New Esprit - latest news?
Discussion
Price will need to be under 75,000 GB pounds or it will have a job against the likes of Gallardo, 355, 360, 430 etc or are you talking in US Dollars ?
Engine will be V8. Maybe BMW, maybe Mercedes-Benz. Last I heard from the factory, there was a "veritable fashion parade of engines" going on. Weight reduction (over the old Esprit) will be a big factor with 400 bhp. One bloke who may well know a thing or two ( and is quite verbose about it) reckons it's going to have an aluminium body. Can't see that myself and would think that to change from an area of international expertise to a virtualy unknown area would be a bit daft in a car requiring such investment. Clever suspension and sequential gearbox seems likely but pricing will be absolutely critical.
Engine will be V8. Maybe BMW, maybe Mercedes-Benz. Last I heard from the factory, there was a "veritable fashion parade of engines" going on. Weight reduction (over the old Esprit) will be a big factor with 400 bhp. One bloke who may well know a thing or two ( and is quite verbose about it) reckons it's going to have an aluminium body. Can't see that myself and would think that to change from an area of international expertise to a virtualy unknown area would be a bit daft in a car requiring such investment. Clever suspension and sequential gearbox seems likely but pricing will be absolutely critical.
I'll find out for you where the production line is being built. He's already told me the engine and the construction materials of the chassis but it suspect it's confidential.
They've also been testing the car and have been doing so for some time now.
I was told the figure was trying to keep as close to £60-70K GBP but this is not confirmed.
One things for sure, I can't afford a new Esprit so it doesn't really interest me until used ones start to come into the market for a few years (2-3 Years perhaps). Most I could afford is £30-40K and that's pushing it!
They've also been testing the car and have been doing so for some time now.
I was told the figure was trying to keep as close to £60-70K GBP but this is not confirmed.
One things for sure, I can't afford a new Esprit so it doesn't really interest me until used ones start to come into the market for a few years (2-3 Years perhaps). Most I could afford is £30-40K and that's pushing it!
group lotus and i have a mutual business partner. this EU company is codeveloping assembly line style carbon fibre manufacturing tools with lotus. they had hoped to use the new esprit as a test platform, but that isn't going to happen because many were displeased with the final design of the car. that includes people at lotus. oh well.
Regarding the design: Half the reason I started the thread is because I dug up an Autocar from 2004 that had a picture of one of many Esprit design sketches on the front. It was finished in blue and looked fantastic! Hints of the old Esprit and definately Lotus, but it also looked modern and exotic.
I can't quite understand these rumours that people at Lotus aren't happy with the Esprit design. If you were a company in a difficult market and betting the farm on your next product (and Lotus will be risking a hell of a lot with the Esprit), would you really be pushing ahead with something you're not happy with? The Esprit is not due out for another two years, yet we're already hearing that it's not very good? That seems a bit weird.
It's also a bit odd that the production line is being built now for a car that isn't going to be on sale for two years - are you sure your friend isn't working on the Europa production line?
The rumours of a V8 seem believable (if only because I'd like to believe it), and the hints at 'clever' suspension sound interesting. Lotus experimented with active electronic suspension on an Esprit in the 90's so maybe we're going to see something genuinely new. Improved body shell materials for lighter weight seem almost inevitable, but other than that I'm not sure what to expect.
Given that Lotus can produce a design exercise like the APX in only a few months, surely the styling must be the most fluid part of the package, and the underlying platform the most developed? If Lotus aren't happy with the platform (expecting VVA, and given a free choice of V8's to stick in it), they really are in deep trouble as it suggests that their core technology doesn't work.
It's also a bit odd that the production line is being built now for a car that isn't going to be on sale for two years - are you sure your friend isn't working on the Europa production line?
The rumours of a V8 seem believable (if only because I'd like to believe it), and the hints at 'clever' suspension sound interesting. Lotus experimented with active electronic suspension on an Esprit in the 90's so maybe we're going to see something genuinely new. Improved body shell materials for lighter weight seem almost inevitable, but other than that I'm not sure what to expect.
