New Esprit Coming?

Ferrari, Lamborghini - be on notice. Or at least that's what Lotus would like. Autocar is reporting on a new Esprit supercar for Lotus.

This news follows comments by the the sportscar manufacturer's new Chief Executive Officer Danny Bahr. He recently announced the company's intention to reenter the exotic category "within the next 5 years."

That might be considered a tall order for a brand that has been known more in recent years for lightweight, fun vehicles like the Elise.But it wasn't always this way- the Esprit was considered a legitimate contender.

New vehicles like the Evora show Lotus' intention of bigger things. A new supercar would be a good way to kick things off though, and a new Esprit seems like a good place to start.

Autocarhas the scoop, with quotes from an insider in Lotus describing the car as an “essential brand image builder” and a “high-status purchase”. A price range in the six figures is expected. CEO Danny Bahr is supposedly set to reveal his new seven-year plan for Lotus in a few weeks, with the supercar to be part of a new three-tier line-up.

They would include the four-cylinder Exige, Elise and Europa in one group, the V6 Evora in another and the new supercar in a class of its own. The Esprit name is supposedly not confirmed but it is pretty likely that it will be used given its history and the Lotus "E" system of naming.

I'd be shocked if it wasn't. Given the recent history of using Toyota engines in Lotus products, there have been reports the Esprit could use a version of the 4.8L V10 found in the Lexus LF-A.