Might Lotus, in its unerring though recently intensified quest to take on Ferrari, develop its own V8 engine for use in the promised-before-2013 Esprit? According to company head Dany Bahar, it’s a distinct possibility.
It should be mentioned that Lotus is quite the well-sorted engineering firm. In fact, the British automaker has designed three complete engines for other manufacturers and last produced its own V8 engine from 1996 through 2004 in the then-current Esprit.
If it does indeed develop its own engine architecture, Autocar suggests it will be seen in V8 form in the Esprit and V6 form in the Elan, which is slated to follow about six months after the Esprit. And what of the Toyota-sourced powerplants – currently seen in the Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora and shown off in the five conceptual new sports cars recently unveiled at the Paris Motor Show – we’ve come to expect from Lotus?
“In the mind of sports-car enthusiasts, Toyota power might not be good enough,” admitted Bahar. In the end, though, the decision may come down to simple dollars and cents, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing how it all plays out in the coming few years.
AB
