Yesterday, Lotus->ke49 did something rather interesting. The British sports car maker sent everybody in the automotive industry a picture of Stonehenge and then boldly announced a new era. Of course, this obviously means the new Lotus Esprit->ke2303, but perhaps there is more to this new era than we think.

According to a report out of Malaysia, Lotus owner Proton has hired a load of ex-Ferrari->ke252, Porsche->ke1, and Aston Martin->ke13 employees in the hopes of turning the company from a quirky Toyota based sports car company to a real luxury supercar brand. So, gone are the days of a basic motor with a light frame. Instead, Lotus might become complex, which is sad in a way, like the end of an era.

The new Lotus Esprit will most likely be getting a V8 of some sort and engine supplier Toyota->ke88 has just that. The 5.0-liter 416 horsepower V8 from the IS-F would do nicely in the new Lotus and it would help it compete with other sports cars in that segment. That being said, more power is in order if Lotus wants to rival Ferrari.

According to the report, Lexus’s->ke47 4.8-liter V10 from the LFA->ke2181 might be made available. The engine puts out 552 horsepower and can even break wine glasses. It makes perfect sense, as Lexus spent a boatload of cash on this motor and are only going to put them in 500 or so cars. So, why not get some of that money back by selling a few to Lotus?

So, would anybody buy a Lotus with that much power? Of course they would, but what made Lotus so special was the low price and insane handling ability, not big thirsty motors and massive price tags.

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