‘in the eclat, you probably average a higher speed than an esprit would manage’

August’s Silverstone Festival will play host to a massive 50th birthday bash for the Lotus Esprit – we drive each generation to get a sense of what makes this sports car so special

Design is not a democracy.” Such a bold statement, wonderfully out of tune with modern group-think, could only apply to a car as radical as the Lotus Esprit. These words were only uttered today by Gio

The obvious question is whether it would have been easier to soup-up a stock Europa rather than streetify a 47. It’s a fair one, too, especially if you are unfamiliar with quite how different a Type 4

We think of the Porsche 911 as being the stalwart of the junior supercar world, but after 28 years and more than 10,000 sales, the Lotus Esprit in all its guises was probably the closest contender. An

LOTUS ELISE SPORT 240 FINAL EDITION

Power/engine size: 118bhp/1.8 litre Engine/gearbox: V6/four-speed manual 0-60/top speed: 11.5 seconds/115mph Price new: £3,173 price now: from £750,000-£1m I'VE had a model of the Lancia Aurelia for m