- Lotus has reportedly secured a replacement for the Emira’s AMG in-line four and Toyota V6.
- The Cayman-sized sports car will get a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, hybrid V6 from Horse Powertrain.
- Lotus Esprit supercar coming 2028 could use related a hybrid V8 cranking out over 1,000 hp.
Lotus looks set to ditch both Toyota and Mercedes-AMG power in the Emira, but learning the name of the company that’ll reportedly supply their replacements has caught a few enthusiasts by surprise.
According to Autocar, the revised Emira arrives in 2028 and will use a new 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine developed by Horse Powertrain. That’s the joint operation formed by Lotus’ parent company Geely and Renault, and so far mostly associated with low-power hybrids, not sports cars.
Related: Lotus Once Vowed To Go EV-Only. Its Next Supercar Will Have A V8 And Over 980 HP
Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng told the decision was heavily influenced by customer demand, especially in America.
“They told us that they love the V6 engine, and actually the V6 version is our best-seller in the US market,” Feng said in an interview with Autocar.
The new engine certainly sounds promising on paper. Horse says the V6 produces up to 536 hp (544 PS / 400 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque before you’ve added any hybrid boost, while weighing only 160 kg, or about 353 pounds. The company claims that makes it the lightest V6 currently available, roughly 10 kg (22 pounds) lighter than any rival engine.
Horse revealed the engine at the Beijing Auto Show last month, calling it the W30. It’s designed specifically for hybrid applications and pairs with a four-speed hybrid transmission featuring integrated electric motors, though hopefully Lotus has other gearbox plans. The setup supports mild and full-hybrid configurations and can even work as a range extender.
World’s Smallest Hybrid V6
Horse CEO Matias Giannini told the magazine that the engine’s compact dimensions come from modular engineering based on existing four-cylinder technology.
“That’s why it’s so competitive, and it is the lightest and smallest hybrid V6 in the world right now,” Giannini said. “There’s no hybrid V6 engine that fits in the package that ours fits.”
The switch also gives Lotus tighter control over future development while likely lowering long-term costs. Instead of sourcing engines from Toyota and AMG, Geely can now keep everything within its growing corporate ecosystem.
New Esprit Coming 2028
And this apparently won’t stop with the Emira. Lotus is also preparing a new V8 hybrid supercar expected to revive the Esprit name and seen this week in an official teaser image (above). The V8 reportedly shares architecture with the new V6 and could produce more than 986 hp (1,000 PS) alongside electric assistance.
Most importantly for Lotus loyalists, the new Esprit due in 2028 is expected to be built at Hethel in the UK alongside the Emira, helping secure the future of the brand’s historic factory.
