Photo: ashthorp/Instagram
A proud representative of Giorgetto Giugiaro's polygonal “folded paper” styling, the Lotus Esprit is another perfect example for the long departed but not forgotten automotive category. And with such artistical reinterpretations like the one you see here, there’s a slim chance this vehicle will ever fade out of memory.
The digital artist behind this creation, Ash Thorp (a.k.a. ashthorp on social media), is no stranger to badass minimalist creations if we remember the Lamborghini LM002 that he digitally altered to assume the mantle of a very cool Baja Truck.
And “The ESP” (M.H.C. 07 in his library), as he nicknamed his Lotus Esprit project, doesn’t wander off into street-legal territory either. Instead, it remains perfectly content to join the ranks of the circuit-exclusive motorsport racers. But that’s not all, because the virtual artist has taken inspiration from several sources for this one.
For example, while the British supercar is a renowned cultural icon for its appearance in the James Bond flicks, this time around, the Hollywood influences turned to something a bit more niched. But it’s also entirely appropriate for this design since the modern Esprit racer we see here in CGI form also comes with stealth bomber vibes.
As far as the manga-inspired connections go, the pixel master says The ESP was quite heavily influenced by the Lotus Esprit that appeared in the critically panned (but popcorn worthy) “Ghost in the Shell” live-action movie. There, a heavily modified vehicle served as the car sidekick for Pilou Asbæk’s character Batou (the one with the cybernetic eyes).
Additionally, Thorp clearly made this Esprit reinterpretation his own by going a bit wild on the M.H.C. 07 project. As with a true racer, there are no headlights; the front is heavily inspired by the latest military aircraft, and the entire design has a pure beauty thanks to its styling being stripped down to the basics of raw functionality.
Just take a look at the exposed engine sitting neatly under the huge carbon fiber rear wing and say it isn’t so! Naturally, the car is squatted as close to the ground as possible, and the only apparent concession to modern bling seems to be the addition of the gold-plated BBS wheels. By the way, the artist says this version is finished, but he’s already working on the next one.
And “The ESP” (M.H.C. 07 in his library), as he nicknamed his Lotus Esprit project, doesn’t wander off into street-legal territory either. Instead, it remains perfectly content to join the ranks of the circuit-exclusive motorsport racers. But that’s not all, because the virtual artist has taken inspiration from several sources for this one.
For example, while the British supercar is a renowned cultural icon for its appearance in the James Bond flicks, this time around, the Hollywood influences turned to something a bit more niched. But it’s also entirely appropriate for this design since the modern Esprit racer we see here in CGI form also comes with stealth bomber vibes.
As far as the manga-inspired connections go, the pixel master says The ESP was quite heavily influenced by the Lotus Esprit that appeared in the critically panned (but popcorn worthy) “Ghost in the Shell” live-action movie. There, a heavily modified vehicle served as the car sidekick for Pilou Asbæk’s character Batou (the one with the cybernetic eyes).
Additionally, Thorp clearly made this Esprit reinterpretation his own by going a bit wild on the M.H.C. 07 project. As with a true racer, there are no headlights; the front is heavily inspired by the latest military aircraft, and the entire design has a pure beauty thanks to its styling being stripped down to the basics of raw functionality.
Just take a look at the exposed engine sitting neatly under the huge carbon fiber rear wing and say it isn’t so! Naturally, the car is squatted as close to the ground as possible, and the only apparent concession to modern bling seems to be the addition of the gold-plated BBS wheels. By the way, the artist says this version is finished, but he’s already working on the next one.
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