Who here likes the new Esprit
Discussion
The Pits said:
I would argue that was tried and has essentially failed with the Evora.
Compared to the Exige it's much easier to get into, it's more refined, more comfortable, it's better on motorways and is more usable on a daily basis. Also, inspired by the masters of mass appeal (Porsche) they kept the styling conservative. Very much a Lotus version of something between the Cayman and the 911.
Guess what?
Everyone still wants 911s.
What's interesting is that by porsche standards the Cayman is something of a sales flop too. Proof that the buying public aren't that bothered with vehicle dynamics (more Evoras would have sold on that alone if they were).
Besides the only way the Esprit could possibly be better to drive than a 458 or MP412/C is if it's lighter.
Its going to take more than one model and a couple of years to start a resurgence in Lotus but your Evora comments are fair.Compared to the Exige it's much easier to get into, it's more refined, more comfortable, it's better on motorways and is more usable on a daily basis. Also, inspired by the masters of mass appeal (Porsche) they kept the styling conservative. Very much a Lotus version of something between the Cayman and the 911.
Guess what?
Everyone still wants 911s.
What's interesting is that by porsche standards the Cayman is something of a sales flop too. Proof that the buying public aren't that bothered with vehicle dynamics (more Evoras would have sold on that alone if they were).
Besides the only way the Esprit could possibly be better to drive than a 458 or MP412/C is if it's lighter.
The Cayman maybe a sales flop in the eyes of Porsche but I see loads of them every day on the roads. Many more than the 911. It has also been a massive hit with the motoring press for the past 5-6 years.
I never see a Lotus on the roads from one month to the next. Public perception is the biggest hurdle for Lotus to overcome.
bobo said:
...the way it looks easily transcends the way it go's and if truly beautiful all misgivings can be forgiven ... a trick undervalued by lotus since the s1...
.... the italians have been pulling the beautiful but inferior product trick for so long i cant remember.
Indeed, much as we men choose our women: no one fell in love with the old Esprit because of the performance statistics. They fell in love with the dramatic styling statement. The lightness, the handling were all a bonus; and the poor build quality and the uninspiring engines still didn't deter the car from becoming a legend..... the italians have been pulling the beautiful but inferior product trick for so long i cant remember.
bobo said:
'showstopping looks' .... is what i think the proposed elan has ... if the evora had been styled like that i would be an LE owner (warts n' all) and so would probably half my team that owns 911's !
Exactly. I was in the market for the Evora until it released and it looked inferior to the M250 concept. I know it is the best built Lotus to date, its handling is other worldly, and even the engine sounds great; but I don't like looking at it, and I don't want to be seen driving it, so I couldn't bring myself to buy it.The Pits said:
...my point is, if the new esprit isn't the best looking of all of them it hasn't got a chance. ...otherworldly styling was an area Lotus could and should have scored. That and being considerably lighter than its rivals, which appears to already have been an opportunity missed.
The new line up of Lotus cars is encouraging in that they are not a repeat of the Evora styling; but like the M200, we've seen great concepts from Lotus before, it remains to be seen if that carries through to the real thing this time. Having said that, they look at least as good or better than new Ferraris; but you're right, they don't stun like the new generation Lamborghinis did a some years ago with the return of the razor-edge styling after the terrible 90's jelly mould era.That should have been the trend setting step Lotus took with a replacement Esprit, and was the real missed opportunity, especially as they'd be seen as clones if they even hinted at it now.
Edited by B33 ENN on Sunday 26th February 00:06
I generally do not like the current trend of styling looks like the Evora, F458, McLaren, Noble 600 etc etc. they all look fairly similar and some how for me do not quite hit the mark neither beautiful or race car style aggressive or Lambo outrageous.
For me these cars are not bedroom poster cars that you lust over like the Athena Countach. I think that at the moment it is either the outrageous Lambos or the beauty of some of the Astons or the quirky 911 retaining something of its original look.
I loved the Giugiaro and Stevens Esprits and between the members of my family we had 5 of them over the years. After all if you study the Giugiaro Esprit the design is nearly a practical, tamer, junior Countach especially the large flat deeply raked front screen emphasising the look.
Therefore I wish that the new Esprit looked more like a leaner Lamborghini than a big Evora or F458 or something that Armitage Shanks would make.
For me these cars are not bedroom poster cars that you lust over like the Athena Countach. I think that at the moment it is either the outrageous Lambos or the beauty of some of the Astons or the quirky 911 retaining something of its original look.
I loved the Giugiaro and Stevens Esprits and between the members of my family we had 5 of them over the years. After all if you study the Giugiaro Esprit the design is nearly a practical, tamer, junior Countach especially the large flat deeply raked front screen emphasising the look.
Therefore I wish that the new Esprit looked more like a leaner Lamborghini than a big Evora or F458 or something that Armitage Shanks would make.
I bought a large poster of the new Esprit whilst at the big Donnington Lotus meeting last year and have it fixed to the wall of my garage where I keep my 2001 Esprit. The new one just looks like most new supercars and it is a very nice looking car. I sometimes sit in my garage looking at my car with the new Esprit on the garage door above/behind it and can't really trace the way the design has evolved from mine to the new one, but then again mine is a design which is now 16 years old. Overall I like the front and side view but on the recent Megafactories programme I caught a glimpse of the rear and didn't like it that much as I thought the black T detail looked a bit clumsy. I really wish Lotus success with the new cars and as before they are launching a new model in the middle of a downturn in the economy, but the whole range are superb looking cars and as mentioned are in a price bracket above a lot of enthusiasts. Having said that the Esprit in its day was a very expensive car and they still sold them be it in smaller numbers.
They've only just started to get the new Exige out of the door, so there's the minor issue of jump starting the whole supply chain before they could seriously consider launching the Esprit.
I still can't make up my mind about DRB. It's very hard to understand what their strategy actually is, or even if they have one for Lotus. However if they could bring some stability and confidence back to Lotus's day to day activities, only then would it make sense to launch their supercar. The Exige and Evora are both solid models that need to find regular buyers before people would take a punt on something extreme.
Only last week, Jaguar canned the c75... You could argue that now is not the time to launch a new supercar unless you're in a very strong position.
I still can't make up my mind about DRB. It's very hard to understand what their strategy actually is, or even if they have one for Lotus. However if they could bring some stability and confidence back to Lotus's day to day activities, only then would it make sense to launch their supercar. The Exige and Evora are both solid models that need to find regular buyers before people would take a punt on something extreme.
Only last week, Jaguar canned the c75... You could argue that now is not the time to launch a new supercar unless you're in a very strong position.
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