Editing Lotus Esprit (section)

{{short description|British sports car}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox automobile
| name              = Lotus Esprit
| image             = 1999 Lotus Esprit V8 type 918.jpg
| caption           = 1999 Lotus Esprit V8
| manufacturer      = [[Lotus Cars]]
| production        = 1976–2004<br>10,675 produced<ref name="eProduction">{{cite web| url = http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/Production_Figures.html| title = Esprit History: Esprit Production Figures | access-date = 21 December 2011 | work        = Lotus Esprit World }}</ref>
| model_years       = 
| assembly          = United Kingdom: [[Hethel]], [[Norfolk]], [[England]]
| designer          = 
| class             = [[Sports car]] ([[S-segment|S]])
| body_style        = 2-door [[coupé]]
| platform          = 
| related           = 
| layout            = [[Longitudinal engine|Longitudinal]], [[Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout|Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive]]
| engine            = 
| transmission = 
| sp                = uk
| predecessor       = [[Lotus Europa]]
| successor         = [[Lotus Europa S]]
}}

The '''Lotus Esprit''' is a [[sports car]] built by [[Lotus Cars]] from 1976 to 2004 at their [[Hethel#Lotus Cars|Hethel]], England factory. It has a [[rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout]]. Together with the [[Lotus Elise]] / [[Lotus Exige|Exige]], it is one of Lotus' most long-lived models.

The Esprit was among the first of the (near) straight-lined, hard-edge creased, and sometimes wedge-shaped, polygonal "folded paper" designs of the prolific, and highly successful Italian [[Industrial design|industrial]] and [[automotive design]]er [[Giorgetto Giugiaro]]. The Esprit's [[backbone chassis]] was later adapted to carry the body of the [[DMC DeLorean|DeLorean car]], another low-bodied, Giugiaro-drawn, sharp-creased, wedge-shaped sportscar design. In 1978, the first updates led to the series 2 and {{cvt|2.2|l|cuin|0}} engined Esprit S2.2, made until the 1982–1988 Series&nbsp;3 and Turbo Esprit models, that used a 1980 Giugiaro designed aerodynamic and aesthetic restyling package.

The Lotus Esprit however, lived on through the 1990s, and into the 2000s. It received its first significant restyling by designer [[Peter Stevens (car designer)|Peter Stevens]], who also did styling on the [[McLaren F1]]. Stevens gave the Esprit overall softer lines and shapes, but the car did not get a new series number – it is instead often just called the 'Stevens Esprit', or by its project number, the X180, made from 1988 to 1994.

In 1994, an official Series 4 Esprit, drawn by designer Julian Thomson, had a further rounded shape, especially the bumper sections and lower body of the car. Styling-wise, this became the most long-lived Esprit (1994–2004), only receiving its last changes, by [[Russell Carr]] in 2002.

Over the years, the performance of the Esprit's 4-cylinder engine was increased from around {{cvt|150|PS|hp kW|0}} and just under {{cvt|200|Nm|lbft|0}} of torque, to double those power figures, mainly through greater inlet and exhaust flow, and strong [[Turbocharger|turbo-charging]]. And from 1996, a new {{cvt|3.5|l|cuin|0}} V8 twin-turbo engine was added, offering {{cvt|355|PS|hp kW|0}}. Contrary to a long list of low-volume British (sports) cars, with the 3.5&nbsp;l [[Rover V8 engine]], the Esprit received a Lotus in-house designed V8. Top speed rose from some {{cvt|214|km/h|mph|0}} in 1976, to over {{cvt|280|km/h|mph|0}} for the V8, twenty years later.

After a 28-year production run, the Esprit was one of the last cars made with pop-up headlights, together with the 5th generation [[Chevrolet Corvette (C5)|Chevrolet Corvette]].