Lotus had gone through a rough time lately with administration issues and financial problems plaguing the British sports car manufacturer. And these problems had come very close in disrupting the Lambo-like concept Esprit from coming into birth as there were numerous rumors saying that it might not reach the production lines. But Lotus was quick in dismissing this farfetched rumor, and the new Esprit is now actually ready for production.
According to Autocar UK’s report, Lotus’ new flagship model is physically complete, but yet again, it is the management issues that is preventing this new supercar from hitting the production lines anytime soon. This info received from a source inside Lotus means that the estimation for this model to start production in late 2012 and to go on sale by 2013 most possibly could not be met.
This new Lotus is a step above from the current models sitting in their showrooms. Powered by a massive 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, this new supercar will also house an F1-style KERS system, all mated to a seven-speed paddle-shift transmission. Even with an estimated output being in the 650-horsepower region and a construction that incorporates carbon fiber and aluminum, the Esprit is expected to be priced no more than £100,000 (RM 490,000). This could be the bargain of the century, that is if it somehow manages to hit the streets of course.
