30 Cool 90’s Cars

Photo by Jez B

16. Lotus Esprit V8

The Lotus Esprit V8 was a modified version of the standard Lotus Esprit model. The Esprit V8 used Lotus’ self-developed all-aluminium, twin-turbocharged (Garrett T25/60 turbos) 90-degree V-8, Code-named Type 918. The engine was so powerful, it needed to be detuned to prevent damage to the transmission. Originally the engine was capable of 500 horsepower, but it was reduced to 350. A Renault UN-1 transmission was used for the Espirit V8. The Espirit V8 was able to rip to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and had a top speed of 175 mph. 50 special edition models of the V8 Espirit were made in 1999, dubbed the “Sport 350.” The engine put out 350 horsepower (hence the name) and had numerous engine, chassis, and braking improvements to make it more of a race car.