The Esprit is one of the most famous and longest-living Lotus models ever having remained in production for close to three decades (!), from 1976 to 2004. Originally penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Esprit’s design was freshened up initially by Peter Stevens in 1987 and later on by Julian Thompson in 1993.
Another landmark in the Esprit’s lifespan was the presentation of a V8-powered model in 1996, the first of its kind for Lotus. Aptly named the Esprit V8, the British sports car was powered by an in-house developed, all-aluminum, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V8 rated at 350hp (355PS) and 400Nm (295 lb-ft).
And it is this model that has fallen into the tuning hands of Germany’s Cam-Shaft, which has introduced a new package with both styling and performance modifications.
A series of under-the-hood upgrades that include a software optimization, racing exhaust system, modified turbos and a new intercooler sourced from the Lotus Omega (Vauxhall Lotus Carlton), bump output to 485-horses (492PS). The tuner also replaced the stock 5-speed manual with a new 6-speed transmission.
As a result, the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time drops from 4.9 seconds to 4.3 seconds while top speed increases from 282km/h (175mph) to 305km/h (190mph).
A beefier set of Continental wheels and AP Racing brake system with perforated 330 mm discs complete the hardware upgrades.
Visually, Cam-Shaft dressed the Esprit V8 in a John Players Special-theme wrap inspired from the Lotus F1 team of the time.
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