Launched at the 1975 Paris Salon and on sale from 1976, the Lotus Esprit ran continuously for twenty-eight years across two distinct visual eras (Giugiaro 1976–1987 and Peter Stevens 1987–2004) and two distinct engine eras (naturally-aspirated four-cylinder 1976–1980, turbocharged four-cylinder 1980–1996 and Lotus's own twin-turbo 3.5-litre V8 1996–2004). Total production is 10,675 cars (Lotus factory figure, verified by Brian Angus).
The naturally-aspirated pre-Turbo cars — S1 (1976–1978), S2 (1978–1980) and the short-run S2.2 (1980) — are a separate market from the later Turbo-era and V8 cars. The S1 is the original Giugiaro wedge and the Bond car ("Wet Nellie") from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); the S2 introduced revised cooling, integrated bumpers and Speedline wheels; the S2.2 is a transitional 88-car run that first fitted the 2.2-litre Type 912 engine before the Turbo launched at the 1980 Essex Motor Show.
From 1980 the Esprit Turbo added forced induction to the 2.2-litre engine and gave the car the performance its silhouette had always promised. The S3 (1981–1987), Stevens-restyled Esprit Turbo (1987–1992), Esprit SE (1989–1992) with chargecooler, S4/S4s (1993–1997), Sport 300 (1993–1995) and GT3 (1996–1998) evolved the four-cylinder platform; the Lotus-developed twin-turbo 3.5-litre V8 (1996–2004) closed the run at 350 bhp.
The Esprit is the defining Lotus supercar and the platform that carried the marque through nearly three decades and multiple ownership eras. It is the only British-built mid-engined supercar produced continuously from the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s.