The days of Toyota and Mercedes-AMG powertrains in the Lotus Emira are officially numbered. Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng has confirmed the mid-engined sports car will soon receive a significant overhaul, swapping its current outsourced engines for an all-new hybrid 3.0-litre turbocharged V6.
The incoming powertrain is developed by Horse Powertrain, a 50:50 joint venture established between Renault and Lotus parent company, Geely. The new ‘W30’ V6 produces up to 400kW (536hp) and 700Nm on its own. This represents a massive output jump over both the outgoing 298kW Toyota supercharged V6 and the AMG-sourced turbo four-cylinder.
Despite the integration of hybrid hardware, packaging remains highly competitive. Horse Powertrain executives claim the bare V6 unit weighs just 160kg. This makes it lighter than any other V6 currently on the market and only marginally heavier than a standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder. The engine will be paired exclusively with an automatic transmission featuring an integrated electric motor, which effectively sounds the death knell for the Emira’s six-speed manual gearbox.
The pivot back to combustion power represents a sharp U-turn for Lotus, which previously intended for the Emira to be its final internal-combustion model before transitioning to a pure-electric lineup. The decision to extend the Emira’s lifecycle and hybridise its powertrain was heavily driven by the US market, where the six-cylinder variant currently dominates the sales mix.
Furthermore, this modular Horse V6 architecture will spawn a larger hybrid V8 derivative. The eight-cylinder powertrain is earmarked for a new flagship Lotus supercar, heavily rumoured to revive the iconic Esprit nameplate, which is slated for production at the brand’s Hethel plant in 2028.
