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Lotus Gears up for its Motorsport Return
It has been over a decade since the folks at Lotus released a racing car, the Evora GT4, which scored notable results in various races across the globe.
Despite the brand leaving empty spots on the F1 grid, it is gearing up for its return to the motorsport calendar with the introduction of the Emira GT4, which has now finally entered its production stages.
The Emira GT4 was announced early in 2022 following the reveal of the Emira road car in 2021.
As the first racing car in over a decade and one that appears to represent the dawn of a new era for the Norfolk-based automaker in motorsport, it uses a Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre supercharged engine that is shared with the road car.
This unit produces 339 kW of power and 500 Nm of torque sent to the rear wheels – a significant 10% increase compared to the road car. This power is translated to the road through a Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shift actuation and a limited-slip differential.
Tipping the scale at 1,360 kg, the Emira GT4 comes fitted with a bespoke aero package to make it a proper track weapon, and according to Lotus, the enhancements will enable the racer to tackle high-speed circuits, whether tight or twisty.
With great power comes great responsibility; hence Lotus has also worked on the brakes, and they now feature springs, damping and cooling packs. To make it FIA-compliant, it has a 6-point roll cage, a Hans-approved seat with a 6-point harness, an electronic fire extinguisher system and isolator switches.
It rides on a set of forged aluminium wheels wrapped with Pirelli GT4 265/645x18 rubbers at the front and bigger 305/660x18 at the back for extra traction.
"The Emira road car was such an excellent starting point for a GT4, and we've now further refined and tuned the package with the team at RML to create what we believe is a highly competitive and performance-oriented race car. We know our customers are keen to get behind the wheel, and we're looking forward to seeing their results," says Gavan Kershaw, Director of Vehicle Attributes and a former British GT Championship winner.
The Emira GT4 will be displayed at the Snetterton round of the British GT Championship on 17-18 June, and deliveries are slated to begin before the end of the year. Each model is priced from £179,000, equivalent to R4,203,350 at the current exchange rate.
The marque's return to motorsport signifies its expansion plan, and the Emira GT4 race car reaffirms the brand's commitment to achieving higher speeds on the track. It also demonstrates its ambition to establish itself as a global performance business and brand, extending beyond its identity as a UK sports car company.
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