Lotus Esprit V8                                                                                               

Stradale Sport under their Caral Automotive banner have engineered the Le Mans winning Corvette LS range of V8 engines to fit in the Esprit chassis. 

Coupled to the Audi 6 speed transaxle it offers customers a more powerful and reliable option to the standard Lotus engine and fragile Renault gearbox package.

One customer with an X180 car wanted an upgraded interior to match the GM LS3 engine swap so we set about creating a custom interior to the clients wish list. The design includes a new dashboard, centre console, door cards and A post trims. Panels can either be trimmed in leather, flocked or painted.

Styling wise we  created a new rear diffuser with a central square exhaust pipe design to suit the V8 engine and 6 speed gearbox.

Other upgrades requested were new air inlet ducts ala Veyron rear diffuser and lightweight rear engine cover.

Other upgrades include electric power steering for cars without power assistance as standard and a central handbrake conversion kit.

Aerodynamic air intake ducts and a clear makrolon screen on the engine cover, provides cold air ram effect induction and a chance to show off the engine installation.

The Citroen or Capri wing mirrors can also be updated with the latest design, incorporating heated glass, power fold and integral indicators.

New for 2025 is a long held plan to use the Jaguar AJV8 4.2l supercharged engine in a S3 Esprit car.

This necessitated the design and manufacture of a bespoke new chassis to suit the larger engine, which is mated to the Audi 6 speed gearbox.

The new chassis allowed us the chance to upgrade the cars suspension and brakes using a number of Lotus Evora components, including wheel bearings and brakes.