The first Lotus Esprit burst into life in 1976, and with its stunning wedge shaped looks it really stood out from the humdrum Rovers and Fords that were on the road at the time. Colin Chapman was so proud of his new sports car that he arranged to have it parked outside Pinewood studios in the hope that it would be used in the latest James Bond film. The plan worked, and Roger Moore drove a white Lotus Esprit, that could convert into a submarine, in the Spy Who Loved Me.

The early Esprit cars came with a four cylinder 160 bhp engine, however through turbo charging and various other engine modifications the final four cylinder sport models were able to produce 300bhp. However, what the Lotus Esprit really needed was a super car engine to match its looks and that finally arrived in the shape of a V8 engine back in 1996.

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