New Lotus Esprit Sport Car Review and Price

New Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, who was previously senior vice president of brand management at Ferrari, has a beautiful grand plan for the small manufacturer of sports cars in Britain, it upscale the Elise, Exige, and Evora a series outright to Porsche. Among the new Elan, Elise, Elite, and Eterne lead predators to the mid-engine supercar Spirit, which revives the name used on the Giugiaro-designed hold two seats went on sale in 1976. The new car is expected in 2013 as the model 2014. As the last Spirit, which comes with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-8 engine from 1996 to 2004 new cars a bent-eight mounted amidships. But while the old engine was developed in house, the car uses a 5.0-liter V-8 from the Lexus IS F and turbocharged engines. Lotus should have done a little more than a slap on the turbo, the engine running at 8500 rpm (the SI unit of red lines F in 6800). The company says that the output of 612 hp and 531 pounds-feet high torque.

Car to go to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch. Interestingly, Lotus says the car is available in a hybrid environment, the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), familiar to Formula 1 in 2009 and qualified again in 2011. The Spirit is 179.1 inches long, 76.8 cm wide and 49.2 inches, almost to the side of Italia Ferrari 458. Lotus says it will have a weight of 3,197 pounds, a little lighter than the Ferrari will sprint from 0 to 62 km / h in 3.4 seconds and go to a top speed of 205 mph.

The price is estimated in the region of $ 110,000, far less than the 458 or Italy Aston Martin V-12. This price loyal Lotus leaves with a very difficult decision to make: 612 horsepower, front-engine Elite for about $ 115 000, or mid-engine Spirit of 612 hp for the same price. Although Lotus has always been able to produce a ship large items, such as fit and finish (and reliability) has always been lacking, especially compared with Porsche's efforts. This was the case in 1970 and today is the same when comparing the Evora car that the Porsche 911 and Cayman S.

If you really moving upscale Bahar Lotus, not terribly historical names and horses, that its success, but the build quality of their products. Well, we guess 612 hp, 8500 rpm V-8 can not hurt.