New Lotus Emira GT4 racer launched with 400bhp

Lotus has pulled the wraps off its new Emira GT4 racer. The first few examples will be built just in time for the 2022 season, with Lotus ramping up production for 2023 and beyond.

The Lotus Emira GT4 replaces the Evora GT4 in the firm’s factory-prepped race car range, although it retains the same supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine as its predecessor. Power stands at 400bhp, which is fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox.

As it’s a race car, Lotus has also developed an advanced aerodynamic package to help it stick to the track and improve lap time performance. Upgrades include a large rear wing, a tweaked diffuser and a deeper front splitter. The GT4 is lighter than the standard car, too, with a dry weight of 1,260kg.

The aerodynamic tweaks are supported by a host of chassis improvements, such as larger brake discs and calipers, heavier-duty Öhlins coilover dampers, stiffer anti-roll bars and new alloy wheels shod in grippy GT4-specific Pirelli tyres.

Lotus has also fitted more safety equipment, including an FIA-compliant roll cage, a new 96-litre fuel cell, racing seats, six-point racing harnesses and a fire extinguisher system. Elsewhere in the cabin, there’s a new digital dashboard from Motec, which features a data-logging system.

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The old Lotus Evora GT4 enjoyed plenty of racing success, claiming wins in the British GT, European GT and Pirelli World Challenge racing series, as well as endurance events such as the Dubai 24 hours, Barcelona 24 hours and Sepang 12 hours.

Despite having rather large boots to fill, Lotus is confident that the new Emira GT4 will continue this success. Gavan Kershaw, director of vehicle attributes at Lotus (and a former GT championship-winning driver for the brand) said: 

“The all-new chassis on which the Emira has been developed is the perfect starting point for a high-performance race car. Everyone at Lotus is so excited to be returning to world motorsport and to be doing so with such a competitive race car.”

The Emira GT4 is the latest step in the company’s transformation. A return to motorsport is a key pillar of the strategy, with this track racer joining the JBXE Extreme E off-road competition car, for which Lotus is the technical partner.

Now read Formula One world champion Jenson Button’s review of the Lotus Emira…