Lotus to unveil a host of non-spec models at 2024 Auto China

Lotus will be exhibiting at the 2024 Auto China. Auto China 2024 will kick off with a press day on 25 April and run until 4 May at the China International Exhibition Centre. AutoChina, also known as the Beijing Motor Show, is taking place for the first time in more than four years since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the show is expected to attract a large number of visitors, and interest in Lotus has been high.

Lotus has a booth alongside Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in Building E4 of the Shunyi Pavilion at the China International Exhibition Centre. Here, Lotus will showcase eight models, including a special model featuring the Lotus Chapman Bespoke programme, the brand's first ever customisation service, and a high-performance electric bicycle, demonstrating the brand's commitment to performance and electrification.

At Auto China 2024, Lotus will unveil to the public the Emeya Blossom Collection, the brand's first all-electric hyper GT car from the Lotus Chapman Bespoke Programme, Emeya. Finished in a blossom colour scheme that reflects the cheerfulness of spring, Emeya will take centre stage at the Lotus stand, heralding its future as a flagship model for Lotus.

Set to become one of the fastest GT cars in the world, the Emeya will be equipped with a dual-motor AWD system to deliver a peak power output of more than 900 hp. This allows for a 0-62mph acceleration time of just 2.78 seconds and a 0-100mph overtaking acceleration time of just 2 seconds. Despite this powerful performance, the Emeya has a range of 610 kilometres per charge based on the WLTP. With 350-kilowatt DC ultra-fast charging technology, the Emeya can travel 150 kilometres in just five minutes of charging, and the battery can be filled to 80% in less than 18 minutes.

Another special Lotus model to grace Autocross 2024 is the Eletre R Type 79, which was created through the Tailor made service. It features the Lotus Chapman Bispoke Programme, taking design inspiration from the legendary Type 79 race car that won both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in F1 in 1978. Like the Type 79, the car's black bodywork is accentuated by golden lines throughout.

ELETRA is an all-new lifestyle car that reflects the core principles and know-how that Lotus has honed over 76 years of sports car design and engineering. The top-of-the-range AELETRA R is arguably the most powerful SUV of its generation. With a dual-motor system, it produces a maximum power of 918 hp and 100.4 kg-m of torque, and accelerates from 0-62 mph in just 2.95 seconds.

The Emira, Lotus' last internal combustion sports car, also exemplifies the essence of the one-off service, allowing customers to 'build their own Lotus' in a unique combination of colours and options, with a Lotus Chapman Bispoke application.

The 2024 AutoChai will also emphasise the motorsport at the heart of the Lotus brand. The Evija Fittipaldi, created in honour of Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the F1 World Championship in 1972 at the tender age of 25 with Team Lotus, is a prime example of this. Together with the Type 79 race car that sits alongside it, Evija Fittipaldi evokes the nostalgia for F1 that is so deeply embedded in the Lotus brand.

The retro-looking Type 66 on display opposite is the race car unveiled in August 2023 at Monterey Car Week in the US to mark Lotus' 75th anniversary. It is a limited run of 10 cars based on the original 1970s drawings kept by Clive Chapman, son of founder Colin Chapman, which almost never saw the light of day due to the brand's focus on F1.

Alongside the exhibition, a very special figure was also revealed. At the 2024 Autocross China Press Day, Lotus' track-only hypercar, the Evija X, set a lap of 6 minutes 24.047 seconds at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. This is the third fastest time ever set by a non-production car and is a testament to Lotus' technical excellence, as the chassis of the Evija X is identical to the production Evija.

In addition, the Lotus stand will feature the Type 136 high-performance electric bike and the Hope/Lotus track-specific bike that won gold for Team GB at the last Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, reinforcing the brand's image as a powerhouse of aerodynamics.

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