At $6,500, Is This 1988 Lotus Esprit Roller Project Worth the Gamble?

A $6,500 Craigslist listing in Minneapolis is offering a 1988 Lotus Esprit project car stripped of its engine and transmission, positioning it as a blank canvas for drivetrain swaps.

The seller markets it as a “Great candidate for an LS swap,” but the car’s lack of a powertrain opens the door to far more creative possibilities—like shoehorn a twin-turbo Porsche Macan GTS V6 mated to a Porsche Boxster/Cayman Getrag six-speed.

The Esprit in question is claimed to be a 40th Anniversary edition, identifiable by its pearl white over blue and gray Connolly leather/suede upholstery, with only 88 such cars reportedly built.

The ad boasts a clean title and a rust-free steel backbone chassis, but it’s missing critical components: the instrument binnacle, climate control panel, one pop-up headlamp pod, and—of course—the engine and transmission.

The vacuum-formed plastic bodywork appears in decent shape, and the car comes with a substantial pile of extra parts, including a removable glass moonroof that could fetch up to $1,500 on its own.

While the project demands serious wrench-turning and a hefty budget for hard-to-find bits, the $6,500 price tag makes it one of the cheapest ways to step into Esprit ownership—assuming you’re willing to gamble on sourcing rare trim pieces and rebuilding the car from the ground up.

For YouTube creators, it’s a restoration goldmine waiting to be monetized; for everyone else, it’s a high-risk, high-reward proposition that demands deep pockets and patience.