What is it?
A revived supercar that's set to take on the big performance car players as part of a huge new model onslaught by Lotus. It's been six years since we last saw a Lotus Esprit and rumours have been rife about its resurfacing ever since, but it won't actually go on sale until 2013.
Why's it here?
Lotus has had an estimated £770 million pumped into it by its parent company, Proton, so it's unveiled a mammoth six new models at the Paris Motor Show, which is an awful lot by any standards, let alone those of a low volume sports car manufacturer. The pricing and performance suggest that the Esprit is likely to take on the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
Show stopper or floor filler?
There are two versions planned: the standard model with 550bhp and a hotter Esprit R with 620bhp. Both are powered by a 5.0-litre Lexus V8 and will hit 62mph in 3.5- or 3.2 seconds respectively. The Esprit weighs in a 1,495kg, which is lighter than most of its rivals and helps to keep emissions down to 250g/km. Power is channelled through a seven-speed, paddle shift gearbox and energy recovery systems also feature.
Full Paris Motor Show report
Jack Carfrae - 1 Oct 2010