All-new Lotus Esprit will deliver an authentic driving experience

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said that the driving experience on the new Esprit will be more “authentic” than that of the Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C. The new V8 supercar is slated to be launched in the spring of 2013, which means that it is the first of a handful of new Lotus models displayed at the 2010 Paris motor show to reach production. Bahar asserts that the Esprit will “have the character and emotion” that’s lacking in the McLaren.

He disclosed that the rolling chassis has been completed and that fully running prototypes would be prepared by November., according to Autocar. The car will be developed at the Nürburging and Idiada (Spain) circuits. It will also have a portion of its development at Lotus’s Hethel headquarters, where a project for a new test track is nearly complete. The Esprit is the first Lotus to be powered by the company’s new V8 engine, which has an output of 570bhp. The Lotus V8 weighs 80kg lighter and is smaller by 40% than the Toyota-sourced V8 initially meant for the Esprit.

This model is also expected to be using Formula 1 KERS-style technology; however, Bahar said that these electronic systems would not be used to aid the driver but only for boosting the driving experience. Bahar explained that the track-orientated Exige and 2-Eleven in the new lineup, together with the Elise, will stay around to gratify Lotus’s current customer base. It’s not clear if the next-gen Exige and 2-Eleven will switch to Lotus’s all-new lightweight modular aluminum platform. Bahar is vague and would only say that as models evolve, their performance will improve too. [via - 4wheelsnews]


photos : 2013 Lotus Esprit Concept