Lotus already confirmed the Esprit was coming back with a hybrid V-8 making nearly 1000 horsepower. That was the headline. Now there’s more — CEO Feng Qingfeng told investors during a recent earnings call that a hybrid V-6 is joining the lineup too. Two engines for the 2029 Lotus Esprit instead of one. The V-6 is the part nobody knew about until this week.
Why Lotus Is Adding the V-6
The V-6 has a practical job. Global emissions rules keep tightening and a lighter hybrid powertrain gives Lotus more room to work within those limits while keeping the car’s weight — and character — where Lotus wants them. Qingfeng described the V-6 as a way to comply with those regulations “while preserving essential Lotus DNA of lightweight engineering and extreme track-focused driving dynamics.” The lighter engine keeps weight down — which Colin Chapman, the founder whose obsession with lightness still defines the brand decades after his death, would presumably approve of.
What V-6 specifically? Almost certainly the same turbocharged 3.0-liter hybrid setup Lotus is putting in the updated Emira — electric motor, automatic transmission, up to 536 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in that application. Whether the 2029 Lotus Esprit gets the same numbers or higher ones Lotus hasn’t said.
Horse — the powertrain company jointly owned by Renault and Geely — makes both engines. V-6 and V-8 from the same source. Lotus isn’t engineering either one from the ground up.
The V-8 That Was Already Confirmed
The 2029 Lotus Esprit V-8 hybrid was already known before this report. Combined output of at least 986 horsepower. Eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Lotus is working to keep the weight of that powertrain down despite the higher cylinder count — a challenge when you’re packaging a hybrid V-8 into a sports car that exists specifically to be light.
‘The Type 135 will fill the gap between the Emira and Evija, preserving the emotional connection Emira owners have with the Lotus mechanical handling, while leveraging V-8 hybrid technology to approach the technical benchmark set by the Evija,’ Qingfeng said. The Evija is Lotus’s fully electric hypercar. The Esprit goes between them — combustion character the Evija doesn’t offer, more performance than the Emira delivers.
From Electric Concept to Hybrid Supercar
The 2029 Lotus Esprit wasn’t always going to have an engine. The Type 135 project originally started as a fully electric successor to the Emira. The market moved. Performance buyers kept choosing combustion and hybrid over pure electric and Lotus changed the 2029 Lotus Esprit’s powertrain plan to match.
The revised plan gives buyers two combustion options instead of none. A V-6 hybrid for buyers who want a lighter more driver-focused Esprit. A near-1000-horsepower V-8 hybrid for buyers who want maximum performance from the revived nameplate.
2029 Lotus Esprit — What’s Confirmed
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Internal name | Type 135 |
| Reveal date | 2028 |
| Production start | 2028 |
| Sale year | 2029 |
| V-6 hybrid | Confirmed — details pending |
| V-6 likely source | Emira hybrid powertrain — 3.0-liter turbo |
| V-6 expected output | Up to 536 hp in Emira — Esprit figures unconfirmed |
| V-8 hybrid | Confirmed |
| V-8 output | At least 986 horsepower combined |
| V-8 gearbox | Eight-speed dual-clutch |
| Powertrain supplier | Horse — Renault and Geely joint venture |
| Position in lineup | Between Emira and Evija |
| Original concept | Fully electric — changed due to market conditions |
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2029 Lotus Esprit
What engines will the 2029 Lotus Esprit offer?
Two hybrid options. A V-6 hybrid confirmed by CEO Feng Qingfeng during an investor relations call and a V-8 hybrid previously announced. The V-8 produces at least 986 combined horsepower paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch. The V-6 figures for the Esprit haven’t been confirmed — in the Emira the same basic powertrain produces up to 536 horsepower.
When does the 2029 Lotus Esprit go on sale?
Reveal and production both happen in 2028. The car sells as a 2029 model. More details are coming between now and then — Lotus has been drip-feeding information and that continues until the full reveal.
Why is Lotus offering a V-6 instead of just the V-8?
Two reasons. Emissions compliance — the lighter hybrid V-6 helps Lotus meet tightening global regulations while the heavier V-8 pushes closer to emissions thresholds. Weight — Lotus’s identity is built around lightweight engineering and a V-6 hybrid keeps the 2029 Lotus Esprit meaningfully lighter than the V-8 version.
What is Horse and why does it matter?
Horse — the powertrain company jointly owned by Renault and Geely — makes both engines. V-6 and V-8 from the same source. Lotus isn’t engineering either one from the ground up.
Was the Lotus Esprit always going to be a hybrid?
No. The Type 135 project originally planned a fully electric Esprit as an Emira successor. The market moved. Performance buyers kept choosing combustion and hybrid over pure electric and Lotus changed the 2029 Lotus Esprit’s powertrain plan to match.
Where does the 2029 Lotus Esprit sit in the Lotus lineup?
Between the Emira and the Evija. The Emira is Lotus’s current sports car. The Evija is the fully electric hypercar at the top of the range. The 2029 Lotus Esprit fills the gap — more performance and exclusivity than the Emira, combustion-based character that the Evija doesn’t offer.
Is the V-6 the same engine as the updated Emira will use?
Almost certainly yes though Lotus hasn’t officially confirmed it. The description matches the Emira’s planned hybrid V-6 exactly — turbocharged 3.0-liter paired with an electric motor and automatic transmission. Output for the Esprit application may differ from the Emira’s reported 536 horsepower figure.
The 2029 Lotus Esprit arrives as a two-tier supercar — V-6 hybrid for drivers who want the lighter more focused experience, near-1000-horsepower V-8 hybrid for buyers who want the most extreme road Lotus since the Evija. Both engines from Horse. Both combustion-based. The reveal in 2028 fills in the remaining gaps. The powertrain direction is already set.
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