The Lotus Emira has been granted a lifeline. Production was originally scheduled to wrap up in 2027, but the brand’s final petrol-powered sports car will now continue with the help of two new powertrains that should keep it alive into the next decade.
At present, the mid-engined Emira comes with either a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder sourced from Mercedes-AMG or a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 supplied by Toyota. The problem is that neither engine will meet the incoming Euro 7 emissions regulations set to take effect at the end of next year.
Rather than letting that end the story, Lotus CEO Feng Qingfeng confirmed during the firm’s Q2 financial results that a facelifted Emira is scheduled for 2027, with two fresh options under the skin: a plug-in hybrid system and a revised V6.
The hybrid development isn’t unexpected. Earlier this year, reports suggested Lotus was already exploring ways to electrify its two-seat sports car. The brand is also preparing a new ‘Hyper Hybrid’ set-up for models like the Eletre SUV, Emeya saloon, and its upcoming Porsche Macan rival. That system, however, focuses more on range and charging than driving excitement, with claims of over 1,000 km (620 miles) possible. The Emira is likely to take a different path, closer to Ferrari’s 296 GTB or McLaren’s Artura, where compact electric motor generators are positioned between engine and gearbox to add performance and energy recovery without a massive battery.
Such a shift would demand heavy reengineering of the Emira, something Lotus may struggle with given its current challenges. The company has just announced around 550 job losses at its Hethel facility, where the car is built, and posted a net loss exceeding £230 million in the first half of 2025.
As for the V6, Lotus has relied on Toyota’s 3.5-litre unit for more than 15 years, stretching back to the Evora launched in 2009. But with Euro 7 rules ruling it out, a replacement is needed. The most logical solution is Mercedes-AMG, already a supplier of the four-cylinder, and earlier this year AMG’s chief technology officer Markus Schäfer hinted that new V6 engines were in the works. That could be the path forward for keeping the Emira alive with six-cylinder power.