New Esprit?!

[Quicker]

http://www.bavisionbmw.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2599

[islandbloke]

Jeez - I thought MY cam towers leaked a bit. That perspex engine will spray it all over. No nikasil liners though...

[Guy W Johnson]

Nothing says what the block is?

[Günter]

i think there is no modern European High-Tech engine made of cast-iron today..

[CharlieC]

I think one of the key values new car buyers want is reliability - who wouldn't after spending 70k? Just look at the most profitable car company in the world - Porsche: both sporty and reliable. No question.

With a BMW engine it may not be what us "purists" will aspire to but to convince a wider market that the future Esprit is to be taken seriously I think it makes a lot of sense.

besides - they don't sound so bad when revved...

[mayevora]

A chap on the pistonheads thread says 'already got an order down for the new 300 bhp Toyota engined Eagle'

How is it possible to place an order/make a deposit on something that hasn't been released yet?

[Kimbers]

It shouldn't be possible. After the M250 debacle Lotus are refusing orders until it's release at the Motor show.

It doesn't stop dealers taking deposits though.

[bigsi]

lotus, lotus,.............hmm with bmw engine, sorry its not lotus that ll be only badge on body, sorry but cant see resurection of esprit

i think your forgetting the fact that a lot of parts come from other manufacturers parts bins for our cars as it is, and that doesnt make the car or your car for that matter any less of a lotus,the engine may not be lotus, but everything else down to the last bit of stitching in the interior will be lotus. as engine choices go why not use another brand power plant, it keeps costs down for lotus as they dont have to invest in having an engine designed, machining equipment made, prototypes tested and commisioned and so on and so on, that would be an unwise decision financially for the company, its good marketing and common sense to use a pre built and tested engine that can then be tuned and mapped to lotuses requirements.

as has been stated, the zonza uses a merc engine yet its still a zonda not a merc, maclaren f1 uses a diff engine as stated, some audis have the gallardo engine in which in a sense is blasphamy but there we go.

[Günter]

to the point of engines: we can say the Lambo's have Audi engines ! As this V10 blocks are common in the VAG -engine history. And also the drivetrain with 4x4 is more influenced in Audi technology than the old Diablo 4 wheelers. The point of Zonda is that this old engine design has brutal power just because of its capacity -not more. Its a big block (and as far as i know the first version was only a two valve head?!) but clean in polution homologation test. So Pagani can concentrate his creativity in styling and exorbitand extras and options. Whithout the problems of limited export-markets.

[Advantage]

It's only speculation that the Esprit shaped mule is anything other than a drivetrain testbed. Whose drivetrain and for which manufacturer is unknown. It might be Lotus Cars, it might be any of the companies (and there are many, some large brands, some obscure) that Lotus Engineering help.

It's also worth bearing in mind one or two points:

The cars produced by Group Lotus are always a showroom window for Engineering. They are always at the forefront of technological useage.

MJK is an enthusiast of alternative/renewable energy sources (along with poking two fingers up at the eco-greenies and Ken - metaphorically, of course!).

Lotus has enviable experience with hybrid/renewable powerplants (The Tesla project is the most obvious, but the recent Merc spotted leaving the factory proves this).

Putting all those factors together, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest the Esprit may have some sort of Toyota/Lexus Hybrid drive system.

Imagine being able to take a 200mph Esprit into London and not have to pay Ken his tax. Porsche would be spitting feathers.

[Tony K]

Kimbers -- tell your Dad to not let them cut up or disassemble that blue Esprit-look-alike testing mule when they are done with it. That's the most badass looking Esprit made to date. I'd like to buy it.

[Mark Blanchard]

There's an article about the new Esprit, Mike Kimberely and 60 years of Lotus in today's business section of the Daily Telegraph.

[mayevora]

Good spot Mark.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtm.../cclotus104.xml

[matk]

Lovely pic of an S2 and a good read.

[Bibs]

Nice spot, that's a good read

[westhamtim]

Morning all

Apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere.

Cheers

Tim

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtm.../cclotus104.xml

Just looked a bit harder and found this in the New Esprit section - sorry!!

[espritgeoff]

excellent article

geoff

[jkr]

the next generation will be powered by an bmw engine....

...so, could it be, that the next generation bmw Z9(?) will get a lotus chassis???

reminds me of opel speedster/vauxhaul vx220 and elise....europa has the vx220 engine....

just a thought....

J

[Mario]

Could great.....are the Lotus mutual development for less build cost......remember DELOREAN and old Esprit.

Edited March 19, 2008 by Kimbers - Mod
tidy post, please use add reply when replying to a post that is just previous, not quote and reply - thx

[jkr]

And maybe history will repeat itself - both, the BMW M1 and the Esprit were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giugiaro

[jkr]

....the new M1...????

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.a...=511685&i=0

[sky_cz]

So what u think about this?

[mayevora]

Thats a very old picture Sky. Its not an Esprit - its called a Spectre.

[sky_cz]

OIC, thx:) my mistake

Edited May 26, 2008 by SKY

[Quicker]

http://www.leftlanenews.com/lotus-esprit.html

More details emerge on 2010 Lotus Esprit

May22

Late last year Lotus confirmed that it was developing a new supercar to fill the void left by the Esprit, and the English automaker has now given us a little more information on the upcoming model.

The car will be built at the Lotus headquarters at Hethel in Norfolk UK. Lotus announced it had decided to build the successor last year, following an extensive evaluation of feasibility. It was later confirmed the Esprit name would be retained.

In September, Lotus gave a firm timeframe for the new Esprit, which it says will be unveiled in December 2009. Previously, Lotus had planned to launch the car a year earlier. The Esprit will be one of three all-new models due in the next few years.

The 2010 Esprit will be built on Lotus' Variable Vehicle Architecture, which will make it similar to the Elise's architecture, but not an exact duplicate since VVA is not platform specific.

It is expected that the new Esprit will be powered by a version of BMW's 4.4L twin-turbo V8. While that powerplant produces 407 horsepower in BMW X6-guise, look for the engine to make closer to 500 horsepower in the Lotus supercar.

It has been officially confirmed by Lotus that the new Esprit will not only become available as a coupe, but, for the first time, as a convertible/roadster, too.

Pricing is expected around $130,000