Lotus Esprit X180R Registry

X180R Values

Condition levels are based on the Hagerty Price Guide condition definitions. This guide is derived from market values established from previous X180R sales (rare) mixed with “like-kind” sales that have a close relationship (e.g. Sport 300, 1991 Esprit SE, 2003 Esprit V8). These values only apply to the 20 homologation X180R street cars and not the competition cars. Use this data at your own risk.

X180R Registry

Race Cars

Two Esprit X180R “Type 105” race cars were developed by Lotus to race in the newly formed SCCA World Challenge series for production-based sports cars. After being successfully campaigning in America by Doc Bundy and Scott Lagasse, both X180Rs were returned to Lotus in Hethel, UK to be upgraded to the “Type 106” specification for the following season. Three additional “Type 106” X180R factory race cars were constructed for the newly formed LotuSport team to campaign in the IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championship. Starting in 1992, the race cars were officially entered by LotuSport under a new model year as “1992 X180R”. According to Joe Grassi, the only X180R nicknamed during the time LotuSport was professionally racing the cars was “Christine” (he recalled it was #11) since the car seemed to have a mind of its own and was involved in several wrecks.

Current DecalsTypeVINEngineRaced ByNicknameLast Known LocationLast UpdatedNotes
#9105/106“Dianna”Barber Motorsports Museum2023
#10106SCC 52591001LP 9108 9022259440“Abby”New York2020Maryland (-2020); New York (2020-present)
#11106SCC 5259100?“Brittany”Florida2023
#12105/106SCCFC20851HF65798“Eleanor”New Jersey2023
#14106SCC 5259100?“Christine”Maryland2023

Homologation Cars

Twenty road-registerable Esprit X180R cars were produced with almost all the racing equipment, including a fully integrated roll cage, with the bare minimum necessary to allow street registration (federally mandated air bag steering wheel) and provide for comfortable road use (radio, AC). Homologation requirements to race in IMSA’s Bridgestone Supercar Champsionship required that manufacturers produce and sell least twenty North American market cars with nearly identical specifications to the race cars, except for any required modifications to make the car legally comply with road registration and environmental regulations. Thus, Lotus was required to produce at least twenty X180Rs for the USA or Canada markets before it could race an X180R in the series. As a marketing strategy and to encourage customers to understand the intent of the car, Lotus Ltd. and Lotus Cars USA decided to brand the X180R as the World Challenge Race Replica Esprit, tieing their previous seasons race success into a way to hopefully move inventory of a very specialized car.

Note: During an internal pitch to European Lotus importers in late 1991, the internal binder for gauging interest for a European X180R model indicated Lotus had built an extra X180R demonstration car for potential customers to experience at their Hethel test track. Whether this “X180R” still exists is unknown.

X180R BadgeSerial NumberWindow NumberDelivery DealerSold NewLast Known LocationApprox. MileageLast UpdatedNotes
160262missingLange Lotus (Dallas, TX)June 1991New Jersey2,700 (2020)2023
260061Barber Bros. Lotus (Concord, CA)April 26, 1991California13,3042014Appears to be the “first” X180R homologation car built, well before the rest of the series based on the VIN serial/sequence number. First owner Rich Hairston.
360241Lotus Cars USATexas14,200 (2011)2020Demo car for Ron Foster (Lotus Cars USA President)
460259missingMidwestern Auto Group (Columbus, OH)New Hampshire525 (2023)2023Owned 2020-present by current owner; For sale 2020 by Curated; one owner from new until 2020
560260Classic AutomobilesMay 13, 1991Colorado25,126 (2015)2023Owned 1999-present by current owner; photographed by William Tayler for "The Lotus Book"
660264New York23,806 (2009)2020
760265Bayside Lotus (Seattle, WA)Washington4,476 (2015)2023Still with first owner
860267Kensington Motors (Long Beach, CA)Maryland9,202 (2018)2020
960269Deal Lotus (Asheville, NC)April 2, 1993Ohio1,913 (2012)2023Still with first owner; sold new on MSO from Deal Lotus Asheville (wholesaled originally to Ron Greenspan Lotus in San Francisco)
106027012Continental Motors (Hinsdale, IL)New Jersey2020
116027214Bayside Lotus (Seattle, WA)Washington10,472 (2015)2023Still with first owner
1260273Midwestern Auto Group (Columbus, OH)Pennsylvania22,1852020
136027415The Car Company (Las Vegas, NV)July 3, 1991California21,5002020Single family ownership from 1991 to 2018; second owner PA from 2018-2020; sold 2020
1460275California11,181 (2003)2003
1560277Newport Imports (Newport Beach, CA)Georgia8,419 (1999)2001Previously owned by Zack Zacardoolas (won the 1996 Sprint Challenge Championship in a Lotus Esprit X180R); possibly now in Japan (#15 or #20 was exported in late 1990s/2000)
1660278Roger Mauro Imports (Denver, CO)April 13, 1991Georgia13,000 (2014)2014Previously owned by Jack Ansley (LotuSport team owner)
1760279Scottsdale Lotus (Scottsdale, AZ)June 22, 1991Minnesota18,500 (2005)2020
186028019Swift Auto World (Sacramento, CA)April 10, 1992Washington14,9392023First owner Eric Wells, SCCA Pro Trans Am/IMSA GTO racing driver (1991-1995); second owner (1995-2020); current owner (2020-present); 2023 completely sorted by X180R expert Ralph Stechow at RS Motorsports (New Jersey) with significant cosmetic restoration
1960282Lotus Cars USATechnically the very last X180R built based on VIN build date.Colorado15,0002020
2060268Autobahn Europlaza (Fort Worth, TX)December 31, 1990Florida11,000 (1996)1996possibly now in Japan (#15 or #20 was exported in late 1990s/2000)
Wayne Carini gives thumbs up to X180R #1, which finished second in the Lotus special class at the 2018 Hemming's Concours in Lake George, NY. (Credit: Ralph Stechow)

Registry History

The Esprit X180R Registry started with an original hand written X180R VIN to badge number list that was found by Matt Serwacki in the paperwork that came with X180R #5 when he acquired it from the original owner. From this initial minimal information, Ralph Stechow created a registry, writing down owner’s names next to them as he discovered where the cars were. In parallel, Kiyoshi Hamai, who worked at Lotus Cars Ltd during the 1990s and authored one of the first articles on the X180R, recorded original warranty information on many of the cars. With additional research in 2020 by Ryan Snodgrass, this registry has merged data from the existing X180R registries, and has been updated with additional information on locations and owners for many of the previously unknown cars.