Image via Lotus Cars
Colin Champman’s old saying of, “simplify, then add lightness” might not be applied to the Lotus Emira as the Chinese-owned British automaker is looking to swap the supercharged V6 for a thumping V8 engine. While that’s an eyebrow-raising move that’s got people talking, the reason for it might be even more surprising.
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Currently, if you want a new Lotus that isn’t an electric car, the Emira is your only option. My how times change. While the company has never had a huge lineup of models at any given time, the trouble it’s experiencing with the only internal combustion engine is something else.
According to British car site Autocar, the supercharged V6 currently used in the Emira is problematic because it won’t be in compliance with upcoming Euro 7 emissions regulations. That’s right, an engine sourced from Toyota, renowned for not only its reliability but also efficiency, will be deemed unacceptable.
The truly ironic thing is a potential solution is for Lotus to go with a thumping V8 engine. While it likely won’t be nearly as efficient as the supercharged V6 from Toyota, it would apparently pass European Union emissions, for now.
As an added bonus, the move would make the Emira more appealing to consumers in the US. Let’s face it, we Americans love V8s. Having personally owned a range of cars in our lives, we understand why that is. Nothing feels quite like a well-tuned V8.
“The US is an incredibly important market for us for the car. It always has been. So we’re looking at the market demand for the product going forward,” Lotus Cars CEO in Europe Matt Windle told Autocar.
But going with a V8 isn’t for sure. Mercedes-AMG and Aston Martin are both mentioned in the report as possible sources for such an engine.
We’re honestly conflicted about this because we love V8s, but we also love the simple, lightweight design of classic Lotus cars.
The Emira can also be had with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine sourced from Mercedes-AMG. That fits more with the philosophy of Champman, but it’s just not as marketable, apparently.
Images via Lotus Cars
