The Lotus Esprit is a hell of a sports car classic that, despite James Bond exposure and a British sports car heritage under the hood, has fallen into oblivion in favor of other 70s/80s classics like the Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Miura and then also the Countach and Porsche 964. Now the restomodders at Encor intend to change this, however, and have just shown sneak peeks of the upcoming S1, which will be built in 50 copies and cost just over five million kronor.
Modifiedrides:
"The original Lotus Esprit first appeared at the 1975 Paris Motor Show and quickly became an icon of 1970s sports-car design. To mark that 50-year milestone, boutique builder Encor has unveiled the Series 1: a restomod that blends the wedge profile of the original with modern engineering and daily usability. Rather than recreate the earliest mechanical layout, Encor bases the Series 1 on the later Lotus Esprit V8. The donor platform brings a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V8 that Encor has reworked for higher output and improved drivability. Early briefings stress the team's focus on smoothing power delivery and addressing the weaknesses of Esprit's historic gearbox. Chassis and handling changes are expected to include revised suspension, upgraded brakes, and modern tyres calibrated to the increased performance.
• Key details (preview)
• Model: Encor Series 1 (Lotus Esprit restomod)
• Engine base: Twin-turbo 3.5-litre V8 (Esprit V8 donor)
• Materials: New carbon-fibre body (replaces fibreglass)"
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