We already knew plenty about the Emeya, from the Lotus Hyper OS infotainment with a 15.1-inch OLED screen to the 2.8-second 0-62mph time for the R, but today the really important numbers have been confirmed: prices. Available to configure now, £94,950 is the entry point to the Emeya range. That buys the standard model - just plain old Lotus Emeya, with no letter - sort of like the lowest rung Taycan - with 611hp, a 4.15 second 0-62mph dash and a range rated at between 310 and 379 miles. Standard kit includes a chunky 102kWh battery, active air suspension with CDC dampers, 20-inch wheels, a driver and passenger display (including an augmented reality HUD) plus a 15-speaker, 1380W KEF sound system. While that price is far from insignificant, it’s worth noting that something like a BMW i5 M60 with similar power starts at £97,745. A 544hp Taycan 4S is from £95,900.
The £107,450 Emeya S uses the same mechanical set-up as the standard car, adding to the kit list niceties like 21-inch wheels, lightweight discs with six-piston calipers, configurable ambient lighting and privacy glass. Probably file those under nice to have rather than essential. That price pushes into the territory of the 625hp Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 (£114,750) as well as the Audi e-tron GT Vorsprung (£111,735) and the flagship RS e-tron GT, which is from £120,515.
Speaking of which, the top-of-the-range Emeya R - the only model currently available on the configurator - is surely where the most interest lies. It boasts a monster 918hp (905bhp) thanks to a punchier rear motor than the other two (all Emeyas are all-wheel drive), which means 2.78 seconds to 62mph and 159mph, plus anywhere between 270 and 301 miles of range. There’s a host of extra chassis bits for the R that promise a lot, including rear-wheel steer, a Track mode, active anti-roll and what Lotus is calling ‘high-performance tyres’ on 22-inch wheels.
Now, its £129,950 RRP makes it the most expensive Lotus we can ever recall, that’s an awful lot of power for - relatively speaking - not as much as some others. Perhaps it’s all elementary when dealing with several hundred horsepower, but it feels worth pointing out that the Taycan Turbo is more money (and the Turbo S another £30k). Mercedes EV flagship, the 761hp AMG EQS 53, is also £160k.
Emeya customers will be offered six colours - Kaimu Grey, Stellar Black, Akoya White, Solar Yellow, Boreal Grey and Fireglow Orange. Cost options beyond that seem pretty few and far between on the configurator; that may well be fleshed out in time, or perhaps Lotus is going for a simpler approach to speccing. Those interested are being asked for a £1,000 reservation fee, with the promise of a test drive in early 2024 ahead of delivery later this year.
Lotus Group CEO Feng Qingfeng added: “Electric cars do not have to be boring. We are combining our rich sports car heritage with the latest cutting-edge technologies to redefine what it means to drive an electric vehicle. Emeya seamlessly blends exceptional ride and handling with world-class luxury, performance, comfort, connectivity, and range – bringing drivers the ultimate grand tourer package with the unrivalled driving experience of a true Lotus.” Which does promise quite a lot. We’ll hopefully get to discover the reality very soon!
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