Spy Shots: Lotus Esprit
It's been far too long since we've heard anything about Lotus' supercar, the Esprit. Finally, some spy shots have surfaced, showing the mid-engined mule having a few bolts tightened while up on the rack.The images don't give much away as far as the Esprit's styling, with some heavy body cladding, that appears to have been painted on by a seven year old armed with a Wite-Out® pen.
However, Winding Road, who had some contact with the publisher of the photos, AutoGespot, learned that the engine will assuredly be a V8, sourced from BMW and displacing between 4.4- and 4.8-liters.
If the plan is to launch the Esprit by 2010, they look like they're well on their way. Just enough time for you to start scrounging for the $125,000 cost of entry.
[Sources: AutoGespot, AutoScoops, Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SherbornSean 9:36PM (2/07/2007)
IF VW buys Proton, I'd be surprised to see a BMW V8 in the engine bay. More likely the 4.2L Audi engine with 420 hp.
Will VW even allow the Esprit to come to market, knowing it will embarrass both the R8 and Gallardo?
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MJL 8:59PM (2/07/2007)
Isn't the point of an independent car company to look, you know, different from other supercars (Ferrari F430, Bugatti Veyron)?
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NoNameDenton 7:59PM (2/07/2007)
Gorgeous from what I have seen and its renderings, but please for the love of G-d let the BMW V8 rumors be true, no Toyota engine
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John Williams 12:33AM (2/08/2007)
Wow I am excited for this one.
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Richard L. 9:24PM (2/07/2007)
What's wrong with a Toyota engine?
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NoNameDenton 9:27PM (2/07/2007)
The problem with the Toyota engine is that is does not have enough power for a car like the Espirit and the cars is plans on targeting
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epp_b 11:08PM (2/07/2007)
["let the BMW V8 rumors be true, no Toyota engine"]
You're thinking of the Exige, which is the only Lotus to have a Toyota engine, AFAIK.
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NoNameDenton 10:43PM (2/07/2007)
Sherborn makes a good point, and even more, will they continue using the Toyota engines when VW makes some great engines with as much or more power and weight savings, like aluminum construction, though, hopefully they will not pull a Bugatti on Lotus
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iownyomama 11:03PM (2/07/2007)
Nothing wrong with a Toyota engine. Toyota can make an engine for an F1 car, they can make anything for the road. The good thing about it will be that the engine will be light and durable.
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NoNameDenton 11:09PM (2/07/2007)
Lets see how many Americans watch or care about F1. Toyota distinguished itself by ebtering NSCAR and the Craftman truck series, true. At the same time, I do not have much of a like for Toyota cars, as they are all Front wheel drive with small engines with low power levels. What I would like to see is the Espirit with a diesel engine, like the one Audi used to win La Mans.
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NoNameDenton 11:11PM (2/07/2007)
epp_b, are you telling me the Europa S does not use a Toyoa derived engine, or the Elise?
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dookie559 1:35AM (2/08/2007)
Elise,Exige-Toyota engine
Europa S-GM Ecotec
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Doug 2:30AM (2/08/2007)
The point, iownyomama, of using an engine from another manufacturer is to save development costs. Lotus will save nothing by asking Toyota to develop a new engine for the Esprit. Besides, it could do a far better job of that on it's own. Also, NoNameDenton is right, Toyota doesn't make a single sports car for the US market right now, let alone any engines with enough power for the Esprit.
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Peter 4:37AM (2/08/2007)
The BMW engine sounds like a good idea, although 367 hp is a little on the low side by today's supercar standards. Let's hope they've managed to keep the weight down in Lotus tradition. Maybe they could get their hands on the Alpina supercharged 4.4? That should give some devastating performance...
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enumerated 10:45AM (2/08/2007)
367 is plenty especially if the car is < 3,000 lbs! Lotus is the only company that would try to do so, at least I hope.
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MikeW 12:12PM (2/08/2007)
The Morgan Aero8 only weighs ~2500lbs, and has a BMW V8
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Peter 5:46PM (2/08/2007)
3000lbs would put it 'just' on par with the old Esprit SP350 in power to weight. Not bad, but if they don't want their customers to get embarrased (in a straight line at least) by the likes of an M5 they might want to knock it up a notch...
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leo 10:52AM (2/11/2007)
the Nissan GT-R will whip this car into int's place, for $45k less.
straight line and handling.
i'll take that $45k and also buy me the new CTS with the 300HP V6 and AWD fully loaded.
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