its performance or handling. Looking over the underside of the car during our visit, noted no major concerns - just a few signs of scuffing to the front where the car sits lower on the road.

The brakes bring the car to a halt in a straight line with no juddering reported through the pedal - the stopping power and control felt great.

Please take a look over the mechanical videos and photographs to see close-up images from under the car.

The Drive

The Lotus delivers a raw and engaging driving experience that’s hard to match. Its lightweight chassis, sharp steering, and mid-engine layout create superb balance and handling, making every corner a thrill.

A manual gearbox paired with a lively 2.2L engine, the Esprit feels agile and responsive, offering a true connection between driver and road. It’s a pure sports car that rewards spirited driving while still being approachable and fun at any speed.

Electrics and Other

During our time with the vehicle we noted that all switches, dials, and gauges appear in fair condition. There was a switch missing from the drivers side door and one for the passenger side door that needed to be refitted.

The Esprit is equipped with a JVC CD Stereo system.

There is an option to remove the roof panel for open air driving, although we were unable to test this feature on our visit.

The Lotus is complete with its original owners handbook.

Charles told us everything was in working order.

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History and Paperwork

Coming to market from three and a half years ownership and over ~£6k of restorative works completed in 2023, this Esprit is well worth a closer look.

The Lotus had a series of works completed in August 2023 covering off engine service and maintenance, repaired ECU, new high performance coil leads, replacement solenoid valve, brake diagnostics with new wiring, system flushing and replacement nitrogen gas canister.

Other works also carried out were body and exterior trim fabrication and fitments, electrical and battery updates, replacement speedometer, new windscreen washer pump, air con pressure testing and new compressor, replacement rear tyres and transmission updates where a new gear linkage system was fitted. With all works, parts and labour included, the total cost here was over ~£6,200.

We cover off a further overview of the Lotus' history in our paperwork gallery.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a history check on the vehicle - this is a professional check operated by HPI that will highlight if the car has been previously stolen, recorded as being in an accident, or have any outstanding finance - note, this does not include a mileage history check.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
16.07.2025	MOT	90,881
18.07.2024	MOT	90,607
01.08.2023	MOT	90,057
11.03.2022	MOT	90,066
28.11.2020	MOT	90,056
07.12.2007	MOT	89,850
25.08.2006	MOT	86,677
04.07.2004	Service	70,341
01.08.2003	Service	62,427
21.02.2002	Service	49,003
21.04.2001	Service	46,231
04.10.2000	Service	41,400
08.08.1998	Service	31,404
31.07.1996	Service	28,501
14.01.1995	Service	19,304
21.08.1992	Service	14,111
14.05.1991	Service	4,000