Will the Emira look Esprit cool 20 years from now?

[Jonhklee]

 

[Off The Shelf]

Or will it be Ford Puma....

 

[Racer X]

Nothing beats pop-up headlights. Nothing.

 

[GetawayDriving]

Good proportions and clean lines never go out of style. It will still look great in 20 years.

I know we're all a little biased around here, but I'm convinced this car is an instant classic. Just looking at the reactions its getting today... like Mat Watson's Carwow video where he stares in stunned silence at the sight of it. This car is clearly something special to look at. There are literally no bad angles.

The only thing that could "date" it is the black pack roof, but that's very of-this-era in a similar way that the Esprit was of-its-era with its wedge shapes and pop up headlights. But also maybe not, since color blocking and glass roofs are likely to continue as a trend as cars get weirder and wilder on electric skateboard chassis.

So I'll go out on a limb and say it'll be looked back at even more fondly than the Esprit, because it's both a great looking car AND because it's going to represent the end of an era (not just for Lotus but the industry at large).

 

[Johnson]

@Bren is right: it’s very nicely proportioned, and will age well because of it.

I think the only thing that will date it are the “porosity” cutouts. As cars go electric, vents will disappear, and only older ICE vehicles will look like Swiss cheese. Maybe that and the fussy rear lights…

 

[GetawayDriving]

@Bren is right: it’s very nicely proportioned, and will age well because of it.

I think the only thing that will date it are the “porosity” cutouts. As cars go electric, vents will disappear, and only older ICE vehicles will look like Swiss cheese. Maybe that and the fussy rear lights…

I think I disagree with this. Exhibit A being Evija. It’s electric and it’s the poster child for porosity.

I understand what you’re saying, vents are for cooling and a lack of ICE would suggest that vents are no longer needed.

But I’ll counter that with 3 points:

1, Porosity is more about downforce than cooling. I mean it does both, but Lotus is saying, “we’re going to use airflow through the bodywork to change the driving dynamics on a street car”. If anything, that concept becomes even more relevant with time because weight savings and aerodynamic efficiency are even more critical for EVs.

2, Electrics still need cooling. Really any performance car needs to battle heat. Batteries, brakes, tires, electronics all need cooling when pushed to their limits. I do think the shift in cooling needs will change how we think about intakes (where they are and their size), but that’s sort of what porosity is doing.

3, Electrics will offer designers more opportunity to play with negative space. Skateboard chassis will allow designers & engineers to go wild with dramatic new concepts, especially in sports cars. Controlling aero and weight is such a key way to improve efficiency that I think we’ll see borderline open-wheel cars eventually, especially among exotics.

Evija introduced “porosity” as a very future-looking concept, but the concept isn’t new in motorsport and we’ve seen it on some of the most dramatic exotics: Aston Martin Valkyrie, Ford GT, etc. Emira and Eletre are the first to really offer it at an attainable price point, and I think they’re probably the first of a wave to do so, not the last.

 

[jcaswell]

Had my 2002 Esprit V8 25th Anniversary Edition out on Sunday to go to the Ancaster British Car Meet. About an hours drive from Niagara and went on back roads no highways. It was 1 degree C but clear and sunny. Great drive car loves cold crisp air. Stopped for coffee and bagel came out 6 people crowded around the car just having a look. Once they figured what it was and that it is 20 years old no one could believe it. Timeless !