Classic cars with history: Lotus Esprit S2 John Player Special

Lotus continues to hesitate about the return of the Esprit (which we see ever further away), but the Esprit name has far more history than the simple return of a model. A decorative car on the walls of many young people in the 80s, a true icon of Lotus, which built it between 1976 and 2004, and which had many special models that passed almost unnoticed.

One of them is the Lotus Esprit S2 John Player Special. First, for the younger readers, John Player Special had a great reputation as a brand in the car world, thanks to its sponsorship of the Formula 1 single-seaters of Colin Chapman, champions in 1978. And 1978 was the year the Esprit S2 version came to light.

The S2 was a step that did not go much beyond the first generation of the Esprit. There were some botched details (Lotus decided that instead of redesigning the rear lights, it was better to fit those from the Rover SD1), but overall the Esprit was subtly improved with small changes to the instrument cluster, the addition of a front spoiler, better access to the engine and a relocated fuel tank.

And together with the arrival of the S2, the Formula 1 triumph was commemorated with the S2 John Player Special of which around 149 units were produced throughout 1978 and 1979. Want to admire it properly? Take your time with the photo gallery below.

Photos: All Sport Auto, Formfreu