When we last saw the Lotus Esprit in 2004, it was equipped with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at about 350 hp. Offering much more motivation than its early turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplant, the Esprit V8 was quick -- pedal to the floor, the two-seat coupe could punch through 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. Impressive as it was just a few years ago, there are more than a handful of cars (at half the price) that can shame the Lotus back across the Pond today.
To keep the upcoming 2011 Lotus Esprit at the front of the pack, it is rumored to be fitted with the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 found under the hood of the recently released BMW X6. The powerplant is rated at 400 horsepower with only light boost under the German's hood. Under the fiberglass cover of the future British Esprit, it will most likely be tuned to deliver nearly 500 horsepower. It will need every bit of power it can get, as the new Lotus will be competing with the Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430, and the new Nissan GT-R.
Large high-res gallery of all of the Lotus models available by clicking above
This week in LA, veteran Lotus development engineer Roger Becker told the assembled press about the changes we'll see in the Elise and Exige for 2008. He also talked a bit about some of the changes happening at the factory and even gave us some info about new models in the company's future.
The biggest recent news for Lotus was that the Elise SC and Exige S were given an optional power boost via a Magnuson-developed supercharger that raises horsepower from 190 to 218 or 240 depending on the application. Other changes were made to all 2008 model year cars in the lineup.
Aside from upgraded brakes and a few other tweaks, the biggest changes came inside, where a new security system has been installed that for the first time ever allows a single key for Lotus owners. As a nod to American driving habits, TPMS and a new information display were also added, because as Becker put it, we aren't too aware of when a tire is going down and need to have it pointed out. That line was delivered without missing a beat and expertly showed a typically dry British sense of humor. Funny guy. Follow the jump for individual model news and to hear more about the upcoming Eagle and Esprit replacement too!
Lotus has plans: the Elise is going to get a detuned Exige engine (220 BHP without an intercooler), a new Exige SR model will feature launch and traction control systems, California series Elise and Exige models are in the pipeline for the boulevard cruising crowd, and Lotus is also going to inject some luxury into the Europa.
But the big news -- which isn't the Esprit -- is the Lotus Eagle, which will be "a mid-engined four-seater" made of aluminum for the luxury lifestyle set. Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley said there will be seven (count 'em, seven) versions of the car, and in a crow-eating first for Lotus, the car will have paddle shifters. Lotus had previously sworn never to include them on a car, citing purity of the driving experience. But what does the market care for driving purity? (Insert maniacal laugh here.) The Eagle arrives at the end of 2008.
The much anticipated, exceedingly long-awaited Lotus Esprit was sent back for reworking by Kimberley, who said it didn't have enough Lotus heritage in it. In Lotus fashion, the car isn't trying to break any records by being a sub-200 MPH conveyance, but it will be powered by "a very high brand-image engine" and performance will be "exceptional" and "very usable." Lotus: stop dallying -- let's have it.
It is a Lotus, it isn't a Lotus. It is a Lotus, it isn't a Lotus. Today we think it could be, despite earlier reports to the contrary. But whether that mysetrious test mule spotted with Lotus paperwork was actually a Lotus or not, the famed British sportscar company in fact does have a supercar planned for the near future. This right from the lion's mouth, the lion in this case being Lotus' American chief Mike Kimberly.
Not much is known about what form the car will take or what we'll find under the hood, but given Lotus' focus on handling as well as its current and past models, a mid-engine/rear-drive layout would be a safe bet. The supercar would cap a rapidly expanding range of sportscars for Lotus, and not just variants of the Elise like we have now. A new Esprit is on the way, despite powertrain-related set-backs, and the 2+2 known as "Project Eagle" is slated for debut at the British auto show before hitting the market in 2009.
The three new models are part of the company's plan to dramatically increase production from last year's 2,875 to 8,000 over the next several years.
In an interview with EVO, Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley let it fly that two new projects are on their way, and the financial woes that have troubled the niche automaker are finally beginning to dissolve.
We were already aware that a new Esprit had been under development for the past few years, and that the launch would come before the end of the decade. Kimberley confirmed that we could expect to see the next-gen Esprit in late 2009, with power provided by "a very well respected prestige car maker." The initial speculation was that BMW might be tapped to supply an engine, but several signs now peg Aston Martin as being the power provider. The £70,000 supercar has already been sent back to the drawing board once, and Kimberley is confident that the new Esprit will be the dynamic masterpiece expected from Lotus.
