The new sports car is expected to arrive with a hybridized V6 and develop more power than the Evora
The spiritual successor to the Lotus Esprit has been seen testing ahead of its 2021 debut for the first time.
Prototyping of the upcoming £100k-plus sports car has been spotted near Lotus headquarters in Cod, Norfolk, disguised as Evora bodies that have been extended to accommodate the modified chassis.
While these early prototypes provide no clues to the new car design, it is widely expected to adopt the design language seen on the 1973bhp Evia electric hypercar itself.
Exceptionally featured on the car earlier this year, the revived Esprit will be the first new Lotus production car in over twelve years.
This is a kit for use with a V6 powertrain supplied from Toyota, complemented by an in-house developed hybrid system that can push power north of 500 hp. s.. In that case, it was an eclipse of the 410bhp Evora GT410, although the car is expected to sit above it in the Lotus line-up rather than replace it outright.
The Spirit should have a mid-engine layout and a two-seat cab, instead of the 2+2 layout found in some Evora models.
The new car will be the last to use Lotus' extruded aluminum platform, ahead of an all-new design, while a significantly expanded lineup that could include a reborn Elan to compete against Porsche's 718 Boxster has.
It is currently unknown whether Lotus will choose to reuse the Asprey name or give the car a new name.
Lotus currently sells around 1500 vehicles a year, but is in the process of expanding its code base to enable building 5000. This is part of the British brand's five-year plan, which will include the introduction of its first SUV, as well as the Evia and more mainstream sports cars. thanks to investment from the new Chinese owner "Geely".
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