Wednesday 15th March 2006

Lotus Esprit inches forward

New mid-engined car starts serious testing

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Lotus Esprit 2002

Testing for the next Lotus Esprit is proceeding apace -- and it's aimed right at the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Ferrari F430.

The car is currently undergoing crash test work and looks likely to emerge from the factory on late 2007, in time for launch proper in 2008, according to this week's Autocar. Chief designer Russell Carr reckoned that the mid-engined car would be smaller than either of the two supercars mentioned above.

According to the report, it'll be powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 -- possibly a BMW -- via a six-speed sequential transmission. Bodywork is likely to be either composite or aluminium. There's no news on concrete matters such as price or a more detailed spec.

After the lukewarm reception afforded the new Europa, let's hope that Lotus gets the styling right for this prestigious end of the market.

[Fire99]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one..

I've always had a soft spot for the Esprit. A true 'imperfect' classic!

[mk1fan]

'The car is currently undergoing crash test work and looks likely to emerge from the factory on late 2007'

Can't they crash it into something else?

[dinkel]

Any new sketches yet?





The old ones . . .

Edit: Turboed 4.4 Beemer would give 600 hp? That'd blow away competition . . .

>> Edited by dinkel on Wednesday 15th March 13:57

[delboymatt]

I think that last sketch has potential.

I genuinely hope they dont go the proton design route again

[rossh]

There was also this rendered version of the concept...




Not something *totally* jaw-dropping, but will certainly do

[SPORT300]

BMW V8-twin turbo ?? Let's hope it has at least 500 - 550BHP and the car weight is max 1200kg, to be really competitive or even smash Ferrari and Lamborghini ;-)))

[waynepixel]

rossh said:

There was also this rendered version of the concept... Not something *totally* jaw-dropping, but will certainly do

That looks good. And BMW power. Cannot be a bad thing. F1 anyone

[anonymous-user]

"Testing for the next Lotus Esprit is proceeding apace -- and it's aimed right at the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Ferrari F430."

If that's their target segment of the market I think they're barking mad. Both those cars are halo models from huge manufacturers - Audi and Fiat - with massive resources. I fear Lotus have no chance of muscling in on the action.

IMO a new Esprit needs to be lighter and cheaper with relatively simple mechanicals. I'd target the price sector which includes big TVRs, M6, Z06 and Aston V8. The mid-price sportscar market is fading (globally) with so many cars now available and the £100k sector is getting over-crowded too. Elise created its own sector through pure innovation and Esprit needs to do the same.

Add lightness, etc, etc ......

[karluk29]

^^^^^THIS IS THE CAR IN THIS WEEK AUTOCAR THAT THEY RECKON
IS THE NEW ESPRIT, THE BLUE ONE IS A MOCK UP FROM 6 MONTHS AGO


b4 you all say it, can i jump in first and so WTF its a fat elise,
please please lotus dont make it look like a elise its a super car.

and the engine is rumoured to be the M5, so at least it will be 200mph+

[adam g]

Rumour has it that the Esprit is aimed at those cars in terms of performance but price will be higher than the old Esprit but not anything like the Fez etc. That level of performance wth Lotus handling and I'll be a very happy chappy! The BMW engine is a terrific lump so with a little otus expertise to fettle it I would hope it will be an awesome engine and mated to a lotus chassis it shoudl be a lot of fun. As for the looks, after all the pictures that have surfaced that claim to be the next Esprit does it not strike anyone not to worry about it oo much yet?! After all, not one of the ones we have seen yet seems to be what the car will realy look like. I suspect the car will have some kind of family resemblance to the Elise as most car ranges do, (Jag, Merc, BMW, Porker etc) but I would be suprised if they made it look the same as it would seem like a pretty odd thing to do!

Can't wait to see it when it finally is released but I have a disturbing feeling that my bank acount will be less impressed come 2008!

[mikeyboy]

The image of the orange car above is from Autoexpress surely?
Can't imagine thats the esprit though. For starters its too short. High Speed staibility would be the worst side of awful. Second the roofline ends at the rollbar. Third the front vents are for front mounted radiators just like the elise. and they're the same size as the S2 elises. Third and finally the exhausts are twin not quad and the V8 and v10 BMWs are quads aren't they?
All the proportions etc imply that this in fact a reskinned Elise with a new window surround/a pillar arrangement.
I reckon what they have an image of is in fact a mock up of the S3 elise/exige, which if i'm right is in itself a bit of a coup.

[nickytwohats]

Hmmm - do I move the Noble M15 deposit?

[smele]

mikeyboy said:

I reckon what they have an image of is in fact a mock up of the S3 elise/exige, which if i'm right is in itself a bit of a coup.

Hmm, that is what I was thinking. Perhaps a new higher power Elise. Not quite an S3, but a lot more than a bolt on supercharger.

[Twincam16]

I really hope Lotus keep their individual thinking alive when applying themselves to this one. With the F430 and the Gallardo, Ferrari and Lamborghini have got a bit lazy in the engineering department, simply opting for the 'making the engine bigger' school of rivalry. Lotus was always above such things.

In order to be a true Lotus Esprit, the engine needs to be smaller than its rivals but pumping out as much power through forced induction, keeping the mechanical componants lighter, so the handling can be preserved without resorting to electronics, and the power-to-weight ratio matches or betters the Italian opposition.

I think Lotus would be better off looking to Noble and Farboud for inspiration, not Ferrari and Lamborghini. As previous posters have said, the £100k supercar market is looking awfully crowded these days for something so exclusive.

[GTRene]

I think this one will be the new Lotus Elise/Exige S3 as show from someone else

and surely not the new Esprit...or they must go down the Porsche 911 route they look all out the same family, wich is no bad thing! why change a winning team
GTRene

>> Edited by GTRene on Wednesday 15th March 16:04

[SpeedYellow]

I've got a deposit on the new Esprit already and talking to the factory at the time of order the expected/target price for the fully loaded car is going to be £80K, so the same as an M6 with Lambo/ Ferrari performance and better handling than either.

[karluk29]

can you give us any joy on the design then, as you have
already got the cash on the line matey???

[mikeyboy]

smele said:

Not quite an S3, but a lot more than a bolt on supercharger.

do you think the real S3 will be a completely new chassis then? I suppose they must be thinking of switching to the VVA chassis on the next one.
either way if this is what the Elise is going to look like I can't help thinking they should have waited on signing off the Europa and gone for this design instead.

[boggy]

GTRene said:

I think this one will be the new Lotus Elise/Exige S3 as show from someone else and surely not the new Esprit...or they must go down the Porsche 911 route they look all out the same family, wich is no bad thing! why change a winning team GTRene >> Edited by GTRene on Wednesday 15th March 16:04

Oh my god I'm in Love ! If this is the New Elise then I'm holding off My Exige S

Boggy

[GTRene]

Also you notice the better rear ligts then the europa S...
And the very clever airscoops behind the side windows well done!
Also the doors when you look at the shape they could be wingdoors I like that
GTRene
lets go