Development of the 2008 Lotus Esprit is well underway, according to the latest issue of Britain’s Autocar magazine. The car — which is expected to take aim at the Ferrari F430 — is currently undergoing safety testing, according to the magazine. A Lotus rep said the car will be much smaller than the F430. Autocar indicates production will begin in late 2007, making the Esprit a 2008 model. Lotus is building the Esprit on its Variable Vehicle Architecture (VVA), which was used for the Lotus APX Concept. Recently, a Lotus spokesman told AutoExpress the jury was still out on the Esprit name. (Shown right is an Autocar rendering from a few years ago).
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03/15, 4:44 PM
posted by:
Thing2
the Espirit better be offered in the States and when it does, Lotus will see plenty of sales from the Ferrari owners who race on the tracks…
03/15, 6:06 PM
posted by:
digitalzombie
only if they get a good engine and no toyota whimpy horsepower engine either. I’ll admit it was pretty good on the lotus elise but the honda s2000 engine would have been much better in that elise. Mmm what engine are they gonna use…..
03/15, 7:25 PM
posted by:
karl
lame. it looks like a lambo came up behind an elise and rear ended it.
03/15, 8:04 PM
posted by:
Jordan
typical. judging a car by the first image you see. this is only a “rendering” from a few YEARS ago. consider reading the words first next time.
03/17, 2:27 AM
posted by:
karl
jordan. perhaps YOU shouldn’t be so quick to judge. i’m really excited for a new lotus but i’m disappointed with the new design and, if that image is any indication, it’s not my cup of tea. this is simply a difference of taste, only you’ve taken an unnecessairly presumptuous judgement on one person’s opinion. take it easy man.
03/17, 8:46 PM
posted by:
Thing2
Lotus is not out to make any new designs, they have never. Remember their wedge-shaped Espirit that looked like the early Lambo wedge shaped cars? Lotus is just out to make affordable performance cars.
03/19, 8:52 PM
posted by:
Jordan
I apologize, I was out of line. It won’t happen again. Everyone’s entitled to thier own opinion.