Esprit concept

[semi42]

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/concept/tgs-guide-concepts-reborn-lotus-esprit-v8#1

Is it true that the car is now no more?

I had the notion it was still at Hethel in a dark corner gathering dust

[theelanman]

I think they mean the fact itll never be produced and seen on the road

[silverfrost]

Same as above, The concept car will still be layed up somewhere, Sadly though to never be produced.  

They could easily do another esprit in the future and I am keeping my fingers crossed they will do.  But it will be a completely different to the one hat got moth balled during the DB dark era at lotus cars. 

The other lotus concepts should be made imo as they are lovely designs and would look smart even in today's market such as the new elite concept etc. 

The new esprit design was great news at the time but I never got excited about it as to me it had no wow factor and looked a bit to Lambo esk imo. 

 

[silverfrost]

Buddsy

I hope he does as that would be fantastic but I feel lotus have held the classic cars with less regard over the years.  

The new concepts would be a hell of a lot harder to get out the doors of the factory if not impossible 

Then again if I had millions it would be nice to have on show with a madam tousourdes Sharon stone pulling back the sheet on show in my Ferris Beullers style glass showroom in the middle of a forest.    We can all dream 

[theelanman]

the only problem is that the carshow concepts were driven off a couple of hand drill motors.......not sure it'll meet the projected 0-60 times

[Stuart Monument]

The car I believe has been sold to owner of a lotus dealer group abroad ! 

[Bibs]

 

[Mark Blanchard]

If Mike Kimbereley had decided not to produce a 2 + 2 Lotus and continue developing the Esprit, it would have looked like this:

[ramjet]

And I'd have one in a heartbeat if my circumstances were different.

Do like the wing mirror/cameras? in the DB concept though.

I was quite taken by the DB Elite though. Thought it was stunning.

[hedgerley]

Thanks for the excuse to see this again @ramjet I wonder where this mock up is now? My lottery fantasy is get a one off built. Dream on....

 

[ramjet]

I so would like one of them.

[kostas86]

Curious to see with the new acquisition if eventually they bring back the Esprit. Especially if the rumored suv sees production and revives the company.

[Frickin_idiot]

On ‎12‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 22:23, hedgerley said:

Thanks for the excuse to see this again @ramjet I wonder where this mock up is now? My lottery fantasy is get a one off built. Dream on....

 

Its a beautiful car.

8 hours ago, kostas86 said:

Curious to see with the new acquisition if eventually they bring back the Esprit. Especially if the rumored suv sees production and revives the company.

IMO Lotus need an Esprit.

[The Pits]

Some how the Bahar 'Esprit' wasn't Esprit-like enough for me. I liked his Elite very much, the Esprit concept wasn't bad but didn't really set my pants on fire! ? 

[ramjet]

I thought the chassis etc from the Evora was made to be able to become the basis of the future designs? BUT after MJK retired, it all seemed to go differently.

[hedgerley]

Interestingly the 2010 concept cars were built on the existing Evora chassis. This is a photo of the Elite concept chassis being worked on. As the caption says, they simply cut the Evora chassis and lengthened it. To get the front end dimensions right, they dropped a Lexus V8 under the hood. Working within largely existing constraints, the concepts did look 'dooable' in my view, but obviously not all at the same time. 

 

[ramjet]

Can't help but think that an opportunity has gone begging?

[Mark Blanchard]

Lamborghini took the opportunity and created the Huracan:

[Loose Cannon]

It's fu""ing shameless isn't it?

 

Actually of the fantasy mockups the one I miss was the Eterne. Pre- dates the Aston Rapide, and probably would have been better;

[franjipane]

To be fair, the 2010 esprit concept and huracan both look a lot like the gallardo. To me it says that lots of modern sports cars look too similar and that esprit concept wasn't standout enough.

[Andrew C]

The only thing I can add to all this is Bring Back Danny and add Mike K to keep control of him. Ohh and get on with building the new designs.

 

[Mark Blanchard]

Kind of agree, as long as the money's there then bring on Danny's 5 model line up refreshed.  And the occasionally withering look from Mike.

[Vanya]

If the Esprit concept had a hand in the production design of the Huracan then that's fine by me. It's the sexiest bit of kit Lamborghini have come out with since 1992 and their first version of the Diablo. 

Seeing it side by side with their flagship, or indeed anything else past 1992 just makes me wonder why anyone would want the other cars? It's beautiful from any angle. 

[Jacques]

 agree. Both the "new" Esprit and the "new" Lamborghini have great lines. I prefer the roof on the Lamborghini though.

But I also agree with others, that the "new" Esprit was not enough recognizable as an Esprit.

Oh Crap. Dump all these new audi copies, thay all look the same anyway, and re-run the old 2004 Esprit with uprated gearboxes, Lotus own already made magnetic suspension (also an Esprit thing) and then some. THAT is a true sportscar - the Esprit.

And make me win a few millions, so I can actually buy it.

...

And pop-up headlights.

 

Kind regards,

Jacques

 

ps: what is audi btw? A dieselgate public transportation facility, whose leaders force their employees on xxx-trips to India and whose board is controlled by local bavarian politicians?

[hedgerley]

You know @Jacques that might not be a bad idea. At the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lotus showed the restored 2004 Esprit that DB had as a company car. In white, matching all the other displayed cars, it easily held its own and to be frank, outshone the Esprit concept which was tucked away at the back of the stand. Chatting to Graeme Robertson who had just left MMC and moved to Hethel, he said he had fielded several enquiries from people who were asking when it would be on sale, how much would it be and when could they order it! They were no doubt surprised to hear it had been out of production for 8 years and the new one was 'out the back'.....

So here we are 6 years later and almost 15 years after production ceased. At the Knockhill World of Supercars event this weekend my car was still holding its own against the modern stuff (in the looks department at least) and according to some making a better noise than a McLaren (OK, perhaps not the P1)

We can but dream.

.