Lotus news - Return of the Esprit? - 2010

Lotus has hinted it will unveil a new supercar - perhaps a modern interpretation of the Esprit - at the Paris motor show in September.

In a press release that can best be described as Really A Bit Weird, Lotus reminds the world that it is 35 years since the original Giugiaro-designed Esprit was introduced.

'... And something breathtaking will happen once again,' the release, apparently penned by Hemingway himself, runs. 'Once more in Paris. Once more at the Motor Show. Perhaps a new Esprit? Perhaps not. Or perhaps even more?'

If you're confused by that little barrage of sentences, you're not alone. Our best guess is that it means we'll see a concept for an upmarket supercar in Paris: with new CEO Dany Bahar at the helm, Lotus has been hinting at its intention to move into posher, more luxurious territory in recent months, and a posh new Esprit would allow the Norfolk firm to challenge Ferrari and Aston directly.

How a 2010 Esprit would look is interesting to consider. The original weighed in under a tonne and was introduced with a 160bhp four-cylinder engine, which was followed by a turbo variant and, in 1996, a V8. How would your perfect modern Esprit shape up?

Sam Philip