Lotus Esprit is a sports car that was manufactured by British automaker Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004. It was one of the first mass-produced mid-engined cars, and Lotus' flagship sports car. The Esprit was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and was based on the John Player Special edition of the Lotus Europa. It was available in a number of versions, including the turbocharged S4S, the V8 and the Sport 300.