Lotus Teased a 986bhp V8 Supercar Named the Type 135

Lotus is bringing the V8 back. After 22 years, the engine that made the Esprit a legend is returning with insane 986+ horsepower.

Let’s set the scene first. A few years ago, Lotus had a very clear plan. Go electric, ditch combustion engines, and never look back. The Emira was supposed to be the final petrol-powered Lotus, ever. That plan is now dead.

On May 12, 2026, Lotus officially unveiled its Focus 2030 strategy, and right at the top of that announcement was the confirmation of the Type 135 — an all-new hybrid V8 supercar planned for delivery in 2028. It is also internally referred to as “Vision X,” though neither name is the final one. The last Lotus to feature a V8 was the Lotus Esprit V8, which finished production in 2004.

What Is the Type 135?

Announcing: Type 135.
V8. Hybrid. Supercar.

The countdown begins now. pic.twitter.com/ZDlVZw7TDx

— Lotus Cars (@lotuscars) May 12, 2026

It is an all-new car. Not a stretched Emira, not a modified platform, but completely new, featuring a V8 hybrid powertrain producing over 986 horsepower, which is 1,000 PS in metric terms. Lotus calls it their first-ever supercar, which is a bold claim given the Evija exists, but the company categorizes it as a hypercar.

Here is something more interesting. The new supercar will be a hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid, specifically to save weight. That is a deliberate choice. Lotus knows its reputation is built on lightness, and a massive battery pack would contradict everything Colin Chapman ever stood for.

The Engine Nobody Saw Coming

The last time Lotus put a V8 in a road car was 2004, when the Esprit finally went out of production. Now, after 22 years, they are not just bringing it back but also electrifying it.

The X-Hybrid system is built around a 900V electrical architecture, and in the Eletre X SUV, it already delivers 939 hp paired with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. For the Type 135, that four-cylinder gets swapped out for a V8, with a promise of more than 1,000 hp total.

What V8 specifically? Nobody is saying yet. One strong candidate is AMG, which already supplies the four-cylinder engine used in the Emira. AMG is developing a new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 set to debut later this year, and it would not be surprising to see it end up in the Type 135. Another possibility is a modular V6-based engine that could be scaled up to eight cylinders. Either way, Lotus has not confirmed anything on that front yet.

What Does It Look Like?

Lotus released a teaser video showing the rear end — two massive round exhaust tips, a chunky diffuser, and two pairs of high-set horizontal LED lights. From that angle, the Type 135 has a very sloped roofline with an almost horizontal rear window.

It looks suspiciously similar to the Lotus Theory 1 concept from 2024, which itself drew design cues from the classic Esprit. At the time, design boss Ben Payne said Theory 1 was a blueprint for all future Lotus cars, and it appears he meant it.

The Theory 1 also featured a McLaren F1-style three-seat layout, and Lotus has confirmed the new supercar was created at its design center in Coventry. It is the same place that produced the Theory 1 concept.

Could It Be Called the Esprit?

Almost yes, though Lotus has not officially confirmed it yet. The Type 135 is already being hailed online as a modern-day Esprit, and Lotus renewed its trademark of the Esprit name back in 2023. The timing is not a coincidence.

Lotus’s internal naming structure also tells a story — Type 130 was the Evija, 131 was the Emira, 132 was the Eletre. Type 135 lines up perfectly for what would be a major flagship nameplate revival.

Why Is This Happening Now?

The all-electric strategy was not working. Lotus sold just 6,520 cars last year, a near 50% drop from 2024. The Evija, limited to just 130 units and priced in the millions, is still not sold out. Consumer appetite for electric sports cars never materialized the way Lotus had hoped.

Lotus has dramatically revised its sales targets down from an initially planned 150,000 cars by 2030 to just 30,000, which the company believes will be enough to remain profitable and sustainable.

Under its revised Focus 2030 strategy, Lotus is targeting a roughly 60% PHEV and 40% BEV volume mix going forward, with combustion and hybrid cars now playing