Friday 4th August 2006

Lotus Esprit: the name's official

Hethel boss slips out naming decision

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Lotus Esprit - the old one!

Lotus'  third, high-end performance model will be called the Esprit, according to Lotus boss Mike Kimberley during an exclusive interview for PistonHeads.

The Hethel-based hasn't officially announced the name of the old Esprit's replacement yet even although everyone outside the company's been calling it the Esprit. But Kimberley let it slip during the fascinating interview, which we'll be publishing in full soon.

Kimberley said: "For Lotus to be successful we need a three model line-up and the jewel in the crown is the Esprit; it always was." PistonHeads' interviewer noted that the PR man cringed and reminded Kimberley that what he meant to say was 'the mid-engined sports car', as no decision has officially been made about the name yet.

Kimberley also defended Lotus' decision to produce the Europa. "Some people are criticising the Europa but the fact is that there are a lot of people out there who want a sports car they can drive every day – to not do the Europa would be to deny Lotus access to a market five times bigger than the one we're currently in."

[hendry]

I think people are criticisng the Europa S for its styling, not for the concept and market it's aimed at. I don't doubt a large market exists for a more comfortable mid-range sportscar. I am just disappointed they haven't been more adventurous with the styling, especially as the M250 thing was so well received. What has come out looks like a Proton version of an Elise.

[cross-eyed-twit]

I think we all knew it would be called the Esprit ...



Agreed about the styling of the Europa (in pictures) but I believe it is much more aggressive and in keeping in real life. You have to see it in the flesh to judge. My dealer has a demonstrator coming soon.
I think it was assumed that Elise lovers wouldn't like it but then it wasn't aimed at them in a marketing sense. It is designed to capture another segment of sports coupe drivers such as Boxter/S2000 etc (I think) that needed a more practical car than an Elise.
It will get Lotus into a bigger market and that is a very good thing.


I do agree also about the M250 which was a stunner.

CET

[cathalm]

Saw the europa at the motor show, it looked pretty good in the flesh and the interior while styled the same as in the elise is obviously bolted together better and made of thicker better quality mataerials, quite fancy one now. Especially as it has the GM engine instead of that reedy toyota motor.

[Craig Armstrong]

cross eyed twit said:

It is designed to capture another segment of sports coupe drivers such as Boxter/S2000 etc (I think) that needed a more practical car than an Elise.

They lost me as a potential purchaser with the styling. I might save some pennies for the new Esprit though, if I don't stay loyal and wait for the NSX replacement.

Edited by Craig Armstrong on Friday 4th August 10:55

[LooseCannon]

cross-eyed-twit said:

II do agree also about the M250 which was a stunner.

Yep, wish the Europa had looked like that. Any car that takes its inspiration from a Stratos has to be a winner :-)

[zebedee]

surely the biggest disappointment about the Europa is the fact that it is not different enough to an Elise, then the styling comes next? I hope Lotus business plan isn't based on selling 5 times as many Europas as they do Elises, otherwise they won't last long enough to launch the next Esprit, which really would be a shame.

[GTRene]

[redacted]

[cross-eyed-twit]

as soon as you find them please post them up Rene
cheers
cet

[Kimbers34]

I may have an invested interest in the vehicle but I have to say the Europa does look really good in the flesh. If anything the styling is more agrressive than the Elise and it definately turns heads.

In regards to a comment about the new NSX, I actually work for Honda and, as far as I know, it will not be brought into the UK.

(All opinions are my own and have no bearing on any Employee of Lotus)

[Esprit]

It just HAS to be called the Esprit doesn't it?

So what will this "model" Esprit be called? The Esprit Series 5? The Esprit Series 6? (The V8s didn't have a series number but may retrospectively become known as the Series 5 along with the Esprit GT3) Will it be known as the Type XXX Esprit where XXX is its 3-number type-designation? Whatever it is, I look forward to seeing it in production

[cross-eyed-twit]

there ya go, what did I tell ya!

[GTRene]

cross-eyed-twit said:

as soon as you find them please post them up Rene
cheers
cet

Oke, here they come, taken some picture's from it to share, they are done by the famous Dutch car designer "Michiel van den Brink" thanks Michiel love them!
here the "new" real esprit looking Lotus Esprit;


and here the "new" 2+2 Lotus Excel;

your the first to know
GTRene

Edited by GTRene on Friday 4th August 13:39

[nickjm]

This was on autocar's website, not sure how accurate it is though.

[wallabyguy]

I think we all agree that Lotus should have the Europa, it's just this design doesn't do the brand justice. That's all. Mike needs to relax a bit. While I'm sure some have said the Europa shouldn't exist, I think a much larger majority just thinks it shouldn't look so bland. I have not seen the car in the flesh but I have been told by those that have that the car is better than the pictures. I feel it needs more traditional Lotus styling cues to fit with the other models in the line up.

These new pics posted above don't match anything else we've been shown.

[Tuna]

nickjm said:

This was on autocar's website, not sure how accurate it is though.

Though it's speculative, it is the most appealing rendering I've seen yet. I would love to own a car that looked like that.

[Tuna]

Craig Armstrong said:

cross eyed twit said:

It is designed to capture another segment of sports coupe drivers such as Boxter/S2000 etc (I think) that needed a more practical car than an Elise.

They lost me as a potential purchaser with the styling. I might save some pennies for the new Esprit though, if I don't stay loyal and wait for the NSX replacement.

If you're in the market for the Esprit or NSX, I doubt you're in the market for the Europa. Like the Elise this is 'my first sportscar' territory, not the 'serious pistonhead' market segment. Personally, I think the styling is appropriate for that - not too challenging, but by all accounts having some real presence in the flesh.

[dodgey_rog]

Having not seen the Europa in the flesh, i'm told it looks alot better. The pictures i've seen from the motorshow tell me so. Its interesting how all the renderings are generic, the orange example looks the more suitable to be called an Esprit in my opinion. There's something about it that looks relative the original and even last model.

[karmavore]

This doesn't sound offical in the least.

It just sounds like Mike used "Esprit" as short-hand for "new mid-engine sports car." Same as we all do.

[lawrence5]

Heard the other day that none of the photoshop pictures look much like it........

[jig]

Sounds a cliche, but the Europa does look a lot better in the flesh.

And the pics of the Esprit are not even close...