The Lotus Esprit can be considered an icon, especially for most children of the 1970s and 1980s who loved cars. Its clean lines, advanced engineering, and stellar road manners made it worthy of being a Bond car, as seen in the 1977 classic The Spy Who Loved Me. After 40 years, the car, a Lotus Esprit S1, returns in a modern-day reincarnation.
Lotus Cars recently unveiled a one-off Lotus Evora Sport 410 that pays tribute to the Esprit S1. The special Evora is designed by Lotus Exclusive and features a modified front bumper takes its cue from the Esprit S1. This is matched by the one-piece carbon fiber tailgate, made to look like a liftback—just like the original Esprit. And who can miss the B-pillar graphic, made out in the Esprit’s script, for a truly unmistakable nod to the car it emulates? The period correct details are finished off by a black coach line that adorns the car’s waist, reminiscent of those black body moldings from the era.
More hints of The Spy Who Loved Me can be seen in the cabin. These are the Tartan-hued carbon fiber sports seats and door cards, along with the Alcantara dash and console. Needless to say, it’s a business-like cockpit.
This being the Lotus Evora Sport 410 means it is powered by a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine that puts out 410hp and 420Nm. Thanks to a feather-light 1,280kg curb weight, the potent motor rockets the Evora to 100kph from rest in just 3.9 seconds. Moreover, a slew of carbon fiber trim pieces scattered across various body parts means excellent downforce, weight distribution, and handling. It’s the ultimate Evora for those that want a hint of Bond in their Lotus.
But alas, the Lotus Evora Sport 410—Esprit S1 is only a one-off model commissioned for the 40th anniversary of the iconic Bond film. In fact, the Evora Sport 410 itself is an ultra-exclusive model, with just 150 copies set to be produced over a one-year period.
