The amphibious white Lotus Esprit driven by Roger Moore as James Bond in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me gets all the attention, but as true enthusiasts know it’s not the only Lotus in 007’s storied arsenal. Less flashy but of equal appeal is the bronze Lotus Esprit Turbo with gold racing stripe he takes skiing in Cortina, Italy in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only (where do you think Jon Olsson gets his ideas from?). Now the UK’s Lotus Silverstone has created a tribute to the classic with a Bond-styled Lotus Evora equipped for secret agent style ski trips, priced at an eminently reasonable €53,500.
Of course when images of the 007 Evora first surfaced, rumors caught on that it was in fact going to be the next Bond car. While we don’t see Daniel Craig giving up the keys to his Aston Martin anytime soon, it would be a nice nod to the past were the Evora to put in an appearance in the as-yet untitled Bond 23, due out in Nov. 2012. Who knows, it may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Meanwhile a few lucky journos got to tool around in the 007 Evora in the French Alps as part of a Lotus promo. They did not however get to have sex with Carole Bouquet.
