Esprit GT3 pre production prototype

[Loose Cannon]

One version of the GT3 I always wanted to know more about was the prototype which appeared at the 1996 Geneva salon. Because the V8 hogged the headlines all I ever saw was it sitting in the background, but it was obvious it was supposed to have V8/S4s arch flares and split rim wheels. Presumably these were binned when Lotus wanted to tone down the GT3 to justify the £20,000 price difference between it and the V8.

Well a nice little brochure popped up on Ebay from Belgium, and it shows for the first time a few other angles and inside this first car. Can you believe they were going to colour code the steering wheel? That's one feature that I'm glad didn't go into production

 

 

[hopo]

Looks wonderful. Think they look great with the flares and those are my fave esprit wheels..... 

 

Shame they weren't all like that!