The best automotive comparo you can think of
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Downhill soap box racer
Street luge
Down a pothole marked road.
Street luge
Down a pothole marked road.
The Vanishing Boy
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The never-ending fight between Holdens and Fords; HSVs and Tickfords. 
- 1,695
I would like to see a comparo between a Lotus Esprit V8 SE and a Porsche 911 Turbo.
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The Esprit is no match against the Turbo.
I think the DB7 on a Esprit would be appropriate.
I think the DB7 on a Esprit would be appropriate.
- 1,695
You would be very surprised. Just remember, the Esprit weighs 2700lbs and a 911 Turbo weighs 3550lbs. The Esprit does 0-60 in 4.3 wich isnt far from the 911 Turbos' 3.9; The Esprit never gets tested anymore, and people forget what they can do, they are definitely one of the last performance cars available. A 360 Modena weighs 3600lbs, what happened to the 2,300lb Ferrari's and Lambo's of the past? A Lambo Diablo now weighs in excess of 4,000lbs for gods sake!
The Esprit weighs 2700 lbs. and can only do 0-60 in 4.3? What's wrong with it?
Why would I buy an Esprit for $80,000 when for $65,000 I could have an infinitely more practical and better-handling BMW M5 [also, the M5 matches the Lotus for speed and probably power]? Also, I wouldn't have to drive to my local Ferrari dealer to get an M5 serviced, as I would have to do with the Lotus. Also, since the Lotus is a supercar and will be getting cancelled next year, its depreciation would make it worth about $30,000 in five years, when used E39 M5's are holding their value spectacularly. Cost of the car not to mention of parts would be astronomical, and it gets about nine MPG (to the M5's ~13
).
Why would I buy an Esprit for $80,000 when for $65,000 I could have an infinitely more practical and better-handling BMW M5 [also, the M5 matches the Lotus for speed and probably power]? Also, I wouldn't have to drive to my local Ferrari dealer to get an M5 serviced, as I would have to do with the Lotus. Also, since the Lotus is a supercar and will be getting cancelled next year, its depreciation would make it worth about $30,000 in five years, when used E39 M5's are holding their value spectacularly. Cost of the car not to mention of parts would be astronomical, and it gets about nine MPG (to the M5's ~13
).Originally posted by M5Power
The Esprit weighs 2700 lbs. and can only do 0-60 in 4.3? What's wrong with it?
Why would I buy an Esprit for $80,000 when for $65,000 I could have an infinitely more practical and better-handling BMW M5 [also, the M5 matches the Lotus for speed and probably power]? Also, I wouldn't have to drive to my local Ferrari dealer to get an M5 serviced, as I would have to do with the Lotus. Also, since the Lotus is a supercar and will be getting cancelled next year, its depreciation would make it worth about $30,000 in five years, when used E39 M5's are holding their value spectacularly. Cost of the car not to mention of parts would be astronomical, and it gets about nine MPG (to the M5's ~13
I think you need to re-read your own post. The Esprit would leave the M5 for dead in a straight line, and providing you don't spin it, it would destroy the M5 on a twisty track. Any car that does 0-60 in 4.3 is fast. The Esprit also has something that the M5 has never had: road feel. The M5 is all but dead at the helm. Direct, sure, but don't ask what's happening where the rubber meets the road.
- 10,832
I just wanted to weigh in on the SUV thing.
Toyotas are indisputably great. But so are Jeeps. They do one thing and excel at it. Also, Toyotas cost a lot more.
And as far as the Mercedes, Lexus, and (I still can't believe it) Porche, SUVs. How many times will one of those ever get a drop of mud on the hood? Never. I'll eat my words if I ever see a Porche frolicking on the forest (off) roads.
Toyotas are indisputably great. But so are Jeeps. They do one thing and excel at it. Also, Toyotas cost a lot more.
And as far as the Mercedes, Lexus, and (I still can't believe it) Porche, SUVs. How many times will one of those ever get a drop of mud on the hood? Never. I'll eat my words if I ever see a Porche frolicking on the forest (off) roads.
- 1,695
Originally posted by M5Power
The Esprit weighs 2700 lbs. and can only do 0-60 in 4.3? What's wrong with it?
