Hybrid V6 to reboot Lotus Esprit
British sports car brand says a new architecture and an electrified powertrain will underpin its first new sports car in more than a decadeFresh details of the all-new Lotus Esprit have surfaced, confirming the all-new British rival for the Porsche 911 will be on sale by the middle of next year, based on an all-new architecture and powered by an advanced electrified V6 powertrain.
According to
, the 2021 Esprit will be nothing short of new from the ground up, finally replacing the car-maker's ancient 25-year-old rivet-bonded platform that was first introduced on the original Elise.Marking the Norfolk-based brand's first new model in 12 years, the Esprit-sized sports car (which may or may not keep that name) will come with an electrified version of the Toyota-sourced V6 that currently powers the Evora.
Unusually, says the Brit mag, this has involved Geely-owned Volvo re-engineering the Toyota-developed 3.5-litre V6 to adapt its hybrid technology.
In the supercharged Evora the V6 produces a punchy 306kW, hinting that electrification could boost total power output to in excess of 400kW with significantly less CO2 emissions than the current car.
Set to incorporate plenty of tech from the upcoming $3 million Lotus Evija, the next-gen Esprit will remain ultra-lightweight and keep its mid-engine layout, ruling out 2+2 seating.
Developed to be a "very driver-focused package" the new sport scar will also be the most usable Lotus on sale, say insiders, thanks to a spacious cabin and plenty of luggage capacity.
The arrival of the Esprit in 2021 is said to kick off Lotus' five-year plan, which is being backed by well-resourced Geely and will also include the controversial launch of the car-maker's first SUV.
Today Lotus sells around 1500 cars yearly, but thanks to significant investment at the car-maker's Hethel HQ, the car-maker plans to ramp up production to around 5000 cars per year.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
