There’s a running joke in the Absolute Lotus office that as soon as the printers start rolling some Lotus news will be released that just missed the deadline. It has probably happened on more than a third of our issues to date. For Issue 48, which we sent to press on Wednesday, it was the full photographic reveal of the Encor Series 1 that missed that cut.

We first saw the teaser images of the start-up’s Esprit restomod in October, so we knew some of what to expect. We knew the all-new carbonfobre body would take its inspiration from the original Giorgetto Giugiaro-penned wedge of 1975, and we knew that it would be underpinned by a late model V8. We also knew that the price would be £430,000 plus a donor car and local taxes. Now the aesthetic has been revealed in full along with more technical detail.

Encor will build a maximum of 50 Series 1s. For each, an Esprit V8 will be stripped to its component form and the backbone chassis blasted clean and refinished as the basis for the new build. The Lotus V8 engine is retained but boosted to 400bhp and 350lb ft of torque. With a target weight of below 1200kg, Encor is estimating a 0-62mph time of 4.0sec and a top speed of 175mph.

“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.”

Transmission is strengthened, Encor having worked with Quaife to develop a stronger input shaft, new gear ratios and a helical limited-slip differential. AP Racing provides stopping power while the suspension is tuned to Esprit Sport 350 specs. A visual nod is given to that car with the five-spoke forged and billet machined wheels. To our eyes, they look a little large for the svelte Esprit S1 inspired lines. 

You could actually argue that the Encor S1’s appearance owes more to the Esprit S2 thanks to the chin spoiler seen at the front of the car. Either way, the overall proportions are clearly early Esprit. The strong beltline and distinctive wedge profile have survived in pure 1970s form. “The S1 Esprit was forward-thinking, pure and utterly uncompromised,” says Daniel Durrant, Encor’s Head of Design. “To touch a shape like this is a huge responsibility. Every line we’ve refined, every decision we’ve made, is about honouring the original’s intent while letting the car perform, feel and function the way its silhouette always promised.”

The absence of the central rubber strip, a key Esprit cue that also hinted at its construction method, is perhaps the biggest deviation between Lotus and Encor. The carbonfibre construction of the latter renders it un-necessary, and it’s a very Lotus to delete components that aren’t needed, but it does alter the look quite significantly. Other obvious changes are contemporary lighting. We reckon the tail lights in particular give the car a slightly American appearance; there’s a hint of Dodge Charger to the rear end.

The cabin architecture is instantly recognisable as Esprit, the sloping dashboard and wraparound elements having been retained. Tartan trim, too. The floating instrument binnacle is something we could imagine seeing on a new Lotus sports car, and it houses a tablet-style display for the instruments. It’s a surprise to see the Vauxhall column switches have survived, but the two-spoke steering wheel and wooden gearknob will provide tactile distractions. There’s plenty of visible carbonfibre to lift the ambiance, too.

Modernisation comes from new infotainment, climate control and cameras. “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.”

While Essex-based Encor may be a new name, its leadership team brings experience from Pagani, Koenigsegg, Aston Martin, Porsche and – most importantly – Lotus. Co-founder Simon Lane previously headed up Lotus’s Advanced Performance department which was responsible for, among other things, the Type 66 continuation. Daniel Durrant, meanwhile, was the lead designer of the Emira.

Lotus enthusiasts have been itching for a ‘new Esprit’ ever since the original was discontinued after a run of almost 30 years. With a half-million-pound pricetag, the Encor 1 might not quite be the answer to those prayers, but it illustrates a 21st century interpretation of one of Lotus’s high water marks.

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