Why would I buy an Esprit for $80,000 when for $65,000 I could have an infinitely more practical and better-handling BMW M5 [also, the M5 matches the Lotus for speed and probably power]? Also, I wouldn't have to drive to my local Ferrari dealer to get an M5 serviced, as I would have to do with the Lotus. Also, since the Lotus is a supercar and will be getting cancelled next year, its depreciation would make it worth about $30,000 in five years, when used E39 M5's are holding their value spectacularly. Cost of the car not to mention of parts would be astronomical, and it gets about nine MPG (to the M5's ~13
Hey man, you just dis'd my favourite car!
Normally people don't dis the Lotus Esprit. I am used to my Honda being dis'd but not an Esprit. Well, anyways, don't sweat it, I am not that hurt because most of what you said is objective and mostly untrue.
Besides, the Esprit is one of the last true sports cars, and it is a shame that people would rather buy some fat-cat boulevard cruiser in excess of 3,500lbs, than the Lotus Esprit track machine. I will always love the Esprit and it may not have the best market share or economical prowess, but in the world of Sports car, Esprit is a name that will forever be respected.
How can you reason with the Esprit's worth in terms of re-sale value and gas mileage? Any true car enthusiast loves a car in passion, not practicality.
I also assure you, the M5 does not handle better than an Esprit. Nor does it accelerate nearly as fast as the Esprit. And braking! I dont want to start comparing an Esprit to an M5, it would be disrespectful to the legendary Esprit. Can you say that about an M5; Legendary?
The Vanishing Boy
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British Exotic Showdown:
-Lotus Esprit V8
-Jaguar XKR
-TVR Cerbera Speed 6
-Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
-2004 Bentley Continental GT
-Marcos Mantis
Original Cobras versus Cobra Replicas:
-Superformance 427 S/C [Replica]
-Factory Five Racing Cobra S/C [Replica]
-Shelby Cobra 427 S/C CSX 4000 [Original]
-AC Cobra 427 MK III S/C (Aluminum body) [Original]
-AC Cobra 212 S/C (Carbon-Fiber body) [Original]
Rock-crushing Full-size SUVs:
-Mercedes-Benz Unimog
-Am General Hummer/Hummer H1/Humvee
-Lamborghini LM002
-Tempo Juggernaut [India's Hummer]
-Toyota Mega Cruiser
-Lotus Esprit V8
-Jaguar XKR
-TVR Cerbera Speed 6
-Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
-2004 Bentley Continental GT
-Marcos Mantis
Original Cobras versus Cobra Replicas:
-Superformance 427 S/C [Replica]
-Factory Five Racing Cobra S/C [Replica]
-Shelby Cobra 427 S/C CSX 4000 [Original]
-AC Cobra 427 MK III S/C (Aluminum body) [Original]
-AC Cobra 212 S/C (Carbon-Fiber body) [Original]
Rock-crushing Full-size SUVs:
-Mercedes-Benz Unimog
-Am General Hummer/Hummer H1/Humvee
-Lamborghini LM002
-Tempo Juggernaut [India's Hummer]
-Toyota Mega Cruiser
- 1,695
I have driven a 1989 Lotus Esprit, those ones are just a turbo 4 cyl with 270hp.
Um, the ONLY 0-60 time I have found for the Lotus Esprit V8 SE is 4.3,
I have seen 0-60's for the M5 from the absolute lowest 4.6 and up to 5.4. The BMW official website states its 0-60 at 4.8
Besides you cant even judge a car on papaer just going by numbers.
How does the M5 come out of a hairpin? Does it have the predictable oversteer of the Esprit? When it brakes for a tight turn after a long straight, how does the body behave? Under full braking the Esprit has the exact same weight on all 4 wheels. Does the M5 do the same? When the M5 accelerates how much weight is on the driven wheels? I'll bet it isnt 79% of the cars body weight? So how could an M5 have the same launch as an Esprit? And with the extra 1,600lbs of bulk on the M5 how could it possibly accelerate faster? Who would have to feather the throttle more? The Esprit driver or the M5 driver? When going around an increasing radius turn, who would be able to go around it faster? Well, the Esprit's grip increases when you apply throttle during a turn, pushing you faster through a turn. With the M5's frontal weight bias, I doubt its rear wheels would be able to hold the 4,200lb monster around a turn, let alone hold it around a turn with its 4.9L V8 harrassing the rear wheels as well.
