As reported by UK outlet Autocar, Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng recently told investors on an earnings call that the brand is “currently investigating the feasibility of the V8”.
No Lotus road-going vehicles have been V8-powered since the last of the Esprits rolled off the production line in 2004, with the brand’s more recent models being powered by four- and six-cylinder engines – or full electric power.
Out of the brand’s current models, the only vehicle capable of receiving a V8 would be the Emira, which is offered with a Mercedes-AMG sourced turbocharged four-cylinder engine, as well as a supercharged Toyota V6.
While the Mercedes engine was a new addition to the Lotus lineup with the launch of the Emira in 2021, the Toyota powerplant has been used in multiple models, and its core design stretches back to the mid-2000s.
According to Autocar, the V6 won’t be compliant with upcoming Euro7 emissions regulations, and while that’s not an issue for US buyers who are the biggest buyers of the six-cylinder, it reduces the feasibility of keeping it around when it can’t be sold in markets like Europe.
Lotus wouldn’t say what V8 could power the Emira, however its existing relationship with Mercedes-AMG means it could once again turn to the Germans for its next engine.
“There are some opportunities with the current supplier of engines, so we’re looking at it,” CEO of Lotus Cars in Europe Matt Windle told Autocar.
Toyota does have a V8 in production currently, powering the luxurious Century sedan and Century SUV, however the performance nature of Mercedes-AMG lends itself more to partnering with Lotus again.
Mercedes-AMG is no stranger to lending a British brand its engines, with its twin-turbo V8s found in the Aston Martin Vantage and DBX.
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