Encor Series 1: The $579K Lotus Esprit Restomod That’s a Love Letter to the Wedge – And a Middle Finger to Time
Remember the first time you spotted a Lotus Esprit in the wild – that razor-edge wedge slicing through traffic like a ’70s fever dream, pop-up eyes winking under the sun? For me, it was a rainy afternoon in ’98, tailing one on a backroad, mesmerized by how it danced despite the deluge. Fast-forward to 2025, and the Esprit’s 50th birthday feels like the perfect cue for a revival that’s equal parts reverence and reinvention. Enter Encor’s Series 1 – a restomod masterpiece that takes a Series 4 V8 donor and wraps it in carbon-fiber nostalgia, courtesy of ex-Lotus whiz Simon Lane and a dream team from Pagani and Koenigsegg. At $579,000 (plus your $100K donor car), it’s not cheap, but for 50 hand-built homages blending brutal power with boutique build quality, it’s the Esprit we deserve. As a wedge obsessive who’s chased Esprits from Monterey to Goodwood, this one’s got me booking flights to the UK. Let’s geek out on why it’s the ultimate tribute – specs, soul, and all.
The Wedge Reborn: Carbon Skin on a V8 Skeleton
Encor’s not slapping stickers on a relic – they’re resurrecting the Esprit’s spirit with a full carbon-fiber exoskeleton that’s lighter and meaner than the original Giugiaro pencil sketch. Starting with a Series 4 chassis (the V8 sweet spot from ’97-’03), they gut it for a tubular spaceframe that shaves 200 pounds off stock, tipping scales at 2,425 pounds dry. The body? Hand-laid carbon panels echoing the ’75 Paris show’s drama – those flying buttresses, louvered rear, and iconic side strakes – but with modern twists like active aero vents for cooling and a subtle ducktail spoiler nodding to the X180R racer.
Pop-ups? Upgraded to slim LEDs that flip with surgical precision, framing a jaw-dropping front that’s equal parts stealth and stare. The rear? Quad-exit pipes from a rebuilt 3.5L twin-turbo V8 (420 hp stock, tuned to 500+ with cams and ECU tweaks) rumble through a six-speed manual or PDK auto. It’s not a track slasher – 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, tops 180 mph – but that mid-engine balance (42/58 weight distro) lets it carve like a Caterham with GT comfort. Brakes? AP Racing six-pots on 380mm carbon-ceramics, suspension Öhlins TTX adjustable for road or rallycross romps.
Inside the Wedge: Retro Cockpit, 21st-Century Soul
Climb in (scissor doors optional, naturally), and it’s a time machine with WiFi – Alcantara and leather dash in ’70s tan or black, but with carbon accents and a 12.3-inch digital cluster that swaps gauges for nav or G-forces. The seven-inch central screen runs Apple CarPlay/Android Auto wireless, with a head-up display projecting speed 10 meters ahead. Seats? Bolstered buckets with heat/vent, six-way power, and harness pass-thrus for track days – roomy for 6-footers, but that mid-engine tunnel keeps it intimate.
Tech nods? Bluetooth audio through a 10-speaker Focal system, USB-C ports galore, and a custom Encor app for OTA tweaks or valet tracking. It’s not McLaren-futurist, but that analog wheel (leather-wrapped, no yoke) and gated shifter scream “driver’s toy” – a wedge you live in, not just look at.
The Team Behind the Tribute: Lotus Legends and Supercar Savants
Encor’s no garage hack – co-founder Simon Lane helmed Lotus Advanced Performance for years, dreaming up the Evija’s bones, while the crew pulls from Pagani’s carbon gurus, Koenigsegg’s aero wizards, Aston’s chassis pros, and Porsche’s engine tuners. It’s Q-Branch for Esprits – that V8’s a Cosworth rebuild with titanium rods and dry sump for 8,000 rpm wails, suspension a double-wishbone setup with inboard reservoirs for low unsprung weight. Build time? 18 months per car, hand-assembled in a UK facility with wind-tunnel validation – 50 units total, each a one-off canvas for Mulliner-level customs like embroidered door sills or Alcantara headliners.
It’s the Esprit’s 50th gift: Not a copy, but a culmination – fixing the originals’ gremlins (rusty sills, leaky turbos) with 21st-century precision, all while honoring the wedge that starred in Bond flicks and stole hearts.
Pricey Perfection: $579K + Donor – Worth the Wedge Worship?
Sticker shock? $579,000 base, plus your $80K-$120K Series 4 donor – total $660K-$700K for the privilege. Options? Sky’s the limit: Custom paint ($20K), carbon pack ($50K), or a track telemetry suite ($15K). It’s Singer territory (911s at $500K+), but for Esprit diehards, it’s priceless – rarer than a McLaren F1, with resale potential to match.
Value? If you’re flipping, yes; if you’re wheeling, absolutely – that V8 symphony, carbon kiss on bumps, and wedge stare turn every drive into cinema. Con? Waitlist’s forming – Encor’s capping at 50, with first deliveries Q2 2026.
Why the Series 1 Hooks: Esprit’s Soul, Supercar Smarts
The Encor Series 1 isn’t nostalgia porn – it’s resurrection with rocket fuel, proving the wedge’s timeless by making it timelessly quick. In a hypercar world of 1,000-hp EVs, this V8 restomod’s a rebel yell for analog souls – Bond’s submarine car, reborn for backroads. At 50, the Esprit deserves this – Encor’s delivering the heirloom we didn’t know we needed.
Series 1 dreams or P1 pursuits? Wedge your take below – and if restomods rev you, check our Singer DLS 911 deep dive. Full wedge ahead!
