![\"Lotus](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/lotus-emira-eyes-v8-power-boost-amid-emissions-challenges.jpg\" "\\"Lotus")
<\/a><\/p>\nV8 power is being considered as its supercharged V6 won’t pass Euro 7 emissions tests<\/p>\n
Lotus is poised to offer a V8 option for its Emira sports car<\/a> as the company looks to expand the appeal of its sole combustion-engined model.<\/p>\n The Geely-owned company is committed to offering a higher-powered version of the Emira, CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors on the company\u2019s recent earnings call. \u201cWe are currently investigating the feasibility of the V8,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Currently,\u00a0Lotus<\/a> offers V6 and four-cylinder turbo options for the Emira.<\/p>\n Both offer 400bhp but Feng ruled out boosting the power of the V6 because the Toyota<\/a>-sourced unit won\u2019t comply with upcoming Euro 7 emissions<\/a> regulations.<\/p>\n Lotus had intended to phase out the V6 in favour of the Mercedes-AMG<\/a>-supplied four-cylinder unit, but the six-cylinder has been enduringly popular in the US, the world\u2019s largest sports car market, prompting the investigation into fitting a bigger engine.<\/p>\n The Emira is built in Lotus\u2019s plant in Hethel, UK, and last year hit a sales record of 5272 deliveries.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US is an incredibly important market for us for the car. It always has been. So we’re looking at the market demand for the product going forward,\u201d Hethel boss and new CEO of Lotus Cars in Europe Matt Windle told Autocar.\u00a0<\/p>\n Windle didn\u2019t confirm the V8 but did say the company is looking into other power options. \u201cIt’s a very, very competent product that we probably haven’t exploited to its full already, so we are looking at all the options,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Supplier AMG could be tapped for the V8. \u201cThere are some opportunities with the current supplier of engines, so we’re looking at it,\u201d Windle said, without naming the Mercedes<\/a> division.<\/p>\n AMG also supplies its 4.0 twin-turbo V8 to Aston Martin<\/a> for fitment into cars such as the Vantage sports car<\/a> and DBX SUV<\/a>.\u00a0However, it remains to be seen how much adaptation the mid-engined Emira\u2019s compact frame would require in order to accommodate a larger engine.<\/p>\n The potential launch of a new V8 Lotus would be the first for the company since it dropped the Esprit<\/a> V8 from its line-up in 2004 after a run of eight years.<\/p>\n Feng\u2019s announcement that the company is considering a V8 came in response to a question from a US dealer who suggested the company should offer a stripped-down, high-power V6 that would be quick enough to challenge the Porsche 911 GT3<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 510bhp 911 GT3 starts at \u00a3158,200 in the UK, considerably more than the \u00a392,500 Emira V6, thus giving Lotus the chance to raise its average selling price and help reverse company losses.<\/p>\n Lotus has halted shipments of the British-built Emira to the US after the new 25% tariff\u00a0was applied in April, meaning that no cars are currently heading to a market that last year accounted for a fifth of all Lotus sales. Lotus cancelled sales of the Eletre SUV<\/a> and Emeya saloon<\/a> EVs in the US after the country imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese-built goods.<\/p>\n The deal recently agreed between the UK and US to lower tariffs on UK-built goods\u00a0to 10% has helped Lotus, but Windle has yet to\u00a0 restart shipments to the US as he waits for the details.<\/p>\n “The headline numbers\u00a0have gone out there, but actually the specifics behind it\u00a0still haven’t been clarified,\u201d he said. \u201cThere’s product that’s ready to ship, but what we don’t want to do is jump the gun and end up getting clobbered.”<\/p>\n![\"Lotus](\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/lotus-emira-eyes-v8-power-boost-amid-emissions-challenges-1.jpg\")
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