1994 Lotus Esprit by The-Transport-Guild on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

It kept the Lotus company afloat through its darkest years, but with little to no funding the Esprit found its call to fame much like Aston Martin had, by way of James Bond, appearing as Bond's highly modified sports getaway in 'The Spy Who Loved Me', making a daring escape from a pursuing helicopter by turning into a submarine.

The Lotus Esprit intended to be Lotus' crowning achievement, bringing the company well into the 1970's with a new sheek, Ferrari style look, combined with some of the best grip ever put into a car and fitted with an engine that could bend time. The result was probably one of the best Grand Tourers ever built.

But it alone could not save the company's plummeting fiscal outlook. As Lotus continued to haemorrhage money to the incoming hot hatchbacks things eventually became so dire that they apparently didn't have enough money to pay the invoices.

But despite all these things the plucky Esprit continued to be built, ending production in 2004, the formula for the car's success being keeping the same sublime bodystyle (that even today looks good), and constantly develop the car's internal workings, including the engine and the handling.