The next step in the British sports-car specialist's backflip on electric cars will be a V8 hybrid supercar producing more than 735kW.
Lotus has teased its first V8-powered car in more than two decades, a new supercar due in 2028 with hybrid power and more than 1000 metric horsepower (735kW).
It will pave the way for the Type 135, a new Lotus supercar due in 2028 with a V8 engine and hybrid assistance combining for more than 735kW, and expected to be built in Europe rather than China, like its electric cars.
Type 135 was the codename given to a now-scrapped Lotus electric sports car, and a teaser image released by Lotus shows the V8 with sleek styling and two prominent tailpipes.
There is no word on if the V8 will be sourced from current technical partner Mercedes-AMG, or will be an in-house design.
The Emira will continue production for the immediate future, with Lotus announcing it will "unveil an update in the coming weeks, designed to be the most powerful and lightest Emira built."
The new V8 supercar will use an adaptation of the X Hybrid technology headed for the Eletre electric SUV, where the petrol engine can drive the wheels directly, or act as a 'range-extender' to keep the externally-rechargeable battery topped up.
Speculation has mounted in recent days that the car could revive the iconic Esprit badge, used on Lotus' last V8 car, discontinued in 2004.
The British marque had previously committed to offering a fully-electric line-up by 2028, before backtracking on its plans in 2024 to add long-range hybrid technology, as demand for battery-only cars slowed.
Under an updated strategy announced alongside the V8, Lotus will offer traditional petrol, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) platforms.
Among its electrified cars, 60 per cent of sales are aimed to be plug-in hybrid, while 40 per cent are expected to be electric. It has not announced a split between petrol-only and electrified vehicles.
Production of the Type 135 will take place in Europe, with Lotus reportedly confirming the model for the Australian market.
Emma has been on our television screens for over a decade. Most of her time in the industry has been spent at racetracks reporting at major motorsport events in Australia - from TCR and Superbikes to Porsche Sprint Challenge and Supercars. Emma has also hosted various MotoGP and F1 events interviewing the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Jack Miller. Having previously presented on an automotive show, she made her move to the Drive family in 2020. Fiercely proud of her Italian heritage, Emma is a coffee loving, stylish-black wearing resident of Melbourne.
