Was it even real in the first place? I still think this new lineup is a figment of Lotus Marketing's imagination in a hope to find a buyer for the company. That said...

(and check out the price...are they nuts??)

Lotus Esprit Delayed; Will Get In-House V8, Shocking Price Tag | AutoGuide.com News



The new Esprit will make it to market, but not as early as Lotus had hoped. Speaking at the launch of the new Evora S model in San Jose, Lotus Cars USA PR boss Kevin Smith confirmed that due to a decision by Lotus to produce its own engine for the car, it won’t make it to market until late 2013 or even early 2014.

“The cars shown at the Paris Auto Show with the Lexus IS-F V8 will get our own V8 engine,” said Smith. Those models include the Esprit, as well as the even more exotic Elite. Smith also confirmed that development of the in-house V8 engine was already underway, and indicated that other engines are a possibility.

Making additional remarks, Smith let slip details of just how much Lotus expects to charge for these new models, and it’s a huge increase from the $76,000 Evora S. Speaking generally, he said that, “cars in the $170,000 to $200,000 range should have their own engine in them.” No clarification was given about the projected price and while $170K is certainly a huge bump over the Porsche 911 Turbo, it would be significantly less than some of the Italian exotics the Esprit would be targeted at as well.

Details about the new V8 have not been released, but there’s a strong chance it will be available with a dual-clutch transmission. “We’d like to do a manual and a dual-clutch transmission for the Esprit and now that we’re dong our own engines there’s a better chance,” said Smith. Lotus has filed a patent for a 7-speed dual-clutch unit already, so look for that to arrive in the Esprit in just over two year’s time.

 

Well that is one way to doom this car before it even goes into production.

 

Is that really that unreasonable of a price? It undercuts their competition significantly....

 

I think lotus is out of their minds, period. Sadly, the competition is too stiff me thinks.

 

That's 50-100k below an MP4-12C or 458. I would think that would be a very attractive price point if it delivers.

 

That's one aspect to look at it. How about the depreciation of the Lotus Vs a 458?

Price point considering, if it's 170 or 270, it's the SAME client. Sorry but the 458 is a better deal.

The REAL deal. Proven performance and outstanding brand recognition combined with an amazing chassis. The Ferrari will win this battle.

 

For $170k, the Porsche Turbo S is a far better value than the 458 Italia so what exactly makes the Fezza a better value over the Lotus in this case?

I think $170k for a freshly designed car with a bespoke engine is a pretty solid bargain, especially if it has the performance to back it up.

 

You're thinking one dimensionally Alex. It's not just the price you pay, initially. Think in terms of a 3D transaction.

sale price
brand value/recognition
resale/trade in/secondary market.

 

Excellent point, Chris. Despite Lotus' very long and storied racing history, more people know the Ferrari name as the company is basically the NY Yankees of motorsports.

 

Good. Hopefully someone will acquire the company who has half a damn clue what a Lotus is.