Witnessing the gathering pace of the rebirth of Lotus is a sight one might never have deemed possible. Historically, Lotus has stood high in innovation but low in sales. How the brand managed to survive to this point is truly miraculous. Enthusiasts intermittently mined Lotus, and during its gradual decline, it was kept afloat by a media establishment that did considerably more harm than good. Desperate to showcase just how excellent Lotus Cars were, the management believed in the power of well-written puff pieces to generate the desired hype.

However, sales failed to take off despite Lotus’s efforts. Regardless of what Lotus did, Porsche consistently outperformed them, even though Lotus consistently produced the purest driver’s cars on the planet. At its lowest ebb, the Chinese stepped in and acquired the Lotus brand. They implemented a plan to steer Lotus towards an electric horizon. The Emira, a stroke of genius, will signify the end of Lotus’s era with internal combustion engines (ICE).

The lightweight Lotus philosophy has now been replaced with heavy, battery-powered vehicles, marking a departure from the traditional Lotus heritage of small, lightweight sports cars with the Eletre SUV being the first of its kind.

The latest electric vehicle to emerge from Lotus is the Emeya, an all-electric hyper GT partially revealed in concept-sketch form. This choice is often made because the conceptual design stage tends to generate more marketing-drama than the final reveal, which often falls short of the official pre-sales launch hype.

Ben Payne, Vice-President of Design, Lotus, said:

“By combining progressive technologies with an aesthetic that draws from the past, Emeya takes us into the future, projecting Lotus into a new segment of the automotive landscape.”

Emeya also boasts a low centre of gravity, which Lotus calls ‘hyperstance’. Positioning the battery between the wheels and close to the ground creates a true sports car look with a ‘cab-forward’ silhouette. The long wheelbase with short overhangs gives the impression that the wheels are at the corners, giving Emeya a more planted, dynamic stance.

Bold muscular wheel arches are a Lotus signature that date back to road and race machines of the 1950s and 1960s, a pure design feature that emphasise Emeya’s performance heritage.

Further information on Emeya will be released during Q4. Details on market availability and pricing will be announced at a future date.