• Deliveries to start summer 2023 across the world
• First GT4 customers will receive significantly enhanced spec and performance
• Cars will feature more power and an optimised aero package
• Emira GT4 will be on display at Snetterton round of British GT Championship on 17-18 June

First examples of the eagerly anticipated new Lotus race car will be shipped to owners over the summer, with orders from the UK, Europe, China, Australia and the USA.

The Emira GT4 has been homologated for competition in global GT4 classes and, thanks to a comprehensive options list, is also eligible for other non-homologated and specialist race series around the world.

After extensive development work by the Lotus team in collaboration with world-renowned motorsport partner RML Group, the car has been upgraded from the version that was unveiled at a VIP event at Hethel, Norfolk, last year. Improvements include:

–      Increased power – up more than 10% to 455 bhp

–      All-new six-speed paddleshift sequential racing gearbox and control system

–      Optimised aerodynamics to suit both tight/twisty and fast/flowing circuits

–      Enhancements to the braking system, springs, damping and cooling packs

Gavan Kershaw, Director of Vehicle Attributes, Lotus, and a former British GT Championship winner has been heavily involved in the development of the Emira GT4 from day one. He commented: “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.”

For anyone wanting to see the car and find out more, it will be on display at the Snetterton round of the British GT Championship on 17-18 June.

The Emira GT4 is the culmination of 75 years of innovation on the road and track, and marks the start of an exciting new era in performance GT racing for Lotus. Motorsport has always been part of the Lotus story. This year is the 75th anniversary of the first Lotus, the Mk I, which was a trials car built by founder Colin Chapman in 1948.

Lotus has been synonymous with worldwide racing success ever since, and the company has pioneered many of the technical innovations which make racing the thrilling sport it is today. Lotus’ impressive roll-call of honours includes seven Formula 1 Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ Championships and victory in the legendary Indianapolis 500.

Most recently Lotus has been racing with the Evora GT4, which won prestigious races and championships in categories such as British GT, Dubai 24hrs, Barcelona 24hrs, European GT, Sepang 12hrs and the Pirelli World Challenge.

All Emira GT4 customer cars are being hand-built by the RML team at a dedicated new production facility at Wellingborough, UK. There is no limit on the number which can be produced. The Lotus Emira GT4 is priced at £179,000 plus taxes and delivery. For more information contact Russell Gibbons at the Lotus motorsport department on rgibbons@lotuscars.com

Lotus Emira GT4: technical specification and performance data

*Subject to Balance of Performance

Reigning Exige Cup champion, Tamas Vizin, was a firm favourite coming into the weekend having taken pole position and a brace of overall second place finishes behind rival Bence Balogh when the championship last visited Zolder. The Hungarian looked set to repeat history as qualifying got underway, setting a lap time of 2:11.706 on only his third lap. However, with conditions slightly improving as the session went on Paul Maréchal was able to knock Vizin off the top spot but was unable to hold it for long as Rainer Börgens set an impressive 2:09.945. Maréchal picked up the pace, looking to jump back to the top, but a small mistake left him unable to make up the half a second gap and Börgens claimed an amazing and well-deserved pole in extremely difficult conditions.

Sven Pettersson and Nathalie Genoud-Prachex qualified on pole in their respective classes whilst Bailey Edwards was in a different league in the Production class, out qualifying the 211/Open class drivers as well as those in his own class.

Conditions having failed to improve in time for the opening race, meant the pack would start behind the safety car. Germany’s Börgens had hoped to make the most of his pole position but fellow Komo-Tec driver Vizin quickly took the lead once the safety car came in, the Hungarian putting on quite the show, sliding his way around the circuit whilst holding on to the lead all the way to the chequered flag. With Vizin having distanced himself from the rest of the pack, Börgens was left to defend his position from a determined Maréchal.

