since the two companies merged, and plans are in the works for Lotus to continue to provide engineering input for the Bugatti EB 112 four-door model. Under Bugatti, Lotus was able to turn around its performance, and the investment company which purchased Lotus (21 Invest International Holdings) plans to introduce a two-seat roadster in 1996 and bring a successor to the Lotus Esprit to market in 1998. The new Esprit is expected to have a 32-valve, V-8 engine, significantly increasing the car's performance.
21 Invest International is a British merchant bank, but is also a joint venture of two powerful Italian families, the Bonomis and the Benettons. Initially, 21 Invest will hold all of the shares in Lotus, but the company plans to bring in other investors or facilitate a management buyout within five years. One of the principals of 21 Invest, Alessandro Benetton, is also president of the Benetton Formula racing team; he also controls half of TWR, a racing and specialty car manufacturer based in the United Kingdom. Lotus will not be merged with TWR, but will continue to be run independently and in competition to TWR.
Lotus markets the Esprit Turbo to a select consumer group. While there are some racing enthusiasts who purchase the car for sanctioned sports use, the Esprit is targeted to wealthy individuals who are purchasing a car both for its performance and the status that it confers on the driver. Evidence of this can be found in the various reviews that are printed on the Esprit, which appear not only in traditional car evaluation magazines, but also in publications such as Entrepreneur, which caters to successful individuals who own their own business.
The Lotus Esprit Turbo is not designed for commuting, and its performance and the maintenance required to keep it in peak operating condition preclude its use as an "everyday" car. Instead, the Esprit is designed to be a secondary car, used on weekends, for example, ...