The Lotus Esprit was introduced in the UK in 1976 as a sports car where it was unveiled at the Turin Motor Show. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the famous Italian designer, this car remained in production till 2004.
The early Esprit that was known as the Series 1 or S1 was fitted with a Lotus 907 four cylinder engine which was rear mounted and had an output of 160 bhp. The fiberglass body in combination with its steel backbone chassis reduced its weight to a considerable extent and kept up a perfect balance too. The 5 speed gear transmission accorded a smooth ride to this Italian beauty. The Series 2 that came later saw a lot of development which primarily included intake and cooling duct, tail lights and an altered spoiler. The dashboard too was altered to include a variety of switches and dials. The S2.2 that was introduced in 1980 had a galvanized chassis and an enlarged engine.
Other models like the Essex Esprit with a turbocharged engine and the Series 3 or the S3 were introduced in later years due to the success of the previous models. These versions combined power with performance and added to the already impressive array of the Lotus clan.
The Esprit V8 was one of the later models that was developed in 1996 with a 918 3.5 litre twin turbo engine with an output of 355 bhp. The V8 was split into two versions, the SE and the GT in 1998 resulting in more luxury and class. But the ultimate model of Lotus Esprit was the sport 350 which sported an improvement with regard to performance as well as styling. With an output of 350 hp, this lightweight car could reach the 60 mph mark within 5 seconds.