Oh and BTW, the M5's MSRP is $69,400 and the Lotus Esprit's MSRP is $71,000
The M5 has a Top Speed of 249km/h whereas the Esprit goes 291km/h
I have driven a 1989 Esprit around a very small road course setup in the center of an oval track. It was love at first drive and I have never heard anything bad about the Esprit.
The M5's center of gravity is 2ft higher than the Esprit's, I wonder how that punishes you going thru the switchbacks or slalom? You would need a way stiffer suspension to make up for it.
I'm not sure what that means in the Esprit vs. M5 debate, but the Esprit is a far better car in terms of performance. Sure, the steering wheel may fall off in your hands, but up until that point, it's a beast.
Don't get me wrong, the M5 is a great car, but it has its limits, especially compared to the likes of an Esprit....
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umm, no. you're purely referring on numbers, there.
the M5 may handle like a dream, but it will get its ass handed to it by any proper sports car, Esprit included.
The M5, and the other Q-Ships like it (XJR, S55 and etc...) were built with the long, sweeping curves of the Autobahn in mind, not the corners of a tight and twisty racetrack. It might have 400 hp, but it's got 2 more doors, a few hundred pounds more, and it's about as aerodynamic as a barn. not to mention it's electronically limited to 155 mph, versus the 170+ of the Esprit.
- 1,695
The Esprit is RWD with the engine between the driver and the rear axle, so MR. An M5 has about 2/3s the grip of an Esprit on its drive wheels at anytime.
And under braking, the forward shift of the M5's body combined with its monsterous engine over the front wheels quickly overloads the front wheels grip and a lock up or lack of braking would be very apparent. Whereas an Esprit with its engine over the Rear wheels, under full braking, the Esprits weight shifts onto the front wheels as well but the engine is still over the back wheels so all four wheels have equal weight on them, and equal grip under braking and the car stops ALOT quicker, not to mention the fact that the Esprit weighs so much less than an M5.
How do you think the body roll would be on each car? How would they be different? Lets see if you could explain to us why the M5 would handle better when it has so much more weight, so much further from the track/tires. If you understand levers, you will understand why the weight that is higher in the air has a more significant impact on the behaviour of the car when G-Force is applied to the car. The longer the lever, the more advantage it has, and the more violently it would pull the M5 side to side.
Its all very basic physics.. And it isnt hard to make a car look good on paper. Ford has been doing it to the Cobra Mustang for years.
And under braking, the forward shift of the M5's body combined with its monsterous engine over the front wheels quickly overloads the front wheels grip and a lock up or lack of braking would be very apparent. Whereas an Esprit with its engine over the Rear wheels, under full braking, the Esprits weight shifts onto the front wheels as well but the engine is still over the back wheels so all four wheels have equal weight on them, and equal grip under braking and the car stops ALOT quicker, not to mention the fact that the Esprit weighs so much less than an M5.
How do you think the body roll would be on each car? How would they be different? Lets see if you could explain to us why the M5 would handle better when it has so much more weight, so much further from the track/tires. If you understand levers, you will understand why the weight that is higher in the air has a more significant impact on the behaviour of the car when G-Force is applied to the car. The longer the lever, the more advantage it has, and the more violently it would pull the M5 side to side.
Its all very basic physics.. And it isnt hard to make a car look good on paper. Ford has been doing it to the Cobra Mustang for years.
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Thanks F50!
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Over 200hp Sport Compacts [FWD only]:
-Seat Leon Cupra R
-Ford Euro-Focus RS
-Dodge Neon SRT-4
-Honda Integra Type-R (Acura RSX-R)
-Honda Civic Type-R
-Chrysler PT Turbo
-Seat Leon Cupra R
-Ford Euro-Focus RS
-Dodge Neon SRT-4
-Honda Integra Type-R (Acura RSX-R)
-Honda Civic Type-R
-Chrysler PT Turbo
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