- Encor Series 1 revealed
- Glorious modern take on the Lotus Esprit
- Original Esprit is one of James Bond’s most iconic cars
- Restomod gets 3.5-litre V8
- Series 1 costs from £430,000 excluding taxes
- You’ll also need to hand over a donor car
James Bond will be getting his cheque book out - because a British firm has just unleashed a stunning new take on the classic Lotus Esprit.
This new ‘Series 1’ takes the original Lotus Esprit from 1976 and gives it a carbon fibre shell, cleaner lines, modern LED lights, and a thumping 3.5-litre V8 engine.
It costs from £430,000 excluding taxes and only 50 individually commissioned cars will be built.
Oh, and you need a donor Lotus Esprit to begin with.
What’s good about the original Lotus Esprit - and did James Bond drive one?
The wedge-shaped Lotus Esprit Series 1 was first launched back in 1976 and quickly earned itself cult status.
Styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro (the chap who also brought us cars like the first VW Golf and the DMC DeLorean), the Esprit had a fibreglass body, razor-sharp handling and cheeky pop-up headlights.
When the Esprit S1 appeared in 1977 Bond flick The Spy Who Loved Me, audiences gasped as Roger Moore transformed the car into a submarine (called ‘Wet Nellie’) for one of the greatest scenes in 007 history.
The Esprit lived in for almost 30 years, production eventually ending in 2004, but it’s the original S1 with its eye-catching ‘folded paper’ design that endures.
And it’s the Series 1 that’s been reimagined here.
What is the Encor Series 1?
So, Encor Design is a new UK engineering and restomod start-up, headquartered in Essex, that’s staffed by folks who really know their Lotus.
Daniel Durrant, Encor’s Head of Design, is former Lead Designer at Lotus for the current Emira and has worked with Koenigsegg and AMG.
Encor’s Commercial Director, Simon Lane, also worked in Aston Martin’s bespoke ‘Q’ division.
And the Series 1 is Encor’s take on the first-generation Lotus Esprit - which is lovingly-faithful to the original while offering plenty of modern upgrades.
What engine is in the Encor Series 1 and how powerful is it?
The original Lotus Esprit Series 1 was powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine that produced around 160 hp.
Later versions of the Esprit from the mid-1990s, however, were fitted with a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 producing around 350 hp.
And it’s a 3.5-litre V8 that takes centre stage in the Encor Series 1 - in a sort of 70s and 90s mash-up. It’s a V8 Esprit that you’ll need to hand over as a donor car for Encor to work their magic with.
Upgrades to the V8 engine include forged pistons, new injectors, remanufactured turbochargers, a new electronic throttle body, modern fuel and cooling systems, and an all-new stainless exhaust - which ‘transforms its character while preserving its unmistakable soul’, says Encor.
It’ll produce 400bhp (a modest boost on the original V8) but a kerb weight of under 1,200 kg means the Series 1 should be capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 4.0 seconds and then on to a top speed of 175 mph.
The original five-speed manual gearbox is retained but gets revised ratios, a helical limited-slip differential and a bespoke twin-plate clutch.
The suspension is also upgraded to the spec enjoyed in the Lotus Esprit Sport 350 model from 1999.
Mike Dickison, Technical Director at Encor, says: “Lightness and tactility guide every decision. The Series 1 drives with the purity you imagine from an analogue supercar, yet with a depth of capability the original platform could only dream of. It’s a transformation carried out with complete respect for its DNA.”
What about the exterior styling and interior of the Encor Series 1?
The goal here was to create a car that’s modern but which doesn’t ‘disturb the purity’ that made the Esprit so legendary in the first place.
It’s slightly wider than before (to accommodate modern tyres) while ulta-compact LEDs are used for the pop-up lights.
The Series 1 cabin retains the sloped dashboard from the original as well as tartan upholstery but features a modern digital cockpit behind the steering wheel and a separate infotainment touchscreen embedded in the carbon fibre centre console.
Encor co-founder Simon Lane adds: “This car is analogue at heart. We wanted to avoid the modern tendency toward gadgetry, therefore the technology exists to enhance the experience, not to dominate it.”
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