Click for more.
Encor (sic)* today for the second time unveiled the Encor Series 1, a latter day customization of the longest selling model in the Lotus lineup – the Esprit, which was in production at the Hethel, England factory from 1976 to 2004. Now, if a customer supplies their Esprit – a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive car – Encor will refresh it. Just bring money, lots of it along with the Esprit.
“Production of the Encor Series 1 is limited to 50 individually commissioned cars worldwide. Prices begin at £430,000, excluding taxes, options and the required donor Esprit V8. Commissioning takes place either at Encor’s Chelmsford, UK HQ or via private consultation for international clients. Deliveries will begin in Q2 2026 and continue through 2027,” Encor claimed.
“The S1 Esprit was forward-thinking, pure and utterly uncompromised,” says Daniel Durrant, Encor’s Head of Design and former Lead Designer at Lotus for the Emira. “To touch a shape like this is a huge responsibility. Every line we’ve refined, every decision we’ve made, is about honoring the original’s intent while letting the car perform, feel and function the way its silhouette always promised.”
“Durrant’s team began by digitally scanning the original Esprit, resurfacing and refining its geometry using modern design tools. The objective was to perfect: tighter highlights, cleaner transitions, greater precision and material honesty. The distinctive two-piece mould line of the 1970s fiberglass body could be removed, replaced by an uninterrupted autoclaved carbon-fiber shell that captures the purity of early sketches.
“The result is a form that looks unmistakably Esprit, yet reveals its quality instantly: the tautness of the wheel arch surfaces, the crispness of the shoulder line, the exquisite sharpness of the front volume. The stance subtly broadens to accommodate modern tires and brake cooling, while the lighting – now ultra-compact LED projectors integrated into low-profile pop-up housings – retains the distinctive wedge front end, but with contemporary performance and a cleaner aerodynamic face.
“Even the wheels speak the same language of reverence. Inspired by the original slot-mag design and the later Sport 350 five-spokes, Encor’s forged and billet-machined wheels reinterpret familiar cues with modern structural clarity and proportion,” said Encor.
Engineered for Today, Faithful to Yesterday?
“Beneath the full-carbon body sits the backbone of a Lotus Esprit V8, retained intentionally for continuity of identity and registration. The chassis is stripped, blast-cleaned and refinished before being paired with an entirely reconstructed powertrain. The mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 receives forged pistons, upgraded injectors, re-manufactured turbochargers, a new electronic throttle body, modern fuel and cooling systems, and an all-new stainless exhaust – transforming its character while preserving its unmistakable soul.
“Performance targets reflect this upgraded philosophy. The engine now produces approximately 400 bhp, with 350 lb. ft. of torque, pushing a target curb weight of under 1200 kg. Acceleration from 0-62 mph is expected to take four seconds, with a top speed close to 175 mph.
“The transmission receives equal attention. Working with Quaife, Encor re-engineers the original five-speed manual with a stronger input shaft, revised ratios, a helical limited-slip differential and a bespoke twin-plate clutch, giving the shift a precision and durability the original never possessed. Suspension components are upgraded to Sport 350 specification; braking is delivered by AP Racing; steering remains hydraulically assisted rather than electric, preserving the tactile, driver-focused character fundamental to the original Esprit,” Encor said.
“Lightness and tactility guide every decision,” explains Mike Dickison, Technical Director and former MIRA engineer. “The Series 1 drives with the purity you imagine from an analogue supercar, yet with a depth of capability the original platform could only dream of. It’s a transformation carried out with complete respect for its DNA.”
A Cabin Balancing Past and Present
Click to enlarge.
“Inside, the Series 1 preserves the Esprit’s most memorable elements: the dramatically sloped dashboard; the cockpit-like wraparound instrument binnacle; the tartan accents; the sense of sitting deep within a purposeful, driver-centric machine. Yet each element has been rebuilt from the frame outward.
“The floating instrument cluster is perhaps the most striking reinterpretation: machined from a single billet of aluminum and wrapped around a modern digital display, it delivers clarity, beauty and a structural honesty impossible in 1975. The carbon-fiber dashboard “T” houses every essential control, putting function exactly where the driver expects it. Seats are restored, re-foamed and re-trimmed, maintaining their original ergonomics while elevating support and finish. Infotainment, climate and camera systems – designed in-house by Skyships – integrated discreetly, providing quiet convenience without disturbing the analogue intent,” said Encor.
“This car is analogue at heart,” says co-founder Simon Lane. “We wanted to avoid the modern tendency toward gadgetry, therefore the technology exists to enhance the experience, not to dominate it.”
“The Esprit has been part of our story for nearly three decades. We built systems for its owners, we lived with these cars, and now we have the chance to bring all that experience together in a single, deeply considered package. This project has always been about respect,” said William Ives, Skyships co-founder.
*Encor Design says it is a collaboration shaped by decades of experience at the highest levels of the industry. Its leadership has delivered the Lotus Emira, advanced programs for Koenigsegg, bespoke (customization ) personalization at Aston Martin, and engineering innovation through Skyships, the British company that evolved from conceptual airships in the 1990s to supplying cockpit electronics to global sports-car manufacturers. [Read AutoInformed.com on: Qoros Shows Model K-EV Concept at Shanghai This Week – AutoCrat]
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Lotus Esprit Refresh offered by Encor
Click for more.