More intriguing was the revelation that Lotus is in the process of developing a 2+2 coupe, codenamed Project Eagle, which is designed to slot in between the Elise/Exige/Europa and the forthcoming Esprit. EVO was privy to a brief glance of the concept and described it as a, "Bertone-bodied Dino 308GT4 with a modern Lotus twist." The chassis won't be derived from the Elise platform, but instead will incorporate an aluminum tub accompanied by fiberglass-composite panels. Power is likely to come via a Toyota-sourced V6, mounted amidships, and sending 300+ horsepower to the rear wheels. Lotus will take the wraps off the concept at the London Motor Show next year, with sales expected to begin early 2009.
The Lotus Esprit, a car severely missed by a huge number of auto fans, is slated after numerous delays to return from the dead in 2009, perhaps at the Geneva Motor Show. Until then, the Dutch seem to be first in getting details on and spy shots of this most English of cars. Last year it was said that Esprit would have a "much more compact" footprint than than the Gallardo or F430, have an aluminum or composite skin, and be produced at a rate of 2,500 per year.
The latest info is that the engine will be a 4.8-liter V8 from BMW producing in excess of 400 bhp -- possibly with the help of some forced breathing apparatus. This time around, there will be a convertible version to go with the coupe, and word is that the car will sell for 70,000 British pounds. Whenever it arrives, it will find there aren't many chairs left in the affordable sports car arena, what with every month bringing a new entrant. Still, we only have two words for the new Esprit: bring it. For more spy shots of the zebra-striped car testing in Holland, go here.
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.
The folks over at Motor Authority were kind enough to make the most recent Lotus industry newsletter available. In the PDF document (click 'read' below to go to the site and download), Lotus goes into detail about the development of the upcoming Esprit and outlines what future models will bear the green and yellow shield.
Three vehicles in total will find their way to production over the course of the next several years, and, as expected, all of which will make use of alum-in-i-um to lighten the structure. The three vehicles, pictured above, include a mid-engine super car, a front-engine, RWD GT and the rumored 4x4, seven-seat crossover, all of which will share the same platform.
The articles themselves are well worth the read, even if you're not interested in Lotus itself, they provide some broad industry information and some interesting technical tidbits for the consummate gearhead.
Lotus has jacked up the prices on the Elise and the Exige, according to The Car Connection. The smaller Elise, which has adaptive headlights and an unfavorable exchange rate for 2007, will go for $43,990, up from $42,990 for the 2006 model. The Exige, which is essentially an Elise with a hard top and turbocharged four-banger putting out 220 hp, will go for $56,990 -- quite a steal when you consider its supercar-worthy 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds and top speed of 148 mph.
It's rumored that the two vehicles here aren't the only ones that will be offered in the U.S. market in the coming years. The Esprit, which should become available in the United States in late 2008, has been spotted tooling around Europe as a tester, and other models are expected to be on their way.
Hans Lehmann's photogs claim to have snapped the first full prototype of the new Lotus Esprit - known inside Lotus as the "MSC" (for mid-engined supercar). With the production version not scheduled to debut until late 2008, it's unlikely that there is much to be learned from the transformer-like bodywork in the photos, but the fact that there's a functional prototype, presumably embodying the Esprit's all-new aluminum structure and the basic suspension and drivetrain elements, at least indicates that the highly publicized project is on schedule.
That's good news for Lotus, as the new Esprit platform is expected to be the foundation for other models, likely including a smaller 6-cylinder sportscar. The Esprit is intended to be Lotus' performance flagship, going head-to-head with Ferrari's F430, and is expected to have a powerplant equal to the task, rumored to be a 4.8-liter BMW-sourced V8.
Hans Lehmann's photogs claim to have snapped the first full prototype of the new Lotus Esprit - known inside Lotus as the "MSC" (for mid-engined supercar). With the production version not scheduled to debut until late 2008, it's unlikely that there is much to be learned from the transformer-like bodywork in the photos, but the fact that there's a functional prototype, presumably embodying the Esprit's all-new aluminum structure and the basic suspension and drivetrain elements, at least indicates that the highly publicized project is on schedule.
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