After making us wait for over 10 years, Lotus finally unveiled its new car called the Emira. It made its debut at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed a couple of months back. Now, the automaker has come up with a competition-spec race car version of the Emira. Called the Lotus Emira GT4 Race Car, it comes with a slimmer physique and some added aero stuff. It’s a concept for now, but we’ll have the real deal later this year.

Update - 05.05.2022: After revealing the specs and some images of the Emira GT4 Race Car back in September 2021, Lotus has launched it with all pomp and show at the iconic Hethel test track in Norwich, U.K. VIP attendees were treated to laps around the 2.2-mile circuit with the company’s Director of Vehicle Attributes and former British GT Championship winner, Gavan Kershaw, piloting it. The company disclosed the price as well - £165,000, which is approximately $204,250 at the current exchange rates. Lotus even brought along a guest – a Lotus Type 30 Sports Racer. This is a 1965 GT, finished in a white exterior shade, and is powered by a Ford-sourced 4.7-liter, V-8 engine. Lotus built only 33 copies of it, and this particular example won the Whitsun Trophy at last year’s Goodwood Revival. Check out the gallery to relish the Emira GT4 Race Car as well as the 1965 Type 30 Sports Racer.

What’s Special About The Lotus Emira GT4 Race Car?

Lotus has developed the Emira GT4 in collaboration with the RML Group. This might sound boring at the onset, but it is a tried and tested engine as it’s seen the insides of the Evora, the Exige, and most recently, the standard Emira. The torque figures aren't mentioned, but it might be around 300 pound-feet (It's 302 pound-feet on the Evora 400 and 310 on the Exige Sport).

The engine will be mated to a six-speed xTrac gearbox with paddle shifters and a limited-slip differential. Speaking of its suspension setup, the Emira GT4 will feature a double-wishbone setup at the front and rear, Öhlins coil-over dampers, and anti-roll bars.

The automaker has optimized the standard Emira’s aerodynamics, although the specifics aren’t mentioned. However, we see a large rear spoiler that comes as part of the aerodynamics package. Unlike the road-ready Emira’s 20-inch wheels, the GT4 will ride on 18-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli GT4 tires. The braking duties will be taken over by Alcon discs and calipers, and Bosch Motorsport ABS.

The Emira GT4 measures 173.6 inches in length and 50.8 inches in height. It has a track width of 65.5 inches. Lotus is targeting to keep the dry weight at 1,260 kilos (2,778 pounds). This makes it 320 pounds lighter than the standard Emira.

On the inside, the concept comes with an FIA-compliant roll cage. A six-point harness and a fire extinguisher are also present. Apart from this, you’ll find a Motec-supplied dash with data logging.

Conclusion

After revealing it in September 2021, Lotus officially launched the Emira GT4 race car at the Hethel test track. For the 2022 season, Lotus will build a limited number of Emira GT4s, but for 2023, the production will be increased as per the demand. The company has also announced the pricing - £165,000, which is approximately $204,250 as per the current exchange rates at the time of penning this piece.

Lotus Emira GT4 Race Car Specifications