Nearly 40 years after the original Lotus Esprit S1 vanished from showrooms—and long after Bond drove one into the ocean—the wedge is back. Sort of. A start-up called Encor, staffed by former Lotus engineers and designers, has built what is essentially a modern reboot of the original Esprit. And they’ve done it with the kind of obsessive engineering zeal that would make Colin Chapman grin.

Only 50 examples will be made, each priced from around £430,000, before you even source the donor car. Excessive? Yes. Logical? Not even remotely. But if you’ve ever been seduced by the razor-edged silhouette of an Esprit, this might be the purest expression of that fantasy yet.

A Classic Shape, Rebuilt From the Molecules Up

Despite the retro silhouette, this isn’t a restoration. It’s a complete reinvention, using the Series 4 V8 as a starting point because of its stronger backbone chassis. Encor strips off the original glassfibre shell and bolts on a bespoke carbon-fibre body, dimensionally identical to the 1976 S1 but far stiffer and roughly half the weight.

Chief designer Dan Durrant—yes, the same talent behind the Lotus Emira—says the mission was clear: respect the Giugiaro-penned original without being enslaved by it. That explains the subtle smoothing of lines, the LED-equipped pop-ups with a shallower rise angle, and the retrofuturistic DRLs—including eight tiny rear light signatures nodding to the V8 cylinders.

Gone is the black stripe that once separated the upper and lower shells of the original car. That detail wasn’t actually design flair—it hid a bonding flange. With modern materials, Encor simply didn’t need it. Cleaner surfacing follows naturally.

The V8 the S1 Never Got

The original Esprit S1 made do with a four-cylinder engine that, according to Encor, simply wouldn’t deliver the emotional punch modern drivers expect. So they turned to the Type 918 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 from the S4.

Then they re-engineered that.

New pistons, injectors, turbos, and calibration bump output to 400 hp at 6200 rpm and 350 lb-ft at 5000 rpm. With a curb weight of just 1200 kg, the power-to-weight ratio lands at 333 hp per ton—on par with a 2018 Aston Martin Vantage.

The result?
0–62 mph in 4.0 seconds and a 175-mph top speed. That’s nearly twice as quick off the line as the 1970s original.

The V8 breathes through a modern electronic throttle and new ECU that improves precision and drivability without diluting the old-school feel.

A Transmission Resurrected

The period five-speed manual was a notorious weak point. Packaging constraints prevented swapping in anything bigger, so Encor did the next best thing—re-engineered the gearbox internals while keeping the original casing. Only a handful of components carry over. The unit also gains a limited-slip differential for strength and traction.

According to the team, solving the gearbox bottleneck allowed them to safely elevate engine output without fear of mechanical shrapnel.

Analogue Soul, Modern Bones

Encor wanted authenticity, not McLaren stiffness. So while the car boasts completely new suspension, anti-roll bars, and electronics, the ride philosophy remains faithful to the Esprit’s famously compliant, communicative nature.

They even kept the original hydraulic power steering—often praised as one of the best systems ever fitted to a road car.

One major concession to the 21st century is the electronic parking brake, chosen not for convenience but for packaging benefits that allowed larger rear brakes, improved bulkhead reinforcement, and reduced weight.

Beneath the skin is a modern safety structure, including an integrated carbon-fibre cage—something the original desperately lacked.

Inside the Retro Time Capsule

The cabin mixes nostalgia with the tech buyers expect in a £430k machine. A slim 10.1-inch central screen, digital driver’s display, and modern controls coexist with period-inspired cues: the wood-topped shifter, vintage-style mirror, and original indicator stalks. Nothing feels gimmicky; it’s more like a respectful remix.

And while Lotus has no official involvement, Encor’s team hopes the mother ship views the project as a spiritual companion rather than an unauthorized remix.

Purity Over Progress

Perhaps the most surprising admission: yes, they considered electrification. And no, it didn’t last long. The team determined that an EV would undermine the car’s purpose: a lightweight, mechanical, analogue driving experience that channels the spirit of the 1970s without the fragility.

“There’s no point turning it into a modern hyper-stiff thing,” says Encor’s engineers. “This car is about purity.”

An Icon Reborn for Those Who Remember

With only 50 cars to be built—plus the requirement to supply a rare Series 4 donor—this isn’t a mass-market revival. It’s a love letter. A reinterpretation of one of Britain’s most recognizable sports cars by the people who once built them.

It’s also a reminder that some shapes are too good to die, some driving experiences too precious to bury under screens and sound deadening. Encor hasn’t just revived the Esprit—they’ve given it the performance, structure, and engineering it always deserved.

A reimagined classic? Absolutely. But more importantly, a wedge-shaped time machine built for drivers who still believe a great sports car should talk back.

Source: Autocar