Current GT4 racing really is a treat for motorsport fans. Look at the list of eligible cars for starters: everything from an Alpine A110 to a Ford Mustang has a GT4 derivative, meaning fans get to see all manner of shapes and hear many different sounds on a race weekend. The fact the cars are relatively easy to drive makes them appealing to the more casual of racers, yet are sufficiently fast to give more seasoned hands a challenge. Even if maybe lost in the shadow of more glamorous sportscar racing, GT4 remains a really engaging spectacle.
Now it looks set to be an even better watch, especially for Lotus fans, with the reveal of an Emira GT4 concept. Building on the success of the Evora equivalent - which won enduros at Barcelona, Dubai and Sepang - the Emira has been built alongside RML and is said to mark "an exciting new era in performance GT racing for Lotus".
Like all the GT4 cars, the Emira uses the road car's engine, in this case the trusty 3.5-litre supercharged V6. It's paired to a six-speed xTrac sequential gearbox and limited-slip diff; provisional figures are 400hp and 1,260kg, though that will be subject to Balance of Performance restrictors and ballast.
Furthermore, this being a dedicated race car, the Emira GT4 is stuffed full of expensive hardware to make it even quicker around a lap. And some of which, you would have to hope, might make it to a track-focused special in time. So there are Alcon discs with Bosch ABS, a cage with six-point harnesses, Ohlins dampers and Pirelli slicks. Although just a concept for now, the Emira GT4 looks race ready as well, with an aggressive bodykit and chunky rear wing.
Gavan Kershaw said of the GT4: "The all-new chassis on which the Emira has been developed is the perfect starting point for a high-performance race car. Everyone at Lotus is so excited to be returning to world motorsport and to be doing so with such a competitive race car." A full launch is scheduled for later this year, with a limited number of Emira GT4s set to be offered for the 2022 season. Production will be increased "in line with demand" for 2023. Don't be surprised if that demand is pretty high...
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