2015 Corvette C7 Z06 and 1989 Lotus Esprit SE similarities

Lotus Esprit has always been one of my favorite cars-to look at that is... Looking back at this great looking car, there is a great similarity that can be drawn between the Lotus and the newest Corvette C7 Z06.

So where is this similarity?  Is it in exterior design?  No way that the latest +General Motors behemoth can be mistaken for the timeless Lotus.  Is it in layout?  Nah, the bogus mid engine Corvette designation does not even come close to the real thing and it certainly cannot be related to the interior design (at least the last, twin turbo V8 edition of Lotus).

So where is this similarity?  The answer is: POWER RATING. 

When the intercooled Lotus Esprit came out in 1989, the car actually had two power ratings.  The sustainable power rating (264 hp) and 30-second "overboost" power rating (280 hp).  Now, Lotus has to be given a big credit here, being straight forward about the power rating, openly disclosing the 30 second limitation.

Had this been GM selling the car, there is no doubt that the car would be marketed by +Tadge Juechter or his clone as 280 hp car, without any disclosure whatsoever. 

Why this comes out?  The horsepower rating of the LT4 equipped Z06 does not seem to pan out in real life, at least not in SUSTAINABLE manner.   Maybe General Motors should follow Lotus example from the past and issue two power ratings?  At least this way, there would not be any surprises from Corvette enthusiasts and potential buyers. 

Publishing pre and post heat soak horsepower ratings seems like the right thing to do, at least for someone with a sense of business ethics and old fashioned honesty.