The world's most famous Lotus? It has to be the Esprit, thanks to its appearance in the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. However, for current CEO Qingfeng Feng, his awareness of Lotus was sparked by seeing the Esprit in the movie Pretty Woman. Feng, who was studying chemistry at university at the time, recalls being amazed by the car's pop-up headlights and thinking it was "really cool."
The Esprit's appearance in Pretty Woman, where the character played by Richard Gere moves into the passenger seat to allow Julia Roberts' character to drive the silver 1989 Esprit SE on Beverly Hills boulevards, is no fleeting moment. It's said to have triggered a record year for US Esprit sales, although its screen time and wow factor are eclipsed by 007's submersible Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me.
View Price on AmazonAfter taking over eight years ago, Feng further appreciated the Esprit's cultural significance, iconic geometric exterior design, and "elegant" interior, praising the cockpit's flat planes and aircraft-style instrument binnacle. Feng is determined to sprinkle some of the Esprit's magic on the current range. In 2028, Lotus will unleash a V8 hybrid supercar with over 986 horsepower, a car with the Type 135 project number but also referred to internally as Esprit.
The Theory 1 concept car, which has clear Esprit cues but fast-forwarded to the 2030s, will influence the design. However, it's not the Esprit that Feng would love to drive back home on the streets of Shanghai; it was never sold there, and importing a standard one would be impossible given its age and emissions. The vintage Lotus that has him raising his hands in the air to pivot an imaginary steering wheel while chatting is the fabled Elise.
Source: autoexpress.co.uk
