Encor Series 1: a modern remaster of the Lotus Esprit

Encor has unveiled the Encor Series 1, a modern carbon-fibre remaster of the Lotus Esprit - the wedge-shaped icon best known to Bond fans for its unforgettable appearance in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Nearly fifty years after the white Esprit S1 stunned both the Paris Motor Show and cinema audiences, the Series 1 aims to honour the purity of the original design while elevating the engineering to contemporary standards.

Encor describes its approach as “respectful enhancement.” Rather than redesigning the Esprit from the ground up, the engineering team, with backgrounds at Lotus, Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Skyships, treated the original as a cultural artefact. The body was digitally scanned, its geometry refined and resurfaced, and the distinctive 1970s mould line removed. 

The result is a seamless autoclaved carbon-fibre shell that retains the Esprit’s instantly recognisable form while sharpening its lines and improving aerodynamic efficiency.

The wedge profile remains central to the identity of the Series 1. Low-profile pop-up LED headlamps preserve the familiar front graphic; the stance widens subtly to accommodate upgraded cooling and modern tyres. The forged wheels reference both the early slot-mag style and the later Sport 350 design, blending period cues with modern machining.

Under the surface, the car retains the backbone chassis of a Lotus Esprit V8 to maintain identity and registration continuity. 

The 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 is comprehensively rebuilt with forged internals, remanufactured turbochargers, a modern throttle body and updated cooling systems, targeting 400 bhp and 350 lb ft. Combined with a kerb weight under 1,200 kg, Encor expects 0–62 mph in four seconds and a top speed near 175 mph. Quaife re-engineers the five-speed manual, adding a strengthened input shaft, revised ratios and a helical limited-slip differential.

Inside, the Series 1 remains faithful to the original Esprit's distinctive cockpit architecture: the sloping dashboard, deep seating position and wraparound binnacle. Each component is rebuilt, with discreet integration of modern systems by Skyships to maintain the analogue character. A billet-machined floating instrument cluster houses a digital display, while re-trimmed seats preserve period ergonomics with improved support.

Production of the Encor Series 1 is limited to 50 cars worldwide, starting at £430,000 (excluding taxes, options and the donor Esprit V8). Commissioning takes place in Chelmsford, UK, with deliveries scheduled from Q2 2026 through 2027.

For more details and to explore the configurator, visit encor.design.