Britain’s Bailey Edwards kept the Production lead throughout the race until a spin on the final lap allowed dad Mick and Swede Robin Nilsson to shoot past. Former Exige V6 stalwart Nilsson having easily found his place amongst the front runners of the Production class. Vizin took the overall and Exige Cup win followed by Börgens and Maréchal. Last year’s Production champion, Jason McInulty was back in his gold Evora and took the win in the GT Cup class finishing ahead of Pettersson. Mick Edwards claimed the top step of the Production podium with Nilsson coming second, grabbing a remarkable fastest lap with Bailey third after a disappointing end to the race. Over in the 211/Open class, it was a win for Genoud-Prachex and her pink 2-Eleven, with David McInulty finishing second.

It would be another safety car start for Sunday’s race due to low temperatures and less than ideal track conditions. Börgens secured himself a comfortable lead early in the race, aided by the misfortune of his closest competition, as both Vizin and Maréchal were forced to return to the pits during the first few laps. Mechanical problems ultimately leaving Vizin with no choice but to retire from the race while Maréchal was tasked with just getting to the end with damage limitation on his points total. With the road ahead clear, Daniel Palma set his sights on Börgens but was unable to apply enough consistent pressure, whilst Pettersson and Thierry Verhiest battled for third. Pettersson being able to concentrate solely on claiming a spot on the overall podium following issues with McInulty’s Evora GT4 which left him watching the race from the side-lines.

Nilsson’s blue Elise Cup R flew around the circuit, the lead Production car sitting in fifth position overall amongst the Exige V6s for most of the race. Börgens took the chequered flag and a well deserved first ever race win ahead of Palma and GT Cup winner Pettersson, with Belgian and Lotus main dealer Verhiest coming in fourth, completing the Exige Cup podium, followed by fellow team member Nikolaj Ipsen. Nilsson took a well-deserved Production win after an incredible race, the Swede being chased down by Production favourite Mark Yates, lap after lap as conditions improved. Yates eventually going past only for a mistake to give Nilsson his first ever win in a perfect weekend for the Swede. Britain’s Mark Yates recovered for second followed by Mick Edwards who backed up his win in race one, another driver having an impressive opening weekend. The 211/Open class saw a repeat result of race one, with Genoud-Prachex finishing ahead of McInulty.

Lotus Cup Europe will next move to Germany as it visits Hockenheim 21st – 22nd April.

Images courtesy of Yvo-Tuk @ Elise Shop

Podium standings:

Race 1	Overall	Exige Cup	GT Cup	211 Open	Production
1st	T Vizin	T Vizin	J McInulty	N Genoud-Prachex	M Edwards
2nd	R Börgens	R Börgens	S Pettersson	D McInulty	R Nilsson
3rd	P Maréchal	P Maréchal			B Edwards
Race 2	Overall	Exige Cup	GT Cup	211 Open	Production
1st	R Börgens	R Börgens	S Pettersson	N Genoud-Prachex	R Nilsson
2nd	D Palma	D Palma		D McInulty	M Yates
3rd	S Pettersson	T Verhiest			M Edwards

Driver of the weekend: Zolder

 Robin Nilsson – Elise Cup R 
1 x win / 1 x 2nd place / 1 x fastest lap / 6th place overall in a Production car

Championship standings: WWW.LOTUSCUPEUROPE.COM/STANDINGS

More pics can be found on: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

• Guests at VIP event treated to multi-lap thrill ride with Gavan Kershaw behind the wheel
• Emira GT4 is first new model to be launched by Lotus Advanced Performance
• Marks start of exciting new era in performance GT racing for Lotus
• All-new competition spec GT racer has sold out for the first year

At an exclusive event earlier this week VIP guests were treated to passenger laps of the legendary 2.2-mile circuit, with Gavan Kershaw, Director of Vehicle Attributes at Lotus and a former British GT Championship winner, at the wheel.

