The Lotus Emira GT4 is a race-ready performance car

Lotus has kick-started a new age of motorsport with the release of a new GT4 race car.

The Lotus Emira GT4 follows on from the launch of the regular car in July and while the pair share the same Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6 engine, the racer has been given a whole host of aerodynamic tweaks to make it competitive on the circuit.

Built in collaboration with project partner RML Group, it has also been made even lighter than the already-featherweight road car, now weighing 1260kg – a drop of 145kg – through the use of lightweight body panels. A large rear wing is one of the more prominent aspects of the aerodynamic package, too. A full FIA-compliant roll cage, six-point harness and fire extinguisher has been fitted as well.

It follows on from the firm’s last bespoke GT4 racer – the Evora GT4 – which saw wins at the British GT, Dubai 24hrs, Barcelona 24hrs and European GT to name but a few. Each Emira GT4 will be hand-built to meet the very latest safety regulations, with a limited number created for the 2022 season – though Lotus has said it’ll increase production for 2023 ‘in line with global demand’.

Richard Selwin, race programme manager at Lotus, said: “The all-new Emira GT4 is an exciting next step following the hugely successful launch of the Emira road car. We have worked hard with the team at RML Group to ensure this next-generation of Lotus GT car will deliver race-winning performance.”