The Lotus Esprit remains one of the longest production run supercars ever. Launched in 1980, it is still being made in the 21st century, albeit in a much revised high-performance machine. Yet it is unique among supercars because it uses just four cylinders, aided by a Garrett T3 intercooled turbo.

In typical Lotus fashion the Esprit used a steel backbone chassis into which the engine is mounted longitudinally directly behind the driver. Independent suspension featured throughout with double wishbones at the front and a twin transverse link at the rear. The engine was all-alloy with 16 valves and a special overboost facility to harness a full 300bhp (224kW) in short bursts. In 1996 the four-cylinder 134ci (2.2-lire) S4 was replaced by a V8 version to satisfy stringent American emissions regulations, later supplemented with a 240bhp (179kW), 122ci (2-liter) Esprit GT3.