Lotus Esprit

From Hethel to the deep: the folded-paper legend.

The Lotus Esprit is a sports car built by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004 at their Hethel, England factory. It features a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and stands as one of the brand's most long-lived models alongside the Elise and Exige. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it introduced a distinctive 'folded paper' aesthetic with straight lines and hard-edge creases. The car began its life as Project M70 to succeed the Europa, evolving from a 1:4 scale model into the full-size 'Silver Car' prototype shown at the 1972 Turin Auto Show. Production officially started in June 1976 with the Series 1, which weighed less than 1,000 kg.

Quick Facts

Manufacturer

Lotus Cars

Assembly

United Kingdom: Hethel
Norfolk
England

Class

Sports car (S)

Layout

Longitudinal
Rear mid-engine
rear-wheel drive

Predecessor

Lotus Europa

Lore & Background

Development began in mid-1971 when Tony Rudd proposed Project M70. Oliver Winterbottom arranged a meeting between Colin Chapman and Giugiaro, suggesting the Maserati Boomerang as inspiration. After Chapman initially halted the project due to poor wind-tunnel results on a scale model, Giugiaro built a full-size mock-up on a modified Europa chassis known as 'the Silver Car.' Its positive reception at the 1972 Turin Auto Show convinced Chapman to proceed. A second functional prototype, registered 'IDGG 01' and called 'the Red Car,' was developed alongside mechanical systems that remained incomplete at the car's official announcement. The Esprit launched in October 1975 at the Paris Motor Show, debuting with a fibreglass body on a steel backbone chassis.

Reader's Guide

The S2 evolved into the S2.2 in May 1980 with a 2.2 L Type 912 engine increasing torque to 217 N⋅m, featuring a galvanised chassis but no structural revisions. Later that year, the Essex Turbo Esprit launched as the first factory turbocharged model, wearing blue, red, and chrome livery. It utilized a dry sump Type 910 engine producing 213 PS and 6.1-second 0-60 mph acceleration, with only 45 units built. In April 1981, the Series 3 and Turbo Esprit debuted on a common chassis. The S3 gained larger bumpers and more headroom, while the Turbo retained the Essex aerodynamic kit. From 1994, designer Julian Thomson introduced the rounded Series 4, which became the longest-lived variant until 2004, receiving final updates by Russell Carr in 2002.

Did You Know?

The Esprit's backbone chassis was later adapted to carry the body of the DeLorean car.
Only 88 S2.2 models were produced during its thirteen-month production span, making them extremely rare.
The Essex Turbo Esprit featured a roof-mounted Panasonic stereo and scarlet leather interior.
From 1996, the Esprit received a Lotus in-house designed V8 engine, unlike other British cars that used the Rover V8.
The Esprit was one of the last cars made with pop-up headlights, sharing this trait only with the 5th generation Chevrolet Corvette.