White Lotus, Season 3: Taking on the Porsche Taycan

The third member of Lotus’ ‘new era’ is its future-defining statement… or maybe not.

The previously British brand underwent a major reinvention when it was taken over by Chinese automotive giant, Geely. Instead of focusing on lightweight sports cars, as it has done for the past 20 plus years and it did for much of Colin Chapman’s tenure, Lotus would pursue a future of electric performance and luxury.

The idea was that Lotus would take advantage of the Chinese car industry’s expertise in electric vehicles and get a head start on its rivals, namely Porsche, as the automotive world shifted towards its inevitable electric future. There was one slight problem with that plan – it turns out not as people want electric cars as car company executives hoped.

Tesla remains the exception rather than the rule, and while EV sales are rising and will play a role in the future, in the immediate (which is the period most car company executives worry about) there just isn’t the interest that was anticipated. Which is why Lotus CEO, Feng Qingfeng, announced in late 2024 that the company will now develop and offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain to try and attract more buyers.

Which is a shame in some ways, because having driven the Lotus Emeya, which was the final member of the brand’s initial three model ‘relaunch’ I came away impressed by this Porsche Taycan rival.

We drove the Emeya S, a four-seat sports sedan powered by dual electric motors making a very healthy 450kW of power and 710Nm of torque. That’s enough to launch this very luxurious four-door 0-100km/h in just 4.1 seconds. Thanks to its lithium-ion battery and 800-volt electrical architecture it has a driving range of more than 500km.

All of this hardware is packaged inside a head-turning body that manages to combine elements of Lotus’ angular past (think Esprit) while also looking contemporary. While it’s a four-door it has a wedge-like silhouette, finished off by 21-inch alloy wheels at each corner, that creates a dramatic look even when standing still. Inside there’s a luxurious cabin, with plenty of leather and metallic brightwork, as well as a narrow digital dashboard display that looks suitably cutting edge and a 1380-watt, 15-speaker sound system.

It all adds up to a very appealing proposition, but it would want to be for the $209,990 (plus on-road costs) that Lotus is asking for the Emeya S.

Of course, that’s all for nothing if the Emeya doesn’t drive with some dynamic flair, because even if it has abandoned Lotus lightweight ethos, it still has to drive with a sports-car-like verve – otherwise you may as well buy a BMW or Mercedes-Benz electric sedan. Thankfully, while the Chinese part of the company knows EV technology, Lotus still has decades of ride and handling expertise to draw upon to fine-tune the Emeya’s chassis.

The result is an extremely capable sports sedan, which is obviously heavy but feels surprisingly agile and responsive when you push it on a twisty road. The steering is excellent, very direct and nicely weighted, while the chassis feels well-controlled the whole time, never lurching or feeling slow and sloppy – as heavier cars can tend to.

Does it feel like your father’s Lotus? Or your grandfather’s? No, of course not, it has too many doors, too much luxury, too much electric power and not enough lightness. But is it a good car, an appealing luxury sports sedan? Most definitely.

However, it seems with Lotus’ change of plans and shift to offering a PHEV, not enough people are giving it a chance, which is a shame. Yes, I know it’s not a ‘Lotus’ in the traditional sense of the brand, but it is a very enjoyable car to drive if you’re open-minded about what Lotus is becoming.