Encor (sic)* today for the second time unveiled the Encor Series 1, a latter day customization of the longest selling model in the Lotus lineup – the Esprit, which was in production at the Hethel, England factory from 1976 to 2004. Now, if a customer supplies their Esprit – a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive car – Encor will refresh it. Just bring money, lots of it along with the Esprit.
“Production of the Encor Series 1 is limited to 50 individually commissioned cars worldwide. Prices begin at £430,000, excluding taxes, options and the required donor Esprit V8. Commissioning takes place either at Encor’s Chelmsford, UK HQ or via private consultation for international clients. Deliveries will begin in Q2 2026 and continue through 2027,” Encor claimed.
“The S1 Esprit was forward-thinking, pure and utterly uncompromised,” says Daniel Durrant, Encor’s Head of Design and former Lead Designer at Lotus for the Emira. “To touch a shape like this is a huge responsibility. Every line we’ve refined, every decision we’ve made, is about honoring the original’s intent while letting the car perform, feel and function the way its silhouette always promised.”
“Durrant’s team began by digitally scanning the original Esprit, resurfacing and refining its geometry using modern design tools. The objective was to perfect: tighter highlights, cleaner transitions, greater precision and material honesty. The distinctive two-piece mould line of the 1970s fiberglass body could be removed, replaced by an uninterrupted autoclaved carbon-fiber shell that captures the purity of early sketches.
“The result is a form that looks unmistakably Esprit, yet reveals its quality instantly: the tautness of the wheel arch surfaces, the crispness of the shoulder line, the exquisite sharpness of the front volume. The stance subtly broadens to accommodate modern tires and brake cooling, while the lighting – now ultra-compact LED projectors integrated into low-profile pop-up housings – retains the distinctive wedge front end, but with contemporary performance and a cleaner aerodynamic face.
“Even the wheels speak the same language of reverence. Inspired by the original slot-mag design and the later Sport 350 five-spokes, Encor’s forged and billet-machined wheels reinterpret familiar cues with modern structural clarity and proportion,” said Encor.
Engineered for Today, Faithful to Yesterday?
“Beneath the full-carbon body sits the backbone of a Lotus Esprit V8, retained intentionally for continuity of identity and registration. The chassis is stripped, blast-cleaned and refinished before being paired with an entirely reconstructed powertrain. The mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 receives forged pistons, upgraded injectors, re-manufactured turbochargers, a new electronic throttle body, modern fuel and cooling systems, and an all-new stainless exhaust – transforming its character while preserving its unmistakable soul.
“Performance targets reflect this upgraded philosophy. The engine now produces approximately 400 bhp, with 350 lb. ft. of torque, pushing a target curb weight of under 1200 kg. Acceleration from 0-62 mph is expected to take four seconds, with a top speed close to 175 mph.
“The transmission receives equal attention. Working with Quaife, Encor re-engineers the original five-speed manual with a stronger input shaft, revised ratios, a helical limited-slip differential and a bespoke twin-plate clutch, giving the shift a precision and durability the original never possessed. Suspension components are upgraded to Sport 350 specification; braking is delivered by AP Racing; steering remains hydraulically assisted rather than electric, preserving the tactile, driver-focused character fundamental to the original Esprit,” Encor said.
“Lightness and tactility guide every decision,” explains Mike Dickison, Technical Director and former MIRA engineer. “The Series 1 drives with the purity you imagine from an analogue supercar, yet with a depth of capability the original platform could only dream of. It’s a transformation carried out with complete respect for its DNA.”
A Cabin Balancing Past and Present
Click to enlarge.
“Inside, the Series 1 preserves the Esprit’s most memorable elements: the dramatically sloped dashboard; the cockpit-like wraparound instrument binnacle; the tartan accents; the sense of sitting deep within a purposeful, driver-centric machine. Yet each element has been rebuilt from the frame outward.
“The floating instrument cluster is perhaps the most striking reinterpretation: machined from a single billet of aluminum and wrapped around a modern digital display, it delivers clarity, beauty and a structural honesty impossible in 1975. The carbon-fiber dashboard “T” houses every essential control, putting function exactly where the driver expects it. Seats are restored, re-foamed and re-trimmed, maintaining their original ergonomics while elevating support and finish. Infotainment, climate and camera systems – designed in-house by Skyships – integrated discreetly, providing quiet convenience without disturbing the analogue intent,” said Encor.
“This car is analogue at heart,” says co-founder Simon Lane. “We wanted to avoid the modern tendency toward gadgetry, therefore the technology exists to enhance the experience, not to dominate it.”
“The Esprit has been part of our story for nearly three decades. We built systems for its owners, we lived with these cars, and now we have the chance to bring all that experience together in a single, deeply considered package. This project has always been about respect,” said William Ives, Skyships co-founder.
*Encor Design says it is a collaboration shaped by decades of experience at the highest levels of the industry. Its leadership has delivered the Lotus Emira, advanced programs for Koenigsegg, bespoke (customization ) personalization at Aston Martin, and engineering innovation through Skyships, the British company that evolved from conceptual airships in the 1990s to supplying cockpit electronics to global sports-car manufacturers. [Read AutoInformed.com on: Qoros Shows Model K-EV Concept at Shanghai This Week – AutoCrat]
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.