All this noodling about with go-karts like the Elise and Exige and Europa — not that we'd throw any of them out of bed for crying "Steve" (not our name) — has been great fun for Lotus and its acolytes. But the real show is about to begin, and its name was once Esprit. The company's been working on its newest flagship for what seems to be decades. Now, according to Autocar, the mid-engined supercar (quite literally) is nearing production. The new model is undergoing crash testing ahead of a 2008 launch. Word is a twin-turbofied, BMW-sourced V8 will provide power, and a six-speed sequential tranny will direct mechanical traffic. Hopes are running high.
Lotus's future: the new Esprit [Autocar]
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More on Lotus [internal]