Remastered Lotus Esprit unveiled with 400hp

Lightness and tactility guide every decision, says Encor of its new carbon fibre, V8-powered Series I

There was already plenty to be encouraged by with the Encor Series 1, a car that promised to meld the beauty of the original Lotus Esprit with the firepower of the later V8. Sprinkle some restomod fairy dust on top and things got really exciting; an Esprit that didn’t require any excuses - even at half a million quid - would be something very special indeed.

This then is the finished article, a car Encor describes as a ‘respectful enhancement’ of the original design. Much like the JAS Tensei, it’s much broader and burlier than an Esprit of 50 years ago would have been, but then it’s also housing the gubbins of a later V8 - so it was never going to be a carbon (fibre) copy. If the rear end is quite a bit different thanks to the new LEDs, the front end is still unmistakably Esprit; the lights still pop up and everything. Encor’s Head of Design, Daniel Durrant, used to work at Lotus, and said of his work: “To touch a shape like this is a huge responsibility. Every line we’ve refined, every decision we’ve made, is about honouring the original’s intent while letting the car perform, feel and function the way its silhouette always promised.”

The Encor promise was always that the Series 1 would build on the potent performance of the 350hp V8 cars that came in the 1990s. Now we know that the twin-turbo 3.5 will get new turbos, forged pistons, uprated injectors and a sports exhaust for something like 400hp. Combine that with a target kerbweight, thanks to the carbon panels on the restored chassis, of less than 1,200kg, and 0-62mph in four seconds should be possible.

Perhaps most encouraging of all for the Encor powertrain, though, is the gearbox work. Never an Esprit strong suit, it now benefits from a new set of ratios, limited slip diff, bespoke diff and stronger input shaft for ‘a precision and durability the original never possessed.’ They’ve even brought in Quaife to help out, so hopes will be high. Interestingly (given it was whinged about for being a bit firm in period), the Series 1 will have its suspension upgraded to Sport 350 spec, with similar AP Racing brakes as well. The forged wheels are inspired by the special edition, too.

Inside things are much more old-school Esprit, with tartan on the refoamed seats, wood on the gearlever and green in the dials. Those instruments are set in a bespoke cluster, machined from a single billet of aluminium. Infotainment, climate and camera systems, all pretty alien words to any Esprit, have been done in-house. "This car is analogue at heart," said co-founder Simon Lane. "We wanted to avoid the modern tendency toward gadgetry, therefore the technology exists to enhance the experience, not to dominate it.” So there is a screen, and a pretty big one at that, but it sits snug in the dash rather than standing proud - that’s the gearlever’s job. There’s a controller dial as well, so hopefully it’s not a nightmare to navigate.

As a reminder, Encor will build 50 of these Series 1s, all requiring a donor Esprit V8 plus at least £430,000 to rework. Given the later 350hp cars are at least £40k on PH, that half-million figure might actually be a touch conservative. But there must be a few wealthy 007 wannabes out there who grew up wanting that Esprit and now covet a remastered classic different to the rest. Encor reckons production will kick off in Q2 2026.

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