The Lotus Esprit has long occupied a peculiar space in automotive memory – part icon, part missed opportunity. Styled like a supercar, priced to tempt, but always executed in Lotus's own Chapman-infused way, it remains a car whose legacy feels unfinished.

For years, enthusiasts speculated about a successor. Concepts came and went, and Lotus occasionally promised a revival, but nothing ever reached production. Now, 50 years to the day Lotus first unveiled the Esprit at the Paris Motor Show comes Encor, a British company with close ties to Hethel. Their Series 1 restomod aims to distil the best elements of nearly three decades of Esprit into a single, carbon-bodied reinterpretation.

But with such a broad and evocative back catalogue, where does one even begin? There's the original Series 1 (1976–78), with its razor-sharp Giugiaro styling and cinematic fame as Bond's submarine. The early 1980s brought the Turbo Esprit, adding the performance the silhouette always deserved. The X180 redesign of the late '80s softened the original wedge but brought much-needed aerodynamic improvements – and returned to the silver screen in Pretty Woman. Then came the S4 and S4S – arguably the best of the four-cylinder era – before the final V8 models introduced a Lotus-designed twin-turbo engine and more grand-touring capability.

It's from these later cars that Encor sources its donor vehicles. Yet one glance at the company's teaser images reveals a silhouette that clearly traces back to the Series 1.

The original fibreglass body is replaced with a new carbon fibre shell, adopting the wedge profile and elegant simplicity of the Giugiaro original while promising greater torsional rigidity, tighter tolerances, and a meaningful reduction in weight. All the surfaces have been digitally refined, and the aero subtly tweaked and updated to satisfy the demands of the V8’s output. Even the Esprit’s iconic pop-up headlights return – this time reimagined as low-profile LED projectors.

Beneath the rear hatch, the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 is fully re-engineered. Encor claims improvements in responsiveness, driveability, and real-world usability, though exact outputs remain under wraps until the car’s full reveal in November. The gearbox – long considered the Esprit’s weakest link – is retained, though Encor are remaining tight-lipped on any upgrades.

Inside, Encor describes their approach as minimalist but meticulous. The Esprit’s signature wraparound cockpit remains, but every surface has been re-trimmed in Alcantara, leather, or machined aluminium. Modern comforts have been integrated with discretion: Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, and a 360-degree camera system all feature, but without dominating the cabin’s aesthetic.

Leading the project is a team with credentials to back up the claims. Designer Daniel Durrant – responsible for the Lotus Emira – oversees the design language, while Simon Lane, formerly of Aston Martin’s ‘Q’ division and Lotus Advanced Performance, serves as programme director. Alongside a wider team drawn from brands such as Koenigsegg and Pagani, they represent a cross-section of talent experienced in low-volume manufacturing and bespoke engineering.

Only 50 examples of the Encor Series 1 will be built, with prices starting at £430,000 – not including taxes, options, or the donor car itself. At that level, it’s entering a market crowded with carbon-bodied reinterpretations of cult favourites such as the Kimera EVO38. But the Esprit has always marched to its own beat. Here’s hoping the Esprit’s potential is finally recognised, even if it comes at a price.