Lotus will also offer a V6 version of the new Esprit supercar, alongside the already confirmed V8 hybrid, as part of a commitment to maintaining the brand’s lightweight ethos, the company’s CEO said.
Lotus has set a target weight of 1.5 tons for the V8 version of the car, codenamed Type 135 and scheduled for launch in 2028, Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors on the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Aug. 27.
The hybrid drivetrain will allow the company to meet global emissions regulations “while preserving the essential Lotus DNA of lightweight engineering and extreme driving dynamics on the track,” Feng said.
Lotus had already announced that the replacement for the Emira sports car would use a hybrid V6, but this is the first confirmation that the transmission will also go to the flagship ‘Esprit’, creating a lighter model with a more accessible entry price.
Both the V6 and V8 engines are being developed by Horse, which is jointly owned by Lotus parent Geely and Renault.
Feng recognized the challenge of keeping weight down in a complicated electrified drivetrain. “Reaching that goal with an 800-volt architecture, a hybrid system, a V8 engine and an electric motor is not easy,” he said.
One solution will be an ultralight electric motor. “A typical 150 kilowatt (201 HP) engine weighs between 75 and 95 kg. We have taken advantage of Formula 1 technology to reduce it to just 20 kg,” said Feng.
Maximum power will exceed 1,000 HP, according to what Lotus has said.
The car will be designed with an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox “designed to handle high torque while keeping weight to a minimum,” Feng said.
The car will be a flagship model linking Lotus’ electric expertise with its strategic investment into combustion engines, starting with the Eletre X plug-in hybrid version of the electric SUV due to arrive in the UK next year.
“The Type 135 will fill the gap between the Emira and Evija, preserving the emotional connection that Emira owners have with Lotus mechanical handling, while taking advantage of V8 hybrid technology to get closer to the technical benchmark set by the Evija,” Feng said.
The new supercar will be built alongside the Lotus Emira sports car in Hethel, in a boost for Lotus’ historic base in Norfolk.
This is part of a wider plan to put ICE sports cars back at the heart of Lotus’ future after the company abandoned its plan to go all-electric by 2028.
The new Esprit takes inspiration from the Theory 1 electric supercar concept from 2024. A teaser image of the rear of the production car launched by Lotus (below) shows the striking similarity to the concept, with the addition of two massive exhaust pipes.
Lotus has been collaborating with Horse on the development of the turbocharged V8, which is expected to set a new benchmark in power-to-weight ratio.
“Since we will be starting from scratch with this engine, we will put a lot of effort into improving the volume and also the weight of the engine,” Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng said in a statement.
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