Lotus will also offer a V6 version of the new Esprit supercar, along with the already-confirmed hybrid V8, as part of a pledge to adhere to the lightweight ethos of the brand, the company’s CEO has said.
Lotus has set a target weight of 1.5 tonnes for the V8 version of the car, which is codenamed Type 135 and planned for launch in 2028, Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors on the company’s second-quarter earnings call on 27 August.
The hybrid drivetrain will allow the company to conform to global emissions regulations “while preserving essential Lotus DNA of lightweight engineering and extreme track-focus driving dynamics” said Feng.
Lotus has previously said the replacement for Emira sports car will use a V6 hybrid, but this is the first confirmation that the drivetrain will also go into the Esprit flagship, 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 acknowledged the challenge off keeping the weight low in a complicated electrified drivetrain. “Achieving that target with an 800V architecture, a hybrid system, a V8 engine and electric motor in [the car] just is not easy,” he said.
One solution will be an ultra-lightweight electric motor. “A typical 150kW [201bhp] motor weighs between 75kg and 95kg. We have leveraged Formula 1 technology to bring it down to just 20kg,” said Feng.
According to Lotus, the total peak power output will exceed 1000bhp.
The car will be engineered with an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox “designed to handle high torque while keeping weight to a minimum,” said Feng.
The Esprit will be a flagship model linking Lotus’s electric expertise with its strategic reversal back into combustion engines, which begins with the Eletre X plug-in hybrid version of the originally electric-only SUV due in the UK next year.
“The Type 135 will fill the gap between the Emira and Evija, preserving the emotional connection Emira owners have with the Lotus mechanical handling, while leveraging V8 hybrid technology to approach the technical benchmark set by the Evija,” said Feng.
The new supercar will be built alongside the Lotus Emira sports car at Hethel, in a boost for Lotus’s historical base in Norfolk.
This is part of a wider plan to put ICE sports cars back at the heart of Lotus’s future after the company abandoned a plan to go all-electric by 2028.
The new Esprit takes inspiration from 2024's Theory 1 electric supercar concept. A preview shot of the rear of the production car released by Lotus (below) shows the striking similarity with the concept, with the addition of two massive exhaust pipes.
Lotus has been collaborating with Horse in the development of the turbocharged V8, which is expected to set a new benchmark in power-to-weight ratios.
“Since we will be starting from scratch with this engine, we will make a lot of effort to improve the volume and also the weight of the engine,” said Feng in a statement earlier this year.
