Lotus stages three-model China launch: Emira 420 Sport leads, 900 Gold Emeya and Eletre follow

On August 31, Lotus put three new vehicles on sale in China, one for each of its core niches: a mid-engine combustion sports car, a high-performance electric sedan and a high-performance electric SUV. The headliner, the Emira 420 Sport, lists at 988,000-1,188,000 yuan (roughly $145,000-$174,000) with first deliveries due in October. The Emeya 900 Gold sedan opens at 918,000 yuan ($135,000) and the Eletre 900 Gold SUV at 928,000 yuan ($136,000), and both EVs now carry formerly optional hardware - carbon fibre kits, ten-piston carbon-ceramic brakes and full active aerodynamics - as standard.

The Emira 420 Sport, which first showed up in May, is the lightest and most powerful version of the nameplate, billed as a "track-grade road car". Its AMG-sourced M139 2.0-litre turbo four sends 420 hp and 500 Nm to the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, good for 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a 300 km/h top speed. Reworked three-part front venting lifts outer radiator airflow by 15% and central flow by 14% while improving brake cooling by 10%, adding 25 kg of rear downforce at 300 km/h without extra drag. A titanium exhaust and lightweight lithium battery hold curb weight to 1,430 kg, with an optional handling kit trimming a further 25 kg.

The Emeya 900 Gold runs a 918-hp, 985-Nm dual-motor AWD drivetrain on an 800V platform, fed by a 102 kWh CATL NCM pack rated at 530 km CLTC. It reaches 100 km/h in 2.78 seconds, tops out at 256 km/h, and can recover 180 km of range in five minutes at 420 kW. Nearly 62 carbon fibre components cover 6.1 square metres of the body, and the sedan already holds a production-EV lap record of 2:20.317 at Sepang. The cabin runs Hyper OS on twin Snapdragon 8155 chips, with a 15.1-inch OLED centre display and a 55-inch-equivalent AR-HUD.

The Eletre 900 Gold shares the 918-hp 800V hardware but steps up to a 112 kWh battery for 560 km of CLTC range, sprinting to 100 km/h in 2.95 seconds and on to a 265 km/h maximum. Its chassis package combines dual-chamber air suspension, 48V active anti-roll bars and active rear-wheel steering, while seven RaceAero vents and a four-stage active spoiler generate up to 112.5 kg of downforce for high-speed stability.