Given that Lotus can produce a design exercise like the APX in only a few months, surely the styling must be the most fluid part of the package, and the underlying platform the most developed? If Lotus aren't happy with the platform (expecting VVA, and given a free choice of V8's to stick in it), they really are in deep trouble as it suggests that their core technology doesn't work.
I agree with those who say price must be held to c£60,000 to £70,000. Any higher and there's just too much competition from established supercars. They'll have to use as many off-the-shelf components as possible to achieve that target so my bet is on a light and clever platform which gives scope for use in other cars as well Esprit. Current Europa looks like a stop-gap to me. New platform could eventually be targeted at both the £50k sector and the £70k sector to cover everything from Boxster to Vantage. £100k and they're dead. All IMO of course!
As per posts elsewhere, the Lotus CEO is on record as saying its their biggest development effort so far, 160 engineers on it full time, shape signed off and in the wind tunnel, to be called Esprit and due late 07 although thats since been revised to early 08 I believe. Also, in a December issue of Autocar a 'source' claimed a revolutionary new suspension. Now, for those of us that get Lotus Engineering 'ProActive' Newsletter, you may know they ran an interesting pice on the Bose (yes, Hi-Fi geeks) electronic actuator suspension early last year which was quite favourable. I may be putting 2+2 together and making 5, but could this be the new suspension?
I have been told buy a client of mine who’s husband is a contractor working at lotus he is designing the interior for the new Esprit,
he wont give me a lot of information but has suggested that the design is very faithful to the original and will use a V8 that’s about all he will tell me nothing shocking I know but he did say I wont be disappointed
he wont give me a lot of information but has suggested that the design is very faithful to the original and will use a V8 that’s about all he will tell me nothing shocking I know but he did say I wont be disappointedthe new esprit is decidedly longer, wider, taller than the last esprit cars. it'll be lucky to weigh in anywhere near what current esprit owners expect. the chassis and body are going to be stiffer too, and there are no plans to do that with advanced composites, apart from a few visible pieces (merely a marketing exercise). if we start a betting pool on how much the car will weigh, i'm in.
I wouldn't be surprised if Lotus have lightened the chassis using the extruded Alu thing and sorted other stuff regarding weight, perhaps using CF. Also, why have heavy carpet etc when the Elise gets away without?
I think we will all be surprised how good it will be. Even Jeremy C -may- well step back and admire it even though he has had a self confessed soft spot for them for ages.
We will have to wait and see i suppose
Db
I think we will all be surprised how good it will be. Even Jeremy C -may- well step back and admire it even though he has had a self confessed soft spot for them for ages.
We will have to wait and see i suppose
Db
cross-eyed-twit said:
I wouldn't be surprised if Lotus have lightened the chassis using the extruded Alu thing and sorted other stuff regarding weight, perhaps using CF. Also, why have heavy carpet etc when the Elise gets away without?
I think we will all be surprised how good it will be. Even Jeremy C -may- well step back and admire it even though he has had a self confessed soft spot for them for ages.
We will have to wait and see i suppose
Db
Haha... Um, the Esprit chassis is 135lb... the Elise chassis is.... wait for it.... 135lb.
Any weight savings from previous body will be in the form of a lighter body structure. The esprit bodywork is over 1/4" thick in most places, the Elise body is not structural at all. The Esprit body carries all the weight of the passengers, luggage, glass, and the plywood firewall adds stiffness. The Elise body can be removed without affecting the car at all (other than aerodynamically and thermally).
The Esprit 4cyl engine was very heavy, but the Esprit V8 engine was fairly light, for a V8 (only 15% heavier than the 4cyl 910).
The Rover and Toyota engines in the Elise are among the lightest. The Toyota block uses aluminum metal matrix ceramic composites to reduce weight (Honda uses fiber reinforced cylinders BTW). I doubt the BMW V8 will weigh less than the Lotus V8 (not sure though). Although BMW has started using magnesium blocks in the new inline 6cylinder...
I see 3000lb as a minimum these days. Only track specials like the Gt3 and Challenge Stradale can get below 3000lb.
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