The Lotus Theory 1 concept car is a three-seater electric Esprit.

Take a closer look at the new Lotus Theory 1 concept, because it’s Lotus dropping some big hints about the next generation of its British-Chinese sports car.

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The little Evija is an electric supercar with a three-seat layout in the style of the McLaren F1, and a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain with a total of 986 horsepower (1,000 PS). Lotus says it will sprint to 62 mph in less than 2.5 seconds, has a top speed of 199 mph (320 km/h), and at more reasonable speeds, the 70 kWh battery will provide a range of 250 miles (402 km).

Related: Lotus Eletre costs up to $229,900 due to new Chinese EV tariffs

The carbon fiber body helps keep the weight under 3,520 pounds (1,600 kilograms), and there’s plenty of visible carbon fiber inside and out on the Theory 1, which, combined with the butterfly doors, creates a very powerful visual presence. It looks leaner, tighter, and more beautiful than the larger Evija, and despite all the curves, it’s clear that Lotus’ designers had the original 1977 S1 Esprit in mind when they put pen to paper.

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Lotus doesn’t call it an Esprit, but you can imagine a production version wearing that famous badge, and it’s easy to see how much technology and design philosophies will go into a supercar you’ll be able to buy in a few years.

One of the innovations we could see on Land Rover is Lotuswear, a system of adaptive fabric-covered robots developed by Motorskins that can provide tactile feedback to the driver through the seat and steering wheel. For example, tiny inflatable pods could provide pulses to tell the driver when to turn, or they could act as buttons.

Another technology is steer-by-wire, which may shock Lotus fans who like the unfiltered steering feel of cars like the Elise. Lotus says it lets the driver adjust the steering ratio and feel, although it’s only a virtual feel, so it makes us wary. More likely to appeal to hardcore Lotus fans is the use of the motor and battery assembly as a stressed member, able to take forces directly from the suspension, which is what the Lotus 49 F1 car’s V8 did in the late 1960s.

One feature already on the way is the Pirelli P Zero Elect tires, which have been developed to reduce rolling resistance and increase range by 10 percent. They are currently fitted to the Lotus Eletre SUV and Emeya four-door coupe, both of which bear Lotus badges but don’t seem quite Lotus-like to many enthusiasts. The Theory 1, on the other hand, feels like a Lotus despite being an electric car – (relatively) light, pure, driver-focused – which fits the badge and is something we can all get behind.

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