A Carbon-Fiber Lotus Esprit Remake Is Here, and It Costs $525,000
With rebuilt V8 power and subtle digital touches, just 50 of these will be built.By Natalie NeffPublished: Oct 02, 2025 11:09 AM EDT
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Encor
On the 50th anniversary of the Lotus Esprit’s Paris debut, a new British venture called Encor is set to unveil a modern reinterpretation of the original Esprit S1, called the Encor Series 1. While the full reveal comes next month, it’s giving a hint as to what to expect.
Limited to just 50 units, Encor says the car blends Colin Chapman’s lightweight ethos with 21st-century engineering and craftsmanship.
The project begins with a donor Lotus Esprit V8. The car’s backbone chassis remains intact, but the fiberglass bodywork is replaced with a molded carbon-fiber shell. Encor says the new structure is lighter and stiffer, with headlights that now house low-profile LED projectors.Encor
Power comes from the Esprit’s original V8, which is fully rebuilt, while inside the Esprit’s cockpit has been revamped with leather, Alcantara, and machined aluminum. Modernization touches include the addition of Apple CarPlay and 360-degree cameras.
Simon Lane, co-founder and veteran of bespoke programs at Aston Martin and Lotus, insists the car is being treated as a “responsibility, not a project.” Former Lotus designer Daniel Durrant says the Series 1’s styling pays homage without losing authenticity.
Priced from £430,000 ($525,000) before options, taxes, and the donor car, the Encor Series 1 is squarely aimed at collectors who crave both exclusivity and drivability. The full reveal is slated for November 2025.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.
EcoCAR Innovation Challenge to Train Future Mobility Engineers
GM, Stellantis, and MathWorks back a new four-year competition where college teams will design next-gen electric and AI-driven vehicles.By Natalie NeffPublished: Oct 02, 2025 8:00 AM EDTSave Article
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The EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, announced by the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) series, is set to launch in fall 2026 as a four-year program that will push university teams to tackle some of the toughest engineering challenges facing the auto industry.
Backed by a public-private partnership that includes General Motors, Stellantis, and MathWorks, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR is the 15th installment in the AVTC program, which has been running for more than three decades. The goal this time is to prepare students for a rapidly changing industry by blending traditional hardware engineering with cutting-edge software, AI, and electrification.
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Teams will operate as if they were startup automakers, charged with building more efficient and intelligent vehicles. Each university will take on one of two competition “tracks,” sponsored separately by GM and Stellantis, each reflecting different propulsion platforms and market priorities. Projects will range from designing electric motor systems and high-voltage batteries to developing AI-driven engineering tools, machine learning applications, and connected mobility features.
“This initiative marks a significant departure from the norm since automakers and software developers typically operate independently,” said Kristen Wahl, who oversees the program at Argonne. “Given the pressing need for workforce development, we’ve brought these giants together under a common goal.”
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The competition also emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration. Students from business, communications, and marketing will join engineering peers to simulate a real-world product development cycle, preparing them for the demands of industry.
“EcoCAR is more than a competition, it’s a launchpad for the future of mobility,” said Ken Morris, GM senior vice president. “We’re cultivating the next generation of engineers who will drive the breakthroughs of tomorrow.”
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.
