Who here likes the new Esprit
Discussion
very few former Esprit owners like myself will ever be able to afford the new one but I'm interested to know what you think of the new car anyway.
I have every confidence that the steering, ride and handling will be peerless but it's lacking in the one area it badly needs to score very highly - styling.
It's OK but it needs to be a whole lot better than that.
Much of my childhood was spent dreaming about the Giugaro Turbo Esprit.
I used to drool over a Peter Stevens Esprit Turbo SE in a showroom over an hour from where I lived and visited it several times.
Just can't see myself doing that for the new one.
I'm the biggest Lotus fan you'll ever meet and former owner of 2 Esprits. But this one isn't doing it for me.
I have every confidence that the steering, ride and handling will be peerless but it's lacking in the one area it badly needs to score very highly - styling.
It's OK but it needs to be a whole lot better than that.
Much of my childhood was spent dreaming about the Giugaro Turbo Esprit.
I used to drool over a Peter Stevens Esprit Turbo SE in a showroom over an hour from where I lived and visited it several times.
Just can't see myself doing that for the new one.
I'm the biggest Lotus fan you'll ever meet and former owner of 2 Esprits. But this one isn't doing it for me.
Regardless of who did the styling I still have to like it if I'm going to want one!
F430 Scuderia is Donato Coco's best work to date but it's still what you'd call 'technical' rather than beautiful and only really a tarted up 430.
His Ferrari California is vile (for a ferrari at least) and the Citroen Picasso is a design even I'd be ashamed of.
Hopefully for Lotus there are enough wealthy people out there who think the opposite.
F430 Scuderia is Donato Coco's best work to date but it's still what you'd call 'technical' rather than beautiful and only really a tarted up 430.
His Ferrari California is vile (for a ferrari at least) and the Citroen Picasso is a design even I'd be ashamed of.
Hopefully for Lotus there are enough wealthy people out there who think the opposite.
bobo said:
do you really think the 458 is amazing looking?It honestly doesn't do much for me and personally would have the McLaren in a heartbeat over it, based on looks alone.
now clearly anything that low and wide and rakish is going to look better than your average hatchback so the Esprit will undoubtedly be another 'cool' car in most people's eyes, just like the McLaren and the 458.
my point is, if the new esprit isn't the best looking of all of them it hasn't got a chance. It's likely to be a bit cheaper than the other two but Lotus desperately need to give people reasons to consider an Esprit over its rivals. No mean feat taking on such well established and respected names. Given the relative blandness of the 458 and McLaren, 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.
was only discussing styling but I do think the Esprit should be lighter than it's competitors even if it's only to differentiate it further.
Lotus don't need to sell huge numbers so they don't have to appeal to the lowest common denominator like porsche which somehow manages to attract both 'enthusiasts' and people who know nothing about cars. They fool most of the people most of the time.
However lotus can and should appeal to a more niche market. Therefore the Esprit has to be more focused and be able to take the keen driver to places the good all-rounder can't go. Cayman vs Exige is a good example. Cayman is the better allrounder no question and a very complete car. However its motorway manners (stability) means it can't reach the highs the Lotus offers on an Alpine pass (agility). It's a very good compromise but if Lotus try and make an all-rounder people will just buy the porsche anyway (eg Evora).
Exige V6 makes so much more sense to me as a direction. There's nothing out there to touch it for the money and without power steering and being exceptionally light and compact (for a car with 345bhp) it will drive like nothing else out there too. Some negatives like ease of access will be there and it will still come up short to the Cayman as a motorway cruiser but if driving pleasure is your priority its a small price to pay.
the world doesn't need another 458 wannabe. Lotus need to do their own thing and make the Esprit something unique. To my original point showstopping looks is probably the easiest to achieve, helped by 'so so' looking competition.
Lotus don't need to sell huge numbers so they don't have to appeal to the lowest common denominator like porsche which somehow manages to attract both 'enthusiasts' and people who know nothing about cars. They fool most of the people most of the time.
However lotus can and should appeal to a more niche market. Therefore the Esprit has to be more focused and be able to take the keen driver to places the good all-rounder can't go. Cayman vs Exige is a good example. Cayman is the better allrounder no question and a very complete car. However its motorway manners (stability) means it can't reach the highs the Lotus offers on an Alpine pass (agility). It's a very good compromise but if Lotus try and make an all-rounder people will just buy the porsche anyway (eg Evora).
Exige V6 makes so much more sense to me as a direction. There's nothing out there to touch it for the money and without power steering and being exceptionally light and compact (for a car with 345bhp) it will drive like nothing else out there too. Some negatives like ease of access will be there and it will still come up short to the Cayman as a motorway cruiser but if driving pleasure is your priority its a small price to pay.
the world doesn't need another 458 wannabe. Lotus need to do their own thing and make the Esprit something unique. To my original point showstopping looks is probably the easiest to achieve, helped by 'so so' looking competition.
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.
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.
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