No more Toyota & Mercedes-AMG, Lotus Emira to feature new V6 engine from Horse Powertrain
After years of relying on engines produced by Toyota and Mercedes-AMG, Lotus has finally decided to transition to a new V6 engine from Horse Powertrain.
The 3.0L turbo hybrid V6 engine is expected to debut in the facelifted Lotus Emira by the end of the decade.
In an interview with Autocar, Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng confirmed that the new V6 engine will replace the existing Toyota V6 and AMG four-cylinder engines.
Over 500 hp Power Output
The new engine is said to deliver an impressive 536 hp and 700 Nm of torque.
One of its advantages is its lighter weight, with the V6 engine estimated to be 10 kg lighter than any other V6 currently on the market and almost on par with a 2.0L four-cylinder engine.
The V6 will be paired with an automatic transmission and an integrated electric motor for additional power and lower emissions.
U.S. Market and EU Regulations as Deciding Factors
One reason for the choice of the V6 engine is the strong demand, particularly from the U.S. market.
According to Feng, most customers there prefer V6 engines, which explains why the Emira V6 has become the best-selling model.
Additionally, the existing V6 engine from Toyota is indeed in the process of being phased out.
This is due to its increasing difficulty in meeting the stringent EU regulatory requirements, compelling Horse to develop a new engine.
Possible Foundation for a New V8 Engine
Did you know that this new V6 engine actually uses a foundation from the existing four-cylinder engine?
According to Horse’s CEO Matias Giannini, the new V6 engine has a compact and lightweight design because it builds on a smaller engine framework.
This modular design technology allows Horse to easily scale the engine up or down, potentially creating a new V8 engine based on the V6 for future Lotus supercars.
No Demand for Emira EV
Another reason why the V6 is Lotus’s main focus is the unsuccessful electric sports car project.
Lotus initially planned to produce an electric sports car to replace the Emira in collaboration with Alpine.
However, the project was canceled when they found there was no demand for a zero-emission model.
