We put the all-new Lotus Emeya electric GT to the test – from Germany to Austria

The ultimate grand tourer deserves the ultimate grand tour. And Lotus has decided this is to be a rather epic journey from Germany to Austria, as it introduces its first electric “hyper-GT” to the first few journalists in the world to get behind the wheel of the all-new Lotus Emeya.

The journey begins just outside Munich in June where we witnessed the next chapter in Lotus’ new story under Geely ownership.

The Chinese mega conglomerate, which now also owns the Volvo and Polestar brands among others, took a majority stake in the British marque in 2017, and apprehensions proliferated over how the 76-year-old now Anglo-Chinese company, beloved for its illustrious line-up of iconic two-seater sports cars like the Elan, Elise and Evora, would transform under new Chinese patronage.

In 2022, Lotus introduced its first-ever SUV, the Eletre, and the new direction was self-evident, opening up a new product segment as the company’s first four-door vehicle in history.

Lotus has announced ambitions to become an all-electric global luxury brand by 2028 but the question remains: Can the company truly translate its high-performance sports car heritage to its next-generation of lifestyle-oriented vehicles? And will consumers bite?

After some 500km of hard testing from Munich to the snaking mountain passes of the Austrian Alps and back, including in inclement conditions, this writer’s doubt has once and for all been allayed.

THE MUSCULAR YELLOW BANANA

The Emeya is a Lotus like no other. It’s bold, it’s beautiful. Then again, so are all other Lotuses that have come before, including the crowd-pleasing, coffers-stuffing Eletre rolled out in the new Geely era.

“Like a yellow banana,” said a fellow content creator, uncharitably. He’s not entirely wrong, though.

As we survey the fleet of Emeyas in bright Solar Yellow, they do somewhat resemble a comb of the ripened fruit in question, albeit a high-tech bunch of attractive machinery with the crisp lines and musculature to suggest a clear lineage to Lotus’ Evija hypercar.

Sitting on a long wheelbase with short overhangs, the Emeya has been likened to the Porsche Panamera, but a far sleeker and edgier distant cousin twice removed in our view.

Its low centre of gravity, which Lotus calls ‘hyperstance’, gives it a planted, dynamic stance and ‘cab-forward’ silhouette. But it’s the pair of parallel double-strip (LED) running lights that leave us particularly transfixed.

Meanwhile, eight vents strategically positioned around the exterior bodywork continue the theme of ‘porosity’ seen in recent Lotus models; striking design features that not only lend a sense of performance but does the technical job of helping with battery cooling.

At the rear, an ultra-narrow LED light bar runs across lengthways, topped by a dual air wing spoiler for that quintessential futuristic, sporty feel we’ve all come to expect of a luxury EV.

ONE OF THE FASTEST ELECTRIC GTS IN THE WORLD

Just as crisp is the Emeya’s handling. While true petrolheads may grimace and grumble at the brand’s move away from its purist sports car pedigree, Lotus’ new target lifestyle users are in for a treat.

The Emeya comes in three variants: The base model Emeya, the Emeya S and the Emeya R, which will all be available in the Singapore market.

The vehicle shares its platform and virtually all its hardware with the Eletre, but the Emeya is decidedly far more fun to drive.

We hurtled across portions of the German autobahn at blistering speeds, propelled by 450 kW (603 hp) of power in the Emeya S and 675 kW (905 hp) in the Emeya R.

The dual-motor base model and the Emeya S rocket up from 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, while the Emeya R, which we also tested, does it in a mind-numbing 2.8 seconds, making it one of the fastest electric GTs in the world today.

The Emeya R is also the only one with two-speed transmission and rear-wheel steering, making for some fantastic fun once we reached the Austrian Alps.

There are altogether five drive modes including the eco-conscious Range, Individual and Track, but the Emeya finds its sweet spot in Tour. Coax it into Sport and the car takes on the twists and turns up and down the mountain range like Chubby Checker on ’roids. Not quite like the non-electric Lotuses of yore, but heaps of fun, nonetheless – and enough to stir up the curiosity of the odd cow casually grazing on the mountainside, at least.

THIS IS LUXURY

The first thing that strikes you as you slide into the driver’s seat is how exceedingly comfortable these seats are. They not only cushion your tush, they also contour themselves to hug the length of your body.

Driver and all passengers also enjoy in-seat massages: There are five massage modes, and you can set the intensity at three different levels.

The cabin interior is, perhaps, the most diametrically opposed to what we know as the Lotus of old. Where sports cars are as spartan as can possibly be for weight-saving, speed-enhancing aims, the Emeya offers soft-touch, high-quality, plush tactility enhanced with carbon fibre trim (lest you forget Lotus’ racing roots) and knurled metal touchpoints for a classier finish.

Its seats are upholstered in WYRON truecycled, which is made from recycled cotton scraps from the fashion and garment industries, and Lotus is apparently the first carmaker in the world to use this new material. It all feels very nice, indeed. As does the cinematic surround sound courtesy of the award-winning KEF sound system with Dolby Atmos.

Almost everything is done on the high-definition 15.1-inch infotainment system, leaving the central console nice and neat with mainly the gear selector, just a few flushed buttons, a wireless charging tray and space for two cup holders.

Space is certainly your friend in this GT, sandwiched between the Lotus line-up of serious sports cars and SUV. And the capacious cabin feels even roomier thanks to the panoramic glass roof, which can be switched to opaque to block out sunlight at the touch of a button.

You also want a spacious boot in your ultimate touring companion and with the Emeya, you get up to 509 litres plus a further 31 litres in the frunk.

GOING THE DISTANCE

Ask any prospective EV buyer their biggest concern in making the switch and range-anxiety often tops the list. So, you can forgive any misgivings I might have had before embarking on a long-distance journey across borders in an EV.

On paper, the Emeya boasts up to 610km on a single charge, which ought to be more than sufficient for our jaunt to the Austrian village of Egg, with the caveat of how spirited your foot, and whether you choose to drive the entire route in Sport mode, of course.

Lotus says the car is capable of being charged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 14 minutes using a 400 kW DC fast charger (if you can find one), making it one of the fastest charging electric vehicles on the market today. This means you could – technically – gain up to 310km of range in a mere 10 minutes.

We made a coffee stop mid-way through the road trip anyway, for the Lotus pros to check our Emeya’s remaining battery level, as both man and machine refuelled and recharged. We then continued our journey to Egg, the largest village in the Bregenzerwald region, sitting pretty at a 560m elevation and with a population of just 3,600 inhabitants.

Passing by an endless cascade of coniferous trees blanketing the mountainside, we eventually arrived at Fuchsegg Eco Lodge for some wellness activities and much-needed respite in the countryside.

Enveloped by the tranquillity of these picturesque surrounds, I’m relishing all the peace and quiet, just as I had since morning with the noiseless Emeya.