Elon Musk’s Lotus Esprit Submarine Inspired The Cybertruck

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Way back in 2013 a couple who hid away the iconic Lotus Esprit submarine movie car put it up for auction through RM Sotheby’s. People were astounded when the non-running vehicle went for a lofty $997,000 plunked down by an anonymous bidder. Later, Elon Musk himself revealed he was the proud new owner. But few knew what a role it would play in the future of Tesla.

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While Musk said when he initially revealed himself as the owner of the James Bond movie car that he would make it functional using a Tesla powertrain, even capable of transforming from a car to a submarine. That still hasn’t happened, as far as we know, but the odd vehicle has had quite the impact on Tesla today.

Musk has admitted before the lines of the Cybertruck are inspired by the Lotus Esprit submarine, a vehicle which fascinated him as a child. While we can kind of see the resemblance, honestly the British sports car pulls off the angles so much better. Perhaps it’s the lack of stainless steel resembling an industrial refrigerator?

The couple who owned the movie prop before Musk got it by accident. They paid $100 for a locked storage unit back in 1989, finding the 1976 Lotus Esprit buried under junk inside. Since it captivated so many in the underwater shots of The Spy Who Loved Me, many were willing to pay a heft sum to own the vehicle.

But the couple held onto it, not knowing entirely what it was since they’d never watched a single James Bond film. We’re not sure if the low price of acquisition or their naivety is more astounding. Later, they learned from others what it was.

After years of storing the thing, they finally decided to have a cosmetic restoration done, then put it up for auction. The rest is history which has impacted the present.

Image via IMDB