Lotus's future: the new Esprit


Our image shows how the next Esprit may look. The MSC (Mid-Engined Supercar) is undergoing crash testing and will be launched in early 2008.

Engineering of the next Esprit is 'racing forward at speed' according to Lotus. Russell Carr, chief designer at Lotus, believes that the Esprit's footprint will be 'much more compact than that of the Lambo [the Gallardo] or the Ferrari [F430]'.

Power is expected to come from a V8, perhaps sourced from BMW and equipped with twin turbos. This will probably be linked to a six-speed sequential transmission.

The production estimate is 2500 cars a year of the aluminium or composite skinned car, which is crucial to Lotus, which is currently running its Hethel operation on a three-day week

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Now this will be interesting. I've always loved the looks of the Esprit. The classic exotic.

I wonder how much they will be selling for. The new Lexus supercar just got a little more competition.

 

That sounds pretty good to me.

 

The Esprit was fairly attractive but Lotus cars have always had a distinctive kit car feel to them. I just wonder why someone is so convinced that this rendering is the next Esprit when everything else they are producing is "less attractive"? I have seen a few other guesses at the Esprit that look more like big pregnant Exige's. Good luck to them.

 

Well thats whats up. Finally a Lotus that looks normal. I tihnk it looks great. But it also looks like a smoothed over Gallardo.

 

From the other thread a few days ago....I truely love this car

 

Apparently this is an official sketch of the new Esprit.

 

the rear reminds me of either robocops eye visor or the guy in star trek's vision bar thingy. its funny how the previous espirits were ferrari inspired, but this new one seems to be lambo inspired.

 

Front looks nice ....unfortunately i cant say the same for the rear. Seems that many companies now are making nice fronts for their car, but the rear is just ugly....its like they start from the front, lose interest and just rush the finished product.

 

Those scetches have a very high gallardo feeling to them.

 

I agree, I was going to say that too . . .

 

HA! We agree! Had to be the pic

 

LOL, beat ya to it

 

Although Lotus is still cranking out new versions of the Elise, work is also under way on a replacement for the Esprit. It will hit the streets around 2008 and is expected to use a BMW V8 for power while sticking with the Lotus mantra of minimal weight. Although this test mule was spotted on the Nurburgring wearing an older Esprit shell, the odd proportions suggest this is most likely a test mule for the chassis of the new supercar.

source : edmunds

 

Doesn't it look kind of...dated? It still has some boxy characteristics and pop up headlights. Lotus should have made the front end a bit more curvy, but I'm sure like any lotus, it'll perform.