Spy Shots: New Lotus Esprit Mule caught in the Arctic

A Lotus Esprit that has clearly grown several inches in its midsection has been photographed playing in the snow of northern Sweden where all the European automakers like to spend their winters. The scribes at Autocar have traced back the license plate to reveal that the car it's attached to is propelled by a 4.4L BMW V8. As reported yesterday, it's believed that the 2010 Lotus Esprit will be motivated by the twin-turbo 4.4L V8 that debuted in the X6 xDrive50i at the Detroit Auto Show. Mounted in the Esprit, it's expected to get pumped up from the original 407 hp to a nice round 500 hp. It should make a fun alternative to the next gen Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo when it finally drops. Let's just hope it doesn't get pushed back again.

[Source: AutoCar]