Remastered Lotus Esprit unveiled with 400 hp

This then is the finished article, a car that Encor describes as a ‘respectful improvement’ on the original design. Like the JAS Tensei, it’s much wider and sturdier than an Esprit from 50 years ago would have been, but it also houses the gubbins of a later V8 – so it was never going to be a carbon fiber copy. Although the rear is quite different thanks to the new LEDs, the front is still unmistakably Esprit; the lights still come on and everything. Daniel Durrant, Encor’s head of design, formerly at Lotus, said of his work: “Touching a shape like this is a huge responsibility. Every line we’ve refined, every decision we’ve made, is about honoring the intent of the original, while making the car perform, feel and function as its silhouette always promised.”

Encor’s promise was always that the Series 1 would build on the powerful performance of the 350 hp V8 cars of the 1990s. Now we know that the twin-turbo 3.5 will get new turbos, forged pistons, upgraded injectors and a sports exhaust for around 400 hp. Combine that with a target weight, thanks to the carbon panels on the restored chassis, of less than 1,200 kg, and 0 to 100 km/h in four seconds should be possible.

Most encouraging of all for the Encor drivetrain, however, is the gearbox work. Never a strong example of Esprit, it now benefits from a new set of ratios, a limited-slip differential, a bespoke differential and a stronger input shaft for ‘a precision and durability that the original never possessed.’ They’ve even brought in Quaife to help, so expectations are high. Interestingly enough (since it was whined about for being a bit firm at the time), the Series 1’s suspension will be upgraded to Sport 350 spec, with similar AP Racing brakes. The forged wheels are also inspired by the special edition.

Inside, everything is much more old-school Esprit, with tartan on the refoamed seats, wood on the gear lever and green on the dials. These instruments are placed in a custom-made cluster, made from a single piece of aluminum. Infotainment, climate and camera systems, all quite foreign words for any Esprit, are done in-house. “This car is essentially analogue,” said co-founder Simon Lane. “We wanted to avoid the modern gadget bias, so the technology exists to enhance the experience, not dominate it.” So there’s a screen, and a pretty big one at that, but it sits flush in the dash rather than standing proud – that’s the gear lever’s job. There’s also a controller button, so hopefully it won’t be a nightmare to navigate.

As a reminder, Encor will build 50 of these Series 1s, each requiring an Esprit V8 donor plus at least £430,000 to rework. Considering the later 350bhp cars have at least £40,000 on the PH, that half a million figure might actually be a bit conservative. But there must be some rich 007 wannabes out there who grew up craving that Esprit and now long for a remastered classic that’s different from the rest. Encor expects production to start in the second quarter of 2026.