James Bond’s Most Unique Ride Is Hitting the Road Again Through a Fresh Take on a Sharp Classic

A British upstart is on a mission to improve on the first-generation Lotus Esprit by way of an exciting new evolution.

Front side view of a shiny red sports car with silver five-spoke wheels and black side mirrors.

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Gray Van Dyke

Published December 8, 2025

·

Updated December 9, 2025

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Although James Bond is most associated with legendary Aston Martins like the DB5, the Vanquish V12 and the Vantage V8, those aren’t the only British vehicles to have graced the silver screen on his account.

In The Spy Who Loved Me, 007 made the first-generation Lotus Esprit forever memorable through its various submarine abilities. As befit its striking wedge shape, the car brought features like a periscope, some front-mounted torpedoes, a set of rear-mounted ink jets and even a mine launcher.

Still, because Lotus never reprised its role as a Bond car in a Pierce Brosnan or a Daniel Craig film, today, Astons and Jaguars are what tend to get all the attention.

White vintage sports car with pop-up headlights and plaid interior seats, viewed from the front. — The Encor Esprit will retain the pop-up headlights of the original.

Thankfully, a British startup by the name of Encor has undertaken a mission to make the Esprit relevant again.

A Lotus S1 encore

Before you get too excited — the Series 1 isn’t intended to be a Bond replica. As such, it won’t be packing any of the modifications made by the Q Branch.

White vintage sports car with black wheels and LED headlights in a studio setting. — Though it will wear a Series 1 body, Encor’s Esprit will ride on a Series 4 chassis.

Nevertheless, it’s an exciting project, as Encor is essentially giving the Lotus a restomod treatment akin to Singer’s take on the Porsche 911 and ECD’s overhaul of the Land Rover Defender. It means that the Esprit’s moment has finally arrived.

Especially because Encor has some big plans for its Series 1 project. As a “respectful, ground-up remastering of the original Esprit S1,” it not only honors the car’s Lotus heritage but also stands apart as something unique and evolutionary.

Car interior with carbon fiber dashboard, digital instrument cluster, wooden gear shift knob, and blue plaid fabric seats. — Between the manual shifter and the upholstery, the interior is as classic as it gets.

In practice, this means that each example will be built around a more modern Series 4 Esprit chassis (produced up until 2004) with a fully rebuilt 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 and a seamless carbon fiber body based on a digital scan of the original.

Moreover, inside the cabin, Encor is looking to preserve the spirit of the Esprit by way of its sloped dash, wraparound instrument cluster and tartan upholstery. As much as it is to be a modern car in its performance, it’s still important for it to look and feel like a classic Lotus.

White Encor sports car with black wheels and open driver's side door in a studio setting. — Unlike the original fiberglass-bodied cars, Encor’s Series 1 will feature a seamless full carbon fiber shell.

Built to be driven

Now, this Esprit isn’t just an aesthetic tribute. Quite the contrary, Encor is building the Series 1 to be driven, as a proper driver’s car should be.

Accordingly, along with a projected output of 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, Encor is claiming a curb weight of less than 2,645 pounds. On the road, this means that the Series 1 will be able to sprint from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds before hitting a top speed of 175 mph.

White Encor sports car rear view with visible engine under glass and illuminated taillights. — The rebuilt V8 is rated for 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.

To ensure that the car can handle the increase in power, Encor will re-engineer the original five-speed manual transmission with a stronger input shaft, a helical limited-slip diff and a bespoke twin-plate clutch.

What’s more, the platform benefits from upgraded Lotus Esprit Sport 350-spec suspension components for improved handling and a set of AP racing brakes for added stopping power.

However, it’s worth noting that Encor is intentionally keeping the steering hydraulically assisted rather than electric to preserve the “tactile, driver-focused character fundamental to the original Esprit.”

White retro-style sports car with black wheels and rear taillights in a studio setting. — At less than 2,645 pounds, the Encor Series 1 is sure to be an engaging driver’s car.

An elite Esprit

As common as restomods like the Series 1 are nowadays, Encor’s project is unique in that the team responsible packs some serious automotive pedigree. In addition to personnel responsible for the Lotus Emira, the team brings experience from Koenigsegg, Aston Martin and even Skyships.

Naturally, one of these restomods isn’t going to come cheap. Per Encor, prices are set to begin at £430,000 (excluding the donor Esprit) and production will be limited to just 50 cars worldwide. Deliveries will begin starting in Q2 2026.

White sports car with pop-up headlights and LED daytime running lights, shown from the front on a plain background.

Encor Series 1 Lotus Esprit

Learn More

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.