The Lotus Emira will be the automaker’s last ICE-powered car
Four new platforms coming and a new powertrain collaboration
Lotus Cars is revealing its plans for the future, and while it seems like the company’s plans are always in flux, the lightweight automaker now has more stability than it has in decades. The plan, then? A new sports car called the Emira, four new platforms including a premium model, increased performance, sustainability, and a new retail experience for customers.
The Lotus Emira was previously known only by its codename, the Lotus Type 131. The car will get a design influenced by the Evija hypercar, and will be powered by an internal combustion engine, not a hybrid – Lotus says it’ll be their last – that comes from a new engine partnership. The car will debut July 6th at the factory and then be on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a few days later.
Lotus will build the Emira on one of four new architectures it is developing that are intended to be Lotus-only inside the Geely group but will be offered to other OEMs through Lotus Engineering. A sports car platform using extruded aluminum, a hypercar platform that will underpin the Evija, a premium platform that will “be the basis for an all-new range of lifestyle vehicles,” (think SUVs), and an electric sports car architecture that will be developed along with Renault’s performance brand Alpine.
The automaker said that it is targeting net-zero emissions as part of this Driving Tomorrow plan, and said that electrification efforts will help make this possible. The plan includes business stability as well, a long-time challenge for the boutique automaker.
Lastly, a new brand experience including new retail showrooms will modernise the brand image and appeal to buyers with the company’s tech and design abilities. Lotus will redesign its online presence as part of the plan.
