The new lotus gallardo!

[Alex.]

http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cf.../lotus/lotus-5-year-plan-heralds-3-new-models


plus others in the new 5 year plan of lotus!

 

[GT Pro]

Though this isn't the latest news, that Esprit rendering is right on the money.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Yeah, this isn't really anything new. Except for that rendering which though not official, is pretty good looking.

 

[exigeracer]

Article content a couple days old (see Europa thread), and the picture is unofficial, old and ugly. I hope it looks nothing like that...

 

[Tornado]

Wow, that is one ugly car. They sure as hell better not make it look like what happens when an Elises meets an airpump.

 

[SouL]

Pretty cool photoshop. There are quite a few Elise elements throw into the original Gallardo photo.

 

[Wolfe]

If the next Esprit doesn't have pop-up headlights, I'll fly to England just to personally kick its designer in the balls.

 

[GT Pro]

It actually looks beautiful as a whole but the only thing missing is what Wolfe noted; pop-up headlights.

If it has them, it will then be a stunner, but don't forget pop-up headlights died a long time ago...

 

[Wolfe]

Is there some obscure car that I'm simply not thinking of that has pop-up headlights, or was the last Esprit the last one to have them?

 

[GT Pro]

Nope, but 4 years is so long ago...

 

[z-reserve]

Looks a bit air-pumped, as previously mentionned, but that's only one angle of the car. Waiting more pics to argue, pop-up headlamps a definite plus.

 

[TheCracker]

I don't think we'll ever see pop-ups on a car again. Modern safety regs for pedestrians make it very hard for them to be viable.

 

[Specialized]

I don't think we'll ever see pop-ups on a car again. Modern safety regs for pedestrians make it very hard for them to be viable.

Indeed, if i remember correctly the last car produced with pop-up headlights was the Ferrari 456 and when this was discontinued the era of pop-up headlights became a thing of the past, as you rightly say, due to increasing safety demands for pedestrians.

Spec....

 

[TheCracker]

Though this isn't the latest news, that Esprit rendering is right on the money.

To me, this Esprit's nose looks too close to the present Elise. i would expect Lotus to move their detailing on a bit for the Esprit. I think the styling for the Esprit will then lead the look of the Mk3 Elise when that comes out.

 

[Dave A]

I agree though remember that this is nothng ore than an artists mpression.

Regarding pop up lights, the Corvette C5 used them right to the end, it only went out of production late 2004 if I recall. That was the last car to use pop up headlights

 

[Tornado]

Regarding pop up lights, the Corvette C5 used them right to the end, it only went out of production late 2004 if I recall. That was the last car to use pop up headlights

The last Esprits sold at the same time.
​

 

[Dave A]

The Esprit ended production many months before the C5 Corvette, I'm not sure whether or not production actually ended late 2003 leaving some models to be sold in 2004 or if the production itself actually went into 2004. Either way the production of the Esprit ended before the C5 Corvette.

 

[Tornado]

The last Esprit left the factory on Feb. 20th, 2004.

 

[Dave A]

Thanks for confirming that 👍, the C5's production ended later in the year.

 

[JohnBM01]

This is the result of a Gallardo mating with a newer-spec Elise. I was never really a fan of the Esprit. Never liked it. Photoshop or not (how the hell can some of you guys tell doctored photos from real anyways?), it looks nice. As for pop-up lights, I've never loved them at all. Last recent car to use retractable headlights was the Corvette C5 with the stuck-in-the-past pop-up lights. I've NEVER loved them. I would immediately swap retractable lights for permanent ones. It's like those girls who think that wearing leggings underneath mini skirts makes them look sexy. Hell f:censored:ing no!

Haven't been fond of a Lotus Esprit at all. It may take a lot for me to acknowledge and convince me.

 

[Dave A]

I absolutely love the old Esprit, the one thing that concerns me about the enw one is wheter or not I'll love it as much and make the missus jealous.

 

[Eric.]

It's like those girls who think that wearing leggings underneath mini skirts makes them look sexy. Hell f:censored:ing no!.

Amen! Please tell the girls at my school that. It makes them look like they belong on a street corner (and several of them would fit right in...).

As for the Esprit, its alright, but I've never been a big Esprit fan anyways.

 

[Tornado]

Haven't been fond of a Lotus Esprit at all. It may take a lot for me to acknowledge and convince me.

While I disagree with your stance on flip-ups, you must agree that Guigaro's baby looked far better than this Gallardo baby.

 

[GT Pro]

I still think this one of many conceptual pieces looked the best:



Throw the not-going-to-happen idea of pop-up headlights and you'd have yourselves a winner.

 

[exigeracer]

Haaaaaaaahaaahaa Michael got you good.

You look sooooo silly!

 

[usedHONDA]

Looks cool

 

[SouL]

!!!!
Sign me up!

 

[ND4SPD]

Anways, here's the actual car caught being tested under heavy camo.



I think its gonna be a pretty hot car. Although it does look like the batmobile under that camo.

 

[Tornado]

It looks like an '04 Esprit with a body kit added to it.

 

[Alex.]

could be mistaken for a ferrari by non-car entheusiasts