Lotus made its name producing low-weight sportscars. From the Elan in 1962, which used fiberglass to tip the scales at only 680kg, to the phenomenally successful Elise, the Lotus theme has traditionally been nimble handling rather than brute power. But now that Lotus is becoming an electric brand, this ethos is changing. Hot on the heels of the hefty Eletre SUV, the Emeya Hyper-GT has launched in the UK. It may have an impeccable sports pedigree, but as a large sedan, is it still a Lotus? I asked Lotus Group’s Vice President of Design Ben Payne to explain the new strategy. “small and light” ethos the brand used to be famous for.Lotus “Lotus has evolved as we move into an era of electrification,” says Payne. “That super analogue light weight is difficult to translate into future EV products. What we’re trying to do with the electric SUV and now the Emeya is a big stretch for the brand, but we are still trying where possible to make these cars as light as we can. Where possible we use lightweight materials, including carbon fiber and a full aluminum body. It’s about how we broaden the brand and bring the Lotus experience to more people. For the purists, it’s still a big stretch.” The Emeya certainly has supercar levels of performance on tap. It will offer up to 905hp dual motor power and 985Nm of torque. This will enable a 0-to-62-mph sprint speed of just 2.78 seconds. Lotus hasn’t released… Click below to read the full story from Forbes
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Emeya: Is This Luxury Electric Sedan Really A Lotus? – Forbes
