It's no secret that Lotus has monumental plans in the coming years, announcing no fewer than four new models at the 2010 Paris Motor Show that it says will gradually roll out over the next several years. But there's no denying that the British firm's current level of success was built on the excellence that is the Lotus Elise, Exige and, most recently, Evora.
That being the case, we're hoping that a report from Autocar in the UK is accurate and that Lotus has plans to overhaul the Exige and give the Evora a heavily updated interior before the Esprit goes into production in late 2012. We certainly wouldn't expect wholesale changes to either machine – engineering budgets are surely being diverted elsewhere – but a little something to keep its current models fresh in the eyes of consumers would go a long way towards bridging the gap between the present and the Ferrari-fighting future
[Source: Autocar]
Report: Lotus to overhaul Exige, Evora ahead of Esprit production
Report: Lotus to overhaul Exige, Evora ahead of Esprit production
It's no secret that Lotus has monumental plans in the coming years, announcing no fewer than four new models at the 2010 Paris Motor Show that it says will gradually roll out over the next several years. But there's no denying that the British firm's current level of success was built on the excellence that is the Lotus Elise, Exige and, most recently, Evora.
That being the case, we're hoping that a report from Autocar in the UK is accurate and that Lotus has plans to overhaul the Exige and give the Evora a heavily updated interior before the Esprit goes into production in late 2012. We certainly wouldn't expect wholesale changes to either machine – engineering budgets are surely being diverted elsewhere – but a little something to keep its current models fresh in the eyes of consumers would go a long way towards bridging the gap between the present and the Ferrari-fighting future.
[Source: Autocar]
New Lotus Esprit set for Release in 2012
Artists have provided us with this rendering of the 2012 Lotus Esprit, a potential competitor to the Audi R8. The British automaker had previously confirmed plans to bring the iconic sports car to market for the first time since 2004, if they sell enough current models to pay for the project.
First produced in 1976, the original Lotus Esprit was based on the 1972 Italdesign concept shown at the Turin Motor Show. Created by legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Lotus Esprit was released as a well handling, but underpowered sports car. It gained in popularity through an appearance in The Spy Who Loved Me when it served a dual-purpose as a submarine. With each successive model, the car gained more power, leading to the 350 hp Lotus Esprit V8. In its 28 year run, 10,675 units were sold.
