Lotus’ competitive racing aspirations are back on the cards after the Emira GT4 secured a 1-2 finish in the Macau Grand Prix’s GT4 class on its race debut.
We first reported on the Lotus Emira GT4 back in the late stages of 2021 when the company showcased its 1260kg track-munching monster to the world while affirming its intentions to return to the world of competitive motorsport.
Fast-forward to 2023 and the Emira GT4 has cemented Lotus’ ambitions, helping TORO Racing drivers Luo Kailuo and Adam Christodoulou take out first and second places at the Macau Grand Prix in China – on debut.
To make things more impressive, the Emira GT4 charged out to a 12-second gap over the third-place finisher, Harmony Racing’s Jia Tong Liang in the BMW M4 GT4.
The weekend was a bit of a clean sweep for the TORO Racing team, who secured top spots in qualifying, locking out the front of the grid where they remained until an accident that forced organisers to stop the action early.
Race officials finalised the results based on the order before the red flag was thrown.
Both of the top finishers raced in a GT4 plastered with Lotus’ iconic black and gold liveries to mark the 75th anniversary of Lotus’ racing heritage.
As a reminder, the Lotus Emira GT4 comes powered by a Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6 tuned in-house by the company, while a Harrop TVS 1900 supercharger is thrown into the mix for power outputs of 339kW and 500Nm of torque.
Power is thrown to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential transmission and a limited-slip differential, with the package weighing just 1260kg dry.
There’s front and rear double-wishbone suspension with Ohlins coilovers and anti-roll bars, with the Emira GT4 riding on 18-inch rims wrapped in Pirelli GT4 rubber clamped by Alcon discs and brake calipers.
“A racetrack is the only place better suited for a Lotus than the road,” says CEO of the Lotus Group, Feng Qingfeng.
“Lotus has been competing on the racetrack for 75 years, and championships have been a long-standing tradition for Lotus.” 
