The Lotus Esprit and the Bond car that made a splash!
01 October 2026
Fifty years ago, in October 1976, filming took place for the underwater sequences for the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. Arguably the biggest star of the film was the Lotus Esprit, which plunges into the sea and converts into a submarine! The film made the Lotus Esprit burst into public consciousness having entered production in June 1976.
Project M70: Birth of the Lotus Esprit
In 1971, Lotus founder Colin Chapman had a meeting with renowned Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, and a memorable collaboration began. Lotus were looking for a two-seater mid-engined replacement for the Europa and Giugiaro set to work.
In 1972, the striking angular “silver car” prototype was unveiled at the 1972 Turin Motor Show, to wide acclaim. Chapman gave the green light to Project M70 and three-years late, at the Paris Motor Show saw the debut of the Lotus Esprit. One source states that Giugiaro wanted to call the car “Kiwi” but the Lotus tradition of naming their cars starting with “E” prevailed.
The Esprit had a fibreglass body on a steel chassis and was powered by a Lotus 907 aluminium 2-litre, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine. A Citroen 5-speed gearbox was deployed, along with independent rear suspension. Lotus claimed performance stats of 0-60mph in 6.8 seconds, 160bhp and a top speed of 138mph. Behind the glamour of the eye-catching design, the Esprit made use of Fiat taillights and wheels. (Later versions had Morris Marina door handles!)
The new Lotus Esprit The Esprit was launched in October 1975 at the Paris Motor Show and was first available to purchase in the UK in June 1976. The retail price was £7,979. The motoring press praised the car’s looks, performance and steering, they were more critical of noise, vibration and rear-visibility. Initial sales were not spectacular but then came the Bond factor…
In 1977, the eagerly anticipated latest Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me” was released and arguably its biggest star was the Lotus Esprit. Lotus supplied two road cars for the production, along with seven shells used for the famous submarine sequence. In the film, there is a car chase in which Bond sprays cement from the rear of the car to deter the baddies. Then, of course, when the Esprit goes into the sea, it converts to a submarine, complete with periscope, mine launcher, rear-mounted ink jets, front-mounted torpedoes and a sea to air missile launcher (neatly despatching the baddies’ helicopter). The submarine Esprit was named “Wet Nellie” by the production crew, who, with the help of Perry Oceanographic in Florida, made the fibreglass shell into an electrically-powered wet-sub, crewed by two frogmen.
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![Wet Nellie On Display At The National Motor Museum In 2012Web]()
Wet Nellie On Display At The National Motor Museum 2002 -
![Lotus Esprit 'Wet Nellie' From The Spy Who Loved Me A]()
Wet Nellie On Display In Bond in Motion At The National Motor Museum in 2012 -
![Lotus Esprit 'Wet Nellie' From The Spy Who Loved Me B]()
Wet Nellie On Display At The National Motor Museum 2012 -
![Lotus Esprit 'Wet Nellie' From The Spy Who Loved Me C]()
Wet Nellie On Display At The National Motor Museum 2012 -
![James Bond Lotus Esprit From The Spy Who Loved Me 1977]()
Wet Nellie On Display At The National Motor Museum 2002
Interestingly, Wet Nellie ended up being bought at auction in 2013 for £550,000 by none other than Elon Musk, who declared ambitious plans to make it a truly amphibious car powered by Tesla electric motors. Strangely enough, nothing has been heard on this subject since.
Official Lotus records state that 718 original model (S1) Esprits were made, and they are now rarely seen on the road. The Esprit was the longest running of all of Lotus’ production cars and has an enduring appeal with enthusiasts and instant recognition from cinema-goers across the world.
By Sarah Wyatt, National Motor Museum Senior Curator (Archives & Trading)
1989 Lotus Esprit in the National Motor Museum Trust Collection
Regarded by many as Britain's supercar, the original Lotus Esprit, with angular styling by Giugiaro, was something of a sensation when launched in 1976. A decade later it looked dated and a re-design was masterminded by Peter Stevens, who later designed the McLaren F1, MG TF and Subaru Imprezza. The new car, although heavier than its predecessor, was more aerodynamic. A more rigid body and refinements to suspension gave improved handling, In turbocharged form, the Esprit had supercar 150mph plus performance.
The 1989 Lotus Esprit was donated by Georgina Turner in memory of her late husband Richard Edward Turner.