The culmination of more than 70 years of innovation on the road and track, the Emira GT4 marks the start of an exciting new era in performance GT racing for Lotus. It is the first new model from Lotus Advanced Performance, the bespoke vehicle and experiential division of the business launched earlier this year.

The return to world motorsport is a key pillar of the company’s transformation from a UK sports car company to a global performance car business and brand.

This week’s event follows last September’s announcement that Lotus would create a GT version of the critically acclaimed Emira road car. Order books for the Emira GT4 opened at the time and the car has sold out for the first year of production.

Gavan Kershaw, who has been heavily involved in the development, commented: “We knew we had an excellent starting point for the Emira GT4 because of all the work done to make the road car such a great performer. Showing off the GT4’s dynamic capabilities on the Hethel test track – which has shaped countless race cars and their drivers since Lotus moved to the site in 1966 – is a very special moment for me and all the team involved.”

Almost all modern Lotus road cars have had race-ready siblings and the Emira is no exception. Each Emira GT4 customer car will receive a homologated performance machine, hand-built with lightweight motorsport components and equipment to meet the latest safety regulations. The project has been a collaboration with Lotus and RML Group.

The advanced composite bodywork makes the car exceptionally lightweight and is coupled with Toyota’s race-proven 3.5-litre V6 engine and optimised GT4 aerodynamics derived from the road-going Emira’s advanced exterior design.

Since last September’s announcement, the Hethel-based development team has focused on precision engineering to deliver outstanding dynamics and high-speed stability. Many hundreds of hours of validation work have taken place on the test track, and over the winter the Emira GT4 also headed to Portimão in Portugal for a week. In addition to the better weather, it’s one of the most challenging circuits in Europe, making it the perfect destination to validate aero performance and component reliability.

Richard Selwin, Race Programme Manager, Lotus, commented: “We’re delighted with how the Emira GT4 programme has progressed. We have an appealing spec and a level of performance that’s going to thrill both customers and spectators around the world. I believe in the Emira GT4 we have a car that promises to be more than competitive.”

Simon Lane, Director, Lotus Advanced Performance, added: “Lotus’ commitment to motorsport is world-renowned and is one of the key elements of enhanced customer engagement within this recently launched division of the business. We have exciting plans for Lotus Advanced Performance – there is much more to come.”

Lotus has been synonymous with racing success ever since the Mark I, a trials car hand-built by founder Colin Chapman in 1948, and the company has pioneered many of the technical innovations which make racing the thrilling sport it is today. The impressive roll-call of honours includes seven Formula 1 Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ Championships and victory in the legendary Indianapolis 500.

Most recently Lotus has been racing with the Evora GT4, which won prestigious races and championships including in British GT, Dubai 24hrs, Barcelona 24hrs, European GT, Sepang 12hrs and the Pirelli World Challenge.

Lotus aims to fulfil customer orders for the Emira GT4 race cars during 2022, increasing production for 2023 in line with global demand. Interested parties are invited to contact the Lotus motorsport department directly via motorsport@lotuscars.com

Lotus Emira GT4 tech spec and target performance data

                                                                                                                *Subject to balance of performance

Traces of the company’s illustrious motorsport heritage can be found in each of its contemporary road cars. And it’s the newest of these, the Lotus Emira, that will perform Safety Car and Leading Car duties for British GT and its support categories this year.

Lotus also boasts a rich British GT history thanks to the Esprit, Elise, Exige and Evora which have collectively clocked up a combined 29 wins across all classes since the championship was established in 1993. Thorkild Thyrring also won the overall drivers’ crown in 1994 at the wheel of an Esprit S300.

The partnership offers a glimpse of the future: the eagerly anticipated Lotus Emira GT4, which was revealed in 2021, will be officially launched in the coming weeks.

Stewart Croucher, Motorsport Manager, Lotus: “Everyone at Lotus is delighted to be the Intelligent Money British GT Championship’s Official Safety Car Partner this year. Competitive motorsport has always been at the heart of the Lotus philosophy. The forthcoming launch of the Emira GT4 is another significant proof-point of the transformation of the business and brand, and we can’t wait to get cars into the hands of customers worldwide.”

Lauren Granville, Championship Manager: “Lotus remains one of Britain’s greatest race teams and manufacturers so we’re delighted to see it returning to the British GT fold this season in its Official Safety Car Partner capacity. The term ‘Best of British’ is overused these days but Lotus is one of those brands for which the phrase legitimately applies. The Emira is an incredibly capable car and will not look out of place surrounded by our full grid of GT3 and GT4 entries.”

Season 30 of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship begins at Oulton Park this Easter Bank Holiday Weekend (April 16 & 18).

• Lotus reveals all-new, competition-spec Emira GT4 contender
• Follows recent technical partnership with Extreme E racing team JBXE
• Hand-built GT4 race car features unique new motorsport livery
• Developed in partnership with RML Group
• Another milestone in ongoing Lotus transformation

The culmination of more than 70 years of innovation on the road and track, it marks the start of an exciting new era in performance GT racing for Lotus.

Developed in collaboration with project partner RML Group, the race-ready concept is yet another milestone in the transformation which is taking place in every area of the Lotus business and brand.

Following the July launch of the Lotus Emira and its dynamic debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lotus and RML Group are committed to writing a successful new chapter in the legendary Lotus motorsport story.

Most recently, that has been via the Evora GT4, which won prestigious races and championships including in British GT, Dubai 24hrs, Barcelona 24hrs, European GT, Sepang 12hrs and the Pirelli World Challenge.

Almost all modern Lotus road cars have had race-ready siblings and the Emira is no exception. Each customer car will be a homologated performance machine, hand-built with lightweight motorsport components and equipment to meet the latest safety regulations.

The Hethel-based development team has focused on precision engineering to deliver outstanding dynamics and high-speed stability. The advanced composite bodywork makes the car exceptionally lightweight and, coupled with Toyota’s race-proven 3.5-litre V6 engine and optimised GT4 aerodynamics derived from the road-going Emira’s advanced exterior design, the Emira GT4 promises to be more than competitive.

Richard Selwin, Race Programme Manager, Lotus, commented: “The all-new Emira GT4 is an exciting next step following the hugely successful launch of the Emira road car. We have worked hard with the team at RML Group to ensure this next-generation of Lotus GT car will deliver race-winning performance.”

Simon Holloway, Commercial Director, RML Group, commented: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Lotus on the all-new Emira GT4 Concept. Both companies have a long and successful motorsport pedigree, and to bring that together at such an exciting time for Lotus is a welcome validation of our vision and values.”

Gavan Kershaw, today the Director of Vehicle Attributes for Lotus but previously a GT championship-winning driver of Lotus race cars, has been involved in the development of the Emira GT4 from the start. He commented: “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.”

Lotus has been synonymous with racing success ever since the Mark I, a trials car hand-built by founder Colin Chapman in 1948, and the company has pioneered many of the technical innovations which make racing the thrilling sport it is today. The impressive roll-call of honours includes seven Formula 1 Constructors’ titles, six Drivers’ Championships and the Indianapolis 500.

The return to world motorsport is a key pillar of the company’s transformation. Earlier this year Lotus Engineering, the consultancy division of the business, became technical partner to JBXE, the Extreme E race team led by F1 world champion Jenson Button.

The Lotus Emira GT4 will be officially launched later this year at an event on the Hethel test track, the iconic 2.2-mile circuit which has hosted the development of some of the world’s most famous race cars.

Lotus aims to build a limited number of Emira GT4 race cars for the 2022 season, increasing production for 2023 in line with global demand. Interested parties are invited to contact the Lotus motorsport department directly via motorsport@lotuscars.com

Lotus Emira GT4 tech spec and target performance data

*Subject to balance of performance