An Exclusive Piece of Sport Car History
A quarter of a century - twenty-seven years to be exact - makes the Esprit nameplate one of the longest running in the auto industry. Within that time the six-lettered E-word has evolved into something much more than its creators could have imagined, but then again Lotus has always been a company of vision.
 |
| In 1977 the Lotus Esprit rolled out of the water, onto film and into automotive history, in the James bond epic 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. (Photo: Lotus) |
Yet not all has always been rosy in Norfolk, 80% of its shares having been dropped like a hot potato by GM to Malaysian government owned consortium Proton on August 27, 1993 being a high or low point depending on how you look at it. Through thick and thin the Esprit has soldiered on, earning the embattled company much needed green as well as token respect from previous non-believers to secret agent James Bond (The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only) alike.
 |
| A ski-laden Turbo Esprit Turbo found its way into theaters in the 80's Bond movie 'For Your Eyes Only'. (Photo: Lotus) |
Adding to its status as the longest running production car in Lotus' stable (the 7 is currently made by Caterham in case you're questioning this fact), the Esprit's ability on the street and track has earned it the admiration of sports car enthusiasts the world over.
But it was a combination of the marque's racing heritage and the desire to build a worldly supercar beyond the mild-mannered Elan, Europa and Eclat that stirred Lotus to make the Esprit in the first place. The results are now clear. A rich history of perhaps some of the best performing British sports cars to ever grace the planet, starting with the S-Series, followed by the 350 Sport, and finally ending with the V8 Turbo as seen here.