A 'forgotten' Lotus Emotion from Bertone

For automotive enthusiasts when discussing beautiful cars from the past, it does provide its own satisfaction. Moreover, if these cars are one of the rare cars that are rarely known by the public. Well, on this occasion we will see and discuss beautiful cars from the 1990s which were indeed recorded as one of the eras that produced many beautiful car creations.

1991 Lotus Emotion Concept designed by Stilo Bertone and built based on Lotus Esprit chassis. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcreJq)

An example is the Lotus Emotion Concept, a beautiful car created by Stilo Bertone, one of the famous Italian coachbuilders whose at that time collaborated with GM to create a body design for the Lotus Esprit. Not only does it look very modern in its current appearance, but there are also interesting stories behind the concept. Rumor has it, Bertone initially created the Emotion as a proposal design to become an epic Bugatti EB110 supercar.

However, Bertone was rejected by Marcello Gandini, who was chosen as the person responsible for designing its predecessor, Bugatti Veyron. After being rejected by Bugatti, Bertone then discarded a number of parts of the previous concept, which were deemed to be far-fetched to convince the Lotus Cars executives which were then used as the design foundation for a new Esprit. The concept car built on the Lotus Esprit chassis was first revealed at one of the world's famous automotive expo known as the North America International Auto Show held in 1991.

1991 Lotus Emotion Concept debuted at the 1991 North America International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Detroit as a static model. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcreJq)

When viewed from its exterior appearance, this sports car which is the result of the design of the Stilo Bertone is clearly seen carrying the distinctive style of the 1990s that is thick with the pull of strong lines blended with an exotic of curved lines. After it was finished, the original form of Lotus Esprit did not appear. But unfortunately, according to several sources said that the concept car is a non-driving concept that was made for the purposes of design studies only.

1991 Lotus Emotion Concept has the same chassis as the Lotus Esprit (245 cm), but with a total length of more than 4 meters (406 cm) is really a very compact car. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcreJq)

Even so, the Emotion, which was present as a show car at the 1991 NAIAS event, still looked beautiful, elegant with a classic touch that was harmonious with modernization in accordance with the trends at the time. The Emotion concept car has the same chassis as the Lotus Esprit (245 cm), but with a total length of more than 4 meters (406 cm) is really a very compact car. It is comparable to the Lancia Stratos or Lamborghini Bravo, two other impressive Bertone creations that also feature the same structure, based on a mid-mounted engine.

1991 Lotus Emotion Concept has the highly original use of glazed surfaces, with the side windows closing in towards the rear to create a pointed rear windscreen. (Picture from: https://bit.ly/2YcreJq)

As quoted of carstyling.ru that the Lotus Emotion concept discreet elegance really stood out at the Detroit show, which was focussing on concepts derived from the field of bio-design. The design of the proportions and surfaces, with total attention to the elimination of stylistic excesses, creates a body with clean, elegant, and masterfully compact lines. The beltline is tight, smooth, and almost horizontal. An air inlet, placed under a panel fold, is the only detail to feature on the minimal, essential wings.

And in the style of the Turin-based designer, there is a highly original use of glazed surfaces, with the side windows closing in towards the rear to create a pointed rear windscreen. This singular design feature dictates the triangular shape of the roof. With the Emotion, Bertone and his team establish their distinctive design identity in the context of pure style. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MOTOR1 | CARSTYLING.RU]

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