The Emira is set to ditch its AMG and Toyota engines.
Lotus plans to adopt a fresh V6 hybrid system from Horse.
The Renault-Geely alliance will develop a V8 for Lotus's next supercar.

Chinese automaker Geely acquired a majority stake in Lotus nine years ago. Until lately, none of the brand's vehicles featured an engine directly from its owner. The oddly titled For Me is basically a rebadged Eletre SUV equipped with a plug-in hybrid setup that includes a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engineered within Geely's family.

Further changes are on the horizon. Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng announced that the refreshed Emira, launching shortly, will incorporate a powerplant with partial Chinese roots. This involves a brand-new turbocharged V6 from Horse Powertrain, an equal partnership between Geely and Renault.

Known internally as W30, the engine tips the scales at just 353 pounds (160 kilograms). Horse Powertrain claims it is 22 pounds (10 kilograms) lighter than competing V6s and the most compact 3.0-liter unit available. Debuted last month at the Beijing Auto Show, it supports mild-hybrid, full-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid configurations.

V6 Engine Specifications

The V6 can also function as a range extender in electric vehicles by charging the battery. It suits both longitudinal and transverse installations, producing up to 536 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Newton-meters) of torque. Horse designed it to pair with the 4LDHT four-speed hybrid transmission, which integrates dual electric motors in a 439-pound (199-kilogram) package.

Autocar reports that this V6 lays the groundwork for Horse's forthcoming V8. The bigger engine will drive Lotus's debut supercar, slated for 2028. Recently teased, the top-tier model aims to resurrect the Esprit name, dormant since 2004 when Lotus halted V8 production.

The boosted V8 will anchor a hybrid system for a supercar drawing cues from the electric 2024 Theory 1 concept. The road-going version promises more than 1,000 horsepower via the V8 paired with electric motors.

Despite rumors of shuttering the Hethel facility, the Emira stays in production there. Lotus states the V8 supercar will likely be assembled in Europe, logically at the UK base. Hethel's yearly output tops 10,000 units, though current volumes are roughly one-fifth that.

Motor1's Take: Geely's move to phase out Mercedes-AMG and Toyota engines through its Renault joint venture was foreseeable. The revised Emira will standardize on the Horse V6, eliminating the German 2.0-liter turbo four and Japanese 3.5-liter supercharged V6.

This strategy boosts Geely and Lotus's oversight of tuning for tailored uses. Long-term savings are anticipated, aided by the V6's scalability to a V8. In-house production fosters better economies than relying on multiple suppliers.

With versatility across hybrid types, the V6 will power diverse vehicles beyond low-volume sports cars like the Emira.