At $13,500, Would You Dust Off Your Checkbook For This Grungy 2004 Panoz Esperante GT?

The only information provided for today's Nice Price or No Dice Panoz is that it has 13,000 miles and, according to its seller, is a "Superdeal!" Let's decide together whether this fallow fellow lives up to that assertion.

Do you hear that? That's the inexorable sound of time marching on in its nearly silent stocking feet. Often elusive but consistently an agent of change, time is the most impactful and arguably patient force in nature.

In the automotive world, time takes its toll on numerous systems, styles, and consumables, which long ago led to the maxim of "use it or lose it" becoming a rule of thumb for staving off the ticking clock. With over 200K under its belt, lack of use wasn't an issue with the 2003 BMW 540i M-Sport we considered last Friday. Those miles and the car's age (tick, tick, tick) affected opinions about what to expect for the next owner, as the seller was not forthcoming about the time and age-related repairs and maintenance that might have already been completed on the car. That conspired to call into question the validity of the seller's $10,988 asking price. When it came time for the votes to be tallied, the Bimmer fell in a 65% 'No Dice' loss.

OK, we can't discuss today's 2004 Panoz Esperante GT without first talking a bit about smoking cessation. Panoz was founded by Dan Panoz in 1989 as an automotive specialty builder. One of the company's investors was Dan's father, Don Panoz, who had made his fortune in Pharmaceuticals, most notably through the invention of the time-release transdermal patch, one of whose uses is nicotine delivery for smokers trying to kick the habit.

Panoz (the company) has dabbled in both performance street-car building and in racing, both cars and series. The company is still around today, although operations appeared to have hit a snag with the passing of the senior Panoz in 2018 from pancreatic cancer.

All of the company's products are promoted with the bold tagline. "Sounds Like Thunder, Goes Like Lightning." Notably, the Esperante still features prominently in Panoz's portfolio of models, despite the original production run spanning 2000 to 2007. Over that time, only 234 Esperantes were built, making them exceptionally rare today. The Esperante's successor, the Avezzano street/race car, appears still available for those with hefty bank accounts and a bent for the off-kilter.

Panoz is based in Braselton, Georgia, and in the engineering of the Esperante, the company leveraged the skills of the aeronautics industries that also call the area home. Like the preceding AIV (Aluminum Intensive Vehicle) Roadster, the Esperante leans heavily into alloy. Comprising five modules bolted and bonded together to form a single stiff framework, the two-seat convertible also features aluminum bodywork that sits atop that architecture.

Underneath and amid all that are lots of components sourced from the SN95 Ford Mustang. Those include the instrument cluster, which in the Panoz has been moved atop the center stack, the seats, switchgear, and airbags, and most importantly, the 305-horsepower 4.6-liter Cobra V8 and its partner in crime, a Tremec five-speed manual gearbox. Disc brakes with ABS provide modern stopping power, while the fully independent suspension and limited-slip diff offer both race-car handling and bragging rights at social gatherings.

Sadly, this 13,000-mile Esperante appears to have fallen on hard times. Covered in dust and shot in what looks to be a private collection (check out the Pantera and Jag XJ Coupe!), it comes to us with absolutely no backstory or even assurance that it will run. Naturally, that makes it all the more interesting.

Not only is the car covered in a gray layer of dingy dust, but it appears to have also suffered the ignominy of someone rubbing through the blue paint on the hood, perhaps to confirm that it is, in fact, aluminum underneath. There are two patches where the paint is gone, so they obviously felt the need to check their work.

The remainder of the bodywork appears unmolested, and the top appears intact, although the plastic rear window has turned the color of a cup of airport conference center coffee.

The interior, which, on the plus side, is riotously red, suffers from the same signs of disuse as the exterior. Its only saving grace is that it appears to be simply dirty rather than damp and moldy. I'd bet an hour with a rag and a bottle of Febreze would do it wonders.

Does the car run? What's the title status? Are there any back fees piled up on the registration? The ad, in typical Facebook Marketplace fashion, isn't of any help. It only provides the mileage, the color, and the assurance that the car is paid off. Well, la-di-dah to that.

With all that unknown now known, we're going to have to exert some uber effort in deciding this Esperante's fate. Here's the thing, though: the seller is asking $13,500 for the car. If you look around, you'll realize that's just about a quarter of what a decent driver currently goes for. Given the car's unique and interesting history and present-day desirability (these are a hoot and a half to drive), its shortcomings might be overlooked. Plus, the Ford parts are all fairly common and not terribly expensive, so resurrection likely won't drain the next owner's bank account.

What's your take on this mystery Panoz and that $13,500 asking? Does that feel like a siren's song to make a questionable decision? Or, all things considered, is it best to let this sleeping dog lie?

You decide!

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