Lotus Esprit: A Submarine Car Made It Famous, But the Shape Made It Great
Long before it turned into a submarine on the big screen, this car had already established itself as one of the most dramatically styled British sports cars of its era.
Illustration for editorial purposes
The Wedge That Defined a Design Era
Sharp, angular "wedge" styling briefly defined an entire generation of sports car design in the 1970s and 80s. Few examples of that era executed it as dramatically or as memorably as this one.
Generations at a Glance
| Version | Years | Engine | Gearbox | Body | 0–60mph | Top Speed | Price New |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esprit S1 (four-cylinder) | 1976–1978 | 2.0L four-cylinder, 160bhp (Europe) | 5-speed manual | Coupe | approx. 8.0s | approx. 133–138mph | not reliably documented |
| Esprit Turbo (later four-cylinder) | 1980–1996 | 2.2L turbocharged four-cylinder, up to 264bhp | 5-speed manual | Coupe | approx. 5.0–6.0s | approx. 150–163mph | not reliably documented |
| Esprit V8 | 1996–2004 | 3.5L twin-turbo V8, 350bhp | 5-speed manual | Coupe | approx. 4.4s | approx. 174mph | not reliably documented |
Giugiaro's Wedge, Built to Actually Drive
Introduced in 1976, the Esprit's dramatic wedge-shaped body was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, one of the era's most celebrated automotive designers, translating angular concept-car drama into a genuinely producible mid-engined road car. Its fibreglass body, a Lotus signature material, kept weight low while allowing for the complex angular surfaces the wedge design required. Lotus's characteristic lightweight engineering philosophy, carried over from the Elan, kept performance strong despite a relatively modest four-cylinder engine in early versions, with later cars gaining a turbocharger to bring performance more in line with the car's visual promise.
The Real Story Behind "Wet Nellie"
The Esprit's appearance in 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me," memorably transforming into a submarine, cemented its place in popular culture far beyond typical sports car enthusiast circles — and the true story behind the stunt car is genuinely stranger than the film itself. Lotus supplied seven Esprit fibreglass body shells to the production, and the actual submersible unit, nicknamed "Wet Nellie" on set, was built by Perry Oceanographic in Florida at a cost of over $100,000, operated underwater by a retired US Navy SEAL using electric motors and lever-steered fins in place of wheels. After filming, the submarine car vanished into a Long Island storage unit, its lease paid ten years in advance; when nobody claimed it, the unit's contents went to a blind public auction in 1989, where a local construction contractor won it for around $100 without knowing what was inside. He kept it for over two decades before consigning it to RM Auctions in 2013, where it sold for £550,000 — and the anonymous winning bidder later revealed himself to be Elon Musk, who has said he'd like to actually make the car transform for real.
How Much Does a Lotus Esprit Cost Today?
Well-preserved examples, particularly later turbocharged versions and cars with documented film connections, command solid prices among collectors specifically drawn to the car's distinctive wedge styling and cinematic history. Ordinary road-going Esprits remain considerably more attainable than the submarine car's headline-grabbing sale price might suggest, with turbo models generally commanding a premium over the earlier, less powerful four-cylinder cars for buyers prioritising outright performance over originality.
Watch & Explore
More Lotus Icons
- Lotus Emira Overview — Modern Icon
- Lotus Elan Overview — Classic Icon
Sources: Lotus Heritage archives, Wikipedia.