- Lotus confirmed the Type 135, a mid-engine V8 hybrid due in 2028, will also get a V6 from Horse.
- Lotus targets a sub-1.5-ton (3,307-pound) curb weight and more than 1,000 hp.
- Lotus says Formula 1-derived motor tech reduces a typical 150 kW motor from 209 to about 44 pounds.
Lotus just told investors the Esprit is coming back with pistons, not just electrons. On an earnings call held August 27, CEO Feng Qingfeng confirmed the Type 135, a mid-engine hybrid V8 supercar due in 2028, and outlined plans for a possible V6 variant using hardware from Horse, the Geely-Renault joint venture already developing Lotus combustion components.
Autocar has also reported on the V6 joining the hybrid V8 in the new Esprit lineup. The pitch is simple: a supercar targeting around 1.5 tons with more than 1,000 horsepower on tap, sitting between the Emira sports car and the electric Evija hypercar. Lotus is calling it a bridge. It looks like a U-turn back to combustion, and a welcome one for anyone who feared Hethel had gone all-electric for good.
Hybrid V8 Confirmed, V6 Planned
Feng did not dodge how hard that weight target is. “Achieving that target with an 800V architecture, a hybrid system, a V8 engine and electric motor in [the car] just is not easy,” he told analysts on the call. Lotus is leaning on Formula 1-derived motor tech to claw back the mass a hybrid system usually adds.
Earlier this year he described an F1-style electric motor concept for the Type 135 in a separate interview, comparing a typical 150-kilowatt unit that can weigh up to 209 pounds with a new design trimmed to about 44 pounds. That kind of diet turns the motor from a weight penalty into a key part of hitting the mass target.
Current plans call for power to route through a dual-clutch gearbox capable of handling serious torque without piling on pounds. Lotus has not yet fixed the gear count or confirmed the production plant for the Type 135. It is a far cry from the Esprit V8 restomod tribute cars that have circulated in recent years and marks a factory-built, clean-sheet return.
Performance Targets And Focus 2030 Context
Feng framed the car’s job plainly. “The Type 135 will fill the gap between the Emira and Emeya, preserving the emotional connection Emira owners have with the Lotus mechanical handling, while leveraging V8 hybrid technology to approach the technical benchmark set by the Emeya.”
On the same call he said the car is expected to offer V6 and V8 variants, with the V8 version targeted to produce more than 1,000 horsepower while weighing around 1.5 tons. That expectation sits inside Lotus’s wider Focus 2030 strategy, which formally commits the brand to a mix of combustion, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models instead of an EV-only lineup.
Motor1’s Take: It reconnects Hethel to combustion buyers while keeping Evija tech. How weight and complexity are balanced will shape whether this car reads as a natural Emira step or a costly halo model. Watch weight, price and on-road handling when prototypes arrive. Those will tell if the bridge shortens the gap or simply creates one.
Read the full article here