A passion for automobiles is a powerful force. It drives people to do hours of research, read countless reviews and articles, and as you’ll see in this video, put time and sweat equity into building the cars they want. At the Future Collector Car Show (FCCS), part of the Barrett-Jackson 2024 Scottsdale Fall Auction, AutoHunter Cinema met Tom Hartje, the owner of a 1997 Lotus Esprit V8, and his son William. A couple of months after Tom got this English exotic home, the engine gave out. Instead of having the Esprit hauled to a junkyard, Tom decided to rebuild the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V8 and bring his Lotus up to OEM+ specifications by keeping a lot of the original parts while making strategic upgrades.
As part of the engine overhaul, Tom installed a new crankshaft and pistons, larger turbos, custom water-to-air intercoolers, a new ECU, and more. To make sure the five-speed manual transmission could handle the engine’s higher output (which ended up reaching 629 horsepower and 632 lb-ft of torque), Tom had beefed-up internals installed. With a little help from William, Tom upgraded the lighting to LED. He also enhanced the Esprit’s distinctive lines with custom fender flares and added a set of bronze Advan wheels.
Stay tuned to the AutoHunter Cinema YouTube channel for news on upcoming events like the Future Collector Car Show, and join in on the fun!
