Lotus Etna Concept

Elan, Esprit, Elise, Exige, Europa – there are many well-known model names from Lotus. Again and again, the lightweight sports cars have been able to convince their customers. But do you know the Etna? Exactly one vehicle bore this name – and it didn’t come from Hethel, but from Turin. Giorgetto Giugiaro was responsible for this unique vehicle. With the 1984 concept car, he wanted to deliver a life-size design for a successor to the wedge-shaped Esprit, which had also been designed by his company Italdesign in 1972. After 12 years, the designer felt the time was ripe for something new. He kept the basic wedge shape, but also provided clear 1980s influences. The clean surfaces and lines already somewhat anticipated the 1989 Elan (M100). Compared with the Esprit, Giugiaro lengthened the wheelbase by three inches to gain more interior space.

Esprit successor with V8 engine

While the Esprit at that time was still powered by four-cylinder engines, the Etna was already looking to the future. It wasn’t until 1996 that Lotus installed V8 engines in the mid-engined Esprit. Behind the two seats of the Etna, however, there was already a forerunner of this eight-cylinder engine with the internal code Type 909 in 1984. Although this engine never ran and wasn’t connected to the rear wheels, Italdesign, together with Lotus, provided technical data. Thus, around 335 hp and 400 Nm of torque were to be drawn from four liters of displacement. With this, the sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds was envisaged, while the topspeed was specified as 180 mph. A five-speed manual transmission was to ensure power transfer. The active suspension and traction control were taken over from the Lotus Formula 1 team. Added to this were ABS and active noise cancellation in the interior.

Lotus fan made it a driving car

The Lotus Etna made its debut at the 1984 British International Motor Show in Birmingham. However, the vehicle on display was purely a show car. It was made of fiberglass, clay and wood. Lotus was deep in crisis two years after the death of company founder Colin Chapman. There was no money to develop a successor to the Esprit. Thus, the promising car rolled into the depot and remained there for about two decades. In 2001, a Lotus fan discovered the one-off and was able to purchase it. He subsequently succeeded in doing what Italdesign and Lotus hadn’t intended in 1984: He got the Type 909 engine running and with it the entire car. To do this, he adapted an Esprit chassis to the dimensions of the Etna. The car rolled around under its own power for the first time at the 2006 Lotus Festival in Donnington. An appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed followed in 2008.

For sale at Metropole Classics

Of course, such a concept car cannot be registered for public road use. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating piece of automotive history. Especially the interior designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro with numerous switches and buttons reflects the zeitgeist of the 1980s. Whether pressing these buttons actually does anything may be doubted in most cases. The tachometer counter also remains at 000000, but the car with its large glass roof can still be driven under its own power on closed roads. The fact that one of only two Lotus Type 909 engines ever produced can be heard is the icing on the cake. Metropole Classics from the Netherlands is currently offering the British-Italian one-off for sale for € 125,000.

Images: Metropole Classics