Lotus Adds 536bhp Hybrid Unit to Emira V8 Engine
Lotus will fit the Emira with a new v8 engine in 2027, but the number hides the real change: the car is actually moving to a 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged hybrid from Horse. The revised Emira will be the first car to use it. For buyers, that means the sports car Lotus keeps selling now will switch to one powertrain only.
Feng Qingfeng and the Emira
Feng Qingfeng said the Horse V6 will replace both the current Toyota-sourced V6 and the AMG-supplied four-cylinder unit in the Emira. He also said, “They told us that they love the V6 engine, and actually the V6 version is our best-seller in the US market.”
The move keeps the Emira in the range beyond its current setup. It also gives Lotus a clear answer to the electric replacement it had planned with Alpine before deciding there was no market for it.
Horse V6 at 536bhp
The Horse unit develops up to 536bhp and 516lb ft. It weighs 160kg, which Horse says makes it around 10kg lighter than any other V6 on the market. Matias Giannini said, “Being based on a smaller engine design is also a key reason why the V6 is so compact and light.”
The engine is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission with an integrated electric motor. That setup gives the Emira extra power boost and reduces emissions. Horse also said, “That's why it's so competitive, and it is the lightest and smallest hybrid V6 in the world right now. There's no hybrid V6 engine that fits in the package that ours fits.”
Hethel production after 2000 cars
Lotus is tying the revised Emira to Hethel near Norwich, where the company also plans to build the V8 Esprit supercar from 2028. Production at Hethel fell to 2000 cars last year after the US imposed a 25% tariff on imported cars in March 2025, and Lotus now wants to push the plant close to its 10,000-car capacity.
Qingfeng said, “The 10% tariff for UK-manufactured cars exported to the US seems acceptable to us.” He added, “It is actually more cost-efficient [using Hethel] than investing in a [new] factory.”
The practical question now is how Lotus balances demand for the updated Emira against the plant’s output targets. The company has set 2027 for the revised car and 2028 for the Esprit, so the next pressure point is whether Hethel can turn those plans into steady volume without another production drop.
