Lotus is cutting ties with its old suppliers. No more Toyota powerplants. No more AMG V8s either.
They’re swapping them for engines from a company most people can’t pronounce. Or even find.
Horse Powertrain.
That’s who will power the 2028 revised Emira. Horse isn’t a garage tinkerer or a boutique tuning shop. It is a joint venture. Geely, which owns Lotus, built it with Renault.
Their track record so far? Mostly low-power hybrids. The stuff you drive to pick up groceries, not the stuff you tear down a canyon road for.
Does this sound like a good idea. Probably not if you care about pedigree. But the numbers don’t lie.
Horse claims their new W30 engine—a 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbo V6—puts out 536 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. All before the hybrid system adds any extra juice.
Weight is where they actually make the case.
160 kilograms. 353 pounds. They say it’s the lightest V6 on earth. Twenty pounds lighter than the competition. That’s a serious margin in the grand touring game.
Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng said American customers drove this decision.
“They told us that they love the W6 engine, and actually the W6 version is our best seller in the US market”
Simple. Americans bought the current V6. Lotus listened. Now they need a new one, and Toyota’s contract is ending.
So Geely looks inward. This gives Lotus control over the development. It might save money too. Everything stays within the corporate ecosystem now.
The W30 itself was built for hybrids. Horse designed it from modular four-cylinder tech. That explains the compact size. CEO Matias Giannini claims nothing else fits in that package. Nothing.
The catch is the transmission.
Horse pairs this engine with a four-speed automated manual setup. It integrates the electric motors directly into the box. It supports mild-hybrid setups, full hybrids, and even range extender modes.
Good for efficiency. Questionable for the driving purist who wants a smooth shift without the computer intervening every other mile. Unless Lotus does something clever on their end, you might be stuck with a gearbox designed for city commuters, not supercars.
But the Emira isn’t the only news.
Look up. A new supercar is coming. The nameplate Esprit is returning in 2028.
This isn’t just a halo car for Instagram. It reportedly uses the same engine architecture as the Emira’s V6. A V8, though. Hybrid. Over 986 horsepower.
If they keep the weight low, it’ll be terrifying.
Here is the best part for the old-school fans who have been worrying about the brand’s soul.
Both cars. The new Emira. The Esprit.
They are expected to be built at Hethell in the UK.
Lotus is keeping its factory open. Keeping its identity intact, sort of. Even if the badges inside the engine bay change.
So, are we ready for a Renault-Geely supercar? The specs promise fun. The lineage feels strange.
We will see how it drives.
