Debuting in 1976 as a replacement to the Europa, the Lotus Esprit gained fame through its appearance in the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Over the years the Esprit saw many changes before it was discontinued in 2004. According to egmCarTech, a Lotus representative has said that the Esprit would receive a different name and would be an “essential brand image builder” and a “high-status purchase.”
Sources have suggested that Lotus is intending for their new vehicle to have a targeted power-to-weight ratio of 275-325 horsepower per ton, while previous rumors speculated that the new Esprit will be powered by either the high-revving Lexus LFA V10 engine, or the 417 horsepower 5.0L V8 Lexus IS-F engine.