Lotus again derives a customer racing car from its last combustion engine model. The supercharged bolide should already be fighting for victories from 2022.
The future of Lotus is purely electric - by 2028 at the latest, the brand will only build battery cars. But the British are still treating themselves to a model cycle in which a sports car can use an internal combustion engine as the drive source. This honor goes to the recently presented Emira , which will already be accompanied by a customer racing car for the 2022 season: the Emira GT4.
Supercharged V6 from the Toyota shelf
This is based on the Emira top model with the 3.5-liter V6 from the Toyota shelf including a Harrop supercharger. Depending on how the engine is classified via the "Balance of Performance", it should produce 406 hp in the GT4 racing car and reach a maximum speed of 7,200 rpm. A six-speed transmission from X-Trac, the gears of which can be changed using paddle shifters, directs the power towards the rear wheels, where it is divided by a limited-slip differential to optimize traction.
The finest racing technology is used for the chassis. The layout with double wishbones front and rear is complemented by Lotus with a coilover suspension with Öhlins dampers and anti-roll bars. The brake discs and calipers come from Alcon, while Bosch supplies the racing ABS. The 18-inch rims are encased all around with racing tires from Pirelli, which are 265/645 R18 at the front and 305/680 R18 at the rear. The petrol tank holds 96 liters.
Extreme instead of tame
The 4.41 meter long and 1.29 meter high Lotus Emira GT4 has a track width of 1.66 meters. Thanks to its body made of composite materials, it weighs only 1,260 kilograms dry. The new aerodynamic add-on parts make the rather tame look of the road Emira, which is designed with a focus on comfort, much more extreme. A splitter stretches far forward under the front apron. The posterior is even more spectacular with its huge wing suspended from two supports.
Inside, the drivers will find a typical racing car cockpit with bucket seat, six-point harness, FIA-compliant roll cage and fire extinguisher. The Motec specialists deliver the instrument panel and the associated electronics, including the digital display, data logger and wiring harness.
The Emira GT4 should really take off in 2023
Lotus' development partner in the Emira GT4 project is the RML Group, which is currently launching its first own sports car with the Short Wheelbase . For the 2022 season, the British, who now belong to the Chinese Geely Group, want to launch a limited number of the cars. A year later, all interested customer teams will be supplied with the appropriate Emira GT4. Lotus has not yet announced a price.
Conclusion
Lotus lets it rip again at the end of its combustion engine era and provides the road sports car Emira with a GT4 customer racing racer. Starting next year, he will be able to prove on the international racetracks whether the Briton is capable of winning in the highly competitive class.
