The Series 1 Lotus Esprit was the first generation of Lotus Espirt. Introduced in 1976, the S1 Lotus Esprit was a mid engined sports car styled by Giorgetto Guigiaro. The S1 was powered by a 2.0L inline engine, and was built using lightweight construction methods, giving the car power and dynamic ability. The Lotus Esprit S1 was in production until 1978 and was replaced by the Lotus Esprit Series 2.