Not too long ago we’ve witnessed the dynamic launch of Lotus’s last ever ICE model, the Emira will go into history as the final Lotus to come with an internal combustion engine, the car was officially unveiled 48 hours before the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed opened its doors, which was the first time we could enjoy the Lotus Emira at speed for the Hill Climb event.
To make the Lotus Emira even more attractive, clients can choose between a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 pumping out about 400hp or opt for a more economical turbocharged inline-4 from AMG with 360hp, both can be ordered with a 6-speed automatic transmission or a more engaging 6-speed manual with Torsen type limited-slip differential, but obtaining one might be challenging as sales only started in September before that, clients were asked a ‘reservation’ fee of £2,000 ($2,800) to secure their spot on the list for an RHD model, keep in mind the Emira is the first Lotus new model in almost 10 years, and it will be the final petrol-powered Lotus ever, all for about £60,000 ($83,000).
And now Lotus, with help from RML Groups unveils the next step … the Emira GT4 race car following a recent partnership with Extreme E racing team JBXE, after more than 70 years of innovation both on the track and on the open road, the Emira GT4 is the start of a new era in GT racing for Lotus, albeit still a concept, the Emira GT4 will become a hand-built, competition-spec GT4 race car to continue the Lotus motorsport story.
This new car will replace the Lotus Evora GT4 to compete in the British GT, Dubai 24hrs, Barcelona 24hrs, European GT, Sepang 12hrs, and the Pirelli World Challenge to continue the legacy, as just about every modern Lotus road car had a competition counterpart, so the Emira only continues on a path set by her predecessors a long time ago, clients that want to race the Emira GT4 will receive a hand-built performance car with full homologations, lightweight track components and all required equipment to comply with safety regulations on the track.
The Lotus Emira GT4 will be fitted with the 3.5-Liter V6 Toyota engine that has proven its worth in racing already, combine that with the composite body in an advanced GT4 aerodynamics design, this lightweight, but powerful new Lotus GT4 will be very competitive on the track.
Richard Selwin, Race Programme Manager, Lotus, commented: “The all-new Emira GT4 is an exciting next step following the hugely successful launch of the Emira road car. We have worked hard with the team at RML Group to ensure this next-generation of Lotus GT car will deliver race-winning performance.”
The new Lotus Emira GT4 will be officially launched during a special event at the Hethel test track, a famous 2.2-mile circuit that has been witness to the development of some of the world’s most famous race cars, and let’s not forget Lotus Engineering, which is the consultancy division of the business, became a technical partner to JBXE, the Extreme E race team led by F1 world champion Jenson Button.
There will be a very limited number of Lotus Emira GT4 built for the 2022 racing season, with the aim to really start building larger numbers of this new Lotus race car for the 2023 championship rounds, interested in adding this Emira GT4 to your race team? In that case, you should get in touch with the Lotus motorsport department to secure one as soon as possible.
Lotus Emira GT4 tech spec and target performance data
| Engine | Toyota V6 2GR-FE |
| Cubic Capacity | 3.5-litres |
| Power | 400bhp* |
| RPM | 7,200rpm |
| Supercharger | Harrop TVS 1900 |
| Transmission | 6-speed xTrac with paddleshift + limited slip differential |
| Fuel cell capacity | 96-litres FIA-approved fuel cell |
| Electronics | Motec-supplied dashboard with data-logging + bespoke motorsport loom |
| Suspension | Front and rear double-wishbone / Öhlins coil-over dampers / anti-roll bars |
| Brakes | Alcon discs and calipers + Bosch Motorsport ABS |
| Tyres | Pirelli GT4 265/645×18 (front) and 305/680×18 (rear) |
| Safety equipment | FIA-compliant roll cage, six-point harness and fire extinguisher |
| Dimensions | Length 4,410mm / height 1,290mm / track 1,664mm |
| Dry weight | 1,260kg |
