ENCOR Series I Reborn Lotus Esprit V8: Classic Design, Modern Performance

 In the world of performance-car resurrection, the Encor Series I arrives like a lightning bolt across a darkened sky, instantly resetting expectations of what a restomod can and should be. Inspired by the original Lotus Esprit Series 1 from the mid-1970s and rebuilt around the far more advanced Esprit V8 underpinnings from the late 1990s, this reborn icon channels everything that made the original a legend while improving essentially every mechanical and structural element. At first glance, the Encor Series I almost looks like a restored museum piece, as if someone had stripped an S1 down to its atoms and rebuilt it in the same decade it was designed. But the longer you look, the more the extraordinary craftsmanship reveals itself. Every surface feels machined, sharpened, and reinterpreted exactly the way Colin Chapman and Giorgetto Giugiaro might have wished if they had access to modern composites, advanced CAD modelling, and fifty years of engineering evolution. This is not a homage. It is not a tribute. It is a respectful but unapologetic remaster. And with only fifty examples planned, each costing around $730,000 including donor car and taxes, ( £550k ) exclusivity is baked into the carbon fibre from the start.

Carbon Craftsmanship: Rebuilding the Esprit from the Ground Up

The Encor Series I begins with what appears to be a contradiction, yet makes perfect engineering sense: instead of using an original 1970s Esprit Series 1 as the base, Encor sources the final-generation Esprit V8 (produced until 2004) because it brings a structurally stronger starting point and a far more refined chassis layout. While the Series 1 Esprit was famous for its clean Giugiaro wedge, it was equally infamous for its minimal rigidity and questionable crash protection. Encor therefore strips the donor car down to its steel backbone chassis, cleans, galvanizes, vapour-blasts and coats it, then constructs an entirely new, autoclaved carbon fibre body that replicates the shape, proportions and stance of the original Series 1 with astonishing accuracy. This isn’t a shell that mimics the past — it is a sculpted reinterpretation of Giugiaro’s original wedge rendered with aerospace precision and supported by materials that Chapman himself would have embraced instantly. Carbon fibre allows Encor to eliminate the black dividing line that once disguised the S1’s two-piece GRP construction, lower the panel tolerances to millimetre precision, enable sharper aerodynamics, reduce mass, and incorporate subtle modern lighting technologies without disturbing the car’s iconic geometry. The result is a body so stiff the backbone chassis is no longer required structurally but remains for identity and continuity.

The Revived V8: Modern Precision Meets Classic Character

Powering the Encor Series I is a rebuilt, re-engineered and reborn version of Lotus’s own Type 918 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8, an engine that was always capable of greatness but constrained by its original gearbox. Encor removes that limitation. The team replaces the internals with forged pistons, modern turbochargers, new impellers, upgraded injectors, a redesigned throttle body, and a contemporary electronic throttle system housed in a bespoke aluminium case. The engine is tuned to produce 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, figures chosen not for headline impact but for drivability, reliability, and lightness. The goal is purity, not excess. Combined with a projected curb weight under 2,650 pounds, the Encor delivers a power-to-weight ratio on par with modern supercars while keeping the analogue charm alive. The original Esprit V8 gearbox was notorious for fragility, but Encor essentially resurrects it by retaining only the casings, reinforcing the structure, adding modern internals, and mating it to a twin-plate clutch and a Quaife limited-slip differential. The result is a five-speed manual gearbox that finally unlocks what the V8 always promised. No dual-clutch. No paddles. No artificial filters. Just an engineered-for-purpose mechanical link between the driver, the engine, and the road.

Suspension, Steering and Brakes: Bringing Lightweight Dynamics Into the Present

A restomod of this calibre demands that the driving experience be as meticulously considered as the aesthetics, and Encor delivers a chassis that blends modern control with period-correct purity. The company replaces the suspension uprights, installs Bilstein dampers, fits Eibach springs, and equips the car with new anti-roll bars and thoroughly reimagined geometry designed to maintain the Esprit’s trademark compliance while offering sharper response, better heat control, and greater stability under load. This is critical because the Esprit has always been applauded for its steering feel — widely considered among the greatest hydraulic systems ever fitted to a production car. Encor keeps that legacy intact, retaining hydraulic assist while refreshing the steering gear for precision and longevity. Braking power receives an even greater upgrade: massive AP Racing six-piston fronts and four-piston rears deliver the kind of stopping force and fade resistance the original Esprit could never dream of. The fly-off handbrake disappears, replaced by an electronic unit that enables better packaging and larger rear brake hardware. Lightweight billet wheels measuring 17 inches in the front and 18 in the rear ride on Bridgestone Potenza tyres, chosen specifically to match the original proportions and preserve the car’s analogue character.

Interior Excellence: Retro Aesthetics with Modern Craftsmanship

Step inside the Encor Series I and the transformation becomes perhaps even more impressive than the exterior. The cabin doesn’t just feel restored or refreshed — it feels reimagined, melding 1970s futurism with modern luxury in a way that honors the Esprit’s spirit while elevating it to the level of Singer and Pagani. The dashboard is entirely reconstructed from carbon fibre, with exposed sections adding sculptural contrast to the Tartan-accented upholstery that nods to the original Series 1 trim. A new billet-aluminium instrument pod houses a digital display that recreates the original design language with crisp precision, mounted on exposed metal brackets that feel like artefacts from a high-end watchmaker. The steering wheel maintains the Esprit’s twin-spoke shape but is entirely redesigned for ergonomics and tactility. The centre spine carries the manual shifter, mounted slightly higher than expected but justified beautifully by the mechanical purity it represents. Hidden HVAC vents, a discreet touchscreen, modern climate control, and a 360-degree camera system offer comfort and usability without intruding visually. The interior is not nostalgic. It is not retro. It is modern craft informed by vintage taste — a celebration of the Esprit’s design roots executed with twenty-first-century precision.

Performance, Production and the Future: What the Encor Series I Means

With only 50 units planned, the Encor Series I occupies a rare space in the automotive world — a place between artisan craftsmanship and historical reverence, between analogue purity and modern engineering. The price, estimated at around £550,000 depending on specifications and regional taxes, ensures that only the most dedicated enthusiasts will add one to their garages. But that exclusivity is not unwarranted. Each car requires a donor Esprit V8, a complete strip-down, new carbon structures, a rebuilt powertrain, bespoke electronics, hand-trimmed interiors, and countless hours of engineering and refinement. Encor, founded by former Lotus and Aston Martin engineers along with the team from Skyships, treats the Esprit not as a chassis to modify but as a legacy to evolve. Their approach is deliberate: avoid unnecessary complexity, preserve the analogue soul, and enhance everything that was compromised by 1970s economics, 1990s limitations, and modern regulations. The result is a machine that could never be manufactured today within normal automotive constraints — a car that is too low, too sharp, too pure, too uncompromising in its refusal to dilute the original design. It is as if someone saved the blueprint for the Esprit and waited fifty years for technology to catch up. The Encor Series I is that blueprint made real.