A MODERN take on the iconic Lotus Esprit of 50 years ago has been created by Essex-based engineering company Encor.

The Encor Series 1 - a modern, carbon-fibre remastering of the original Esprit, will be produced in a limited run of 50 models each priced from £430,000.

That's for just the car and excludes taxes, options and the required donor Esprit V8.

The car arrives 50 years after the original Lotus Esprit concept dazzled the 1975 Paris Motor Show and the Encor model is described as a ‘respectful enhancement'.

The design and engineering team behind the project - drawn from experience with Lotus, Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Skyships Automotive - approached the Esprit not as a blank canvas, but as a piece of cultural heritage.

The goal was to remaster it with the sensitivity, craftsmanship and capability of the present day, without disturbing the purity that made it so extraordinary in the first place.

"The S1 Esprit was forward-thinking, pure and utterly uncompromised," said 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 honouring the original's intent while letting the car perform, feel and function the way its silhouette always promised."

Beneath the full-carbon body sits the backbone of a Lotus Esprit V8, retained intentionally for continuity of identity and registration.

The mid-mounted 3.5-litretwin-turbo V8 receives forged pistons, upgraded injectors, remanufactured turbochargers, a new electronic throttle body, modern fuel and cooling systems, and a new stainless exhaust.

The engine now produces approximately 400 bhp, with 350 lb ft of torque, pushing a target kerb weight of under 1,200 kg.

Acceleration from 0-62mph is expected to take four seconds, with a top speed close to 175mph.

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.

The carbon-fibre dashboard "T" houses every essential control, putting function exactly where the driver expects it. Infotainment, climate and camera systems - designed in-house by Skyships - integrated discreetly, providing quiet convenience without disturbing the analogue intent.

"This car is analogue at heart," said 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."

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 the second quarter of 2026 and continue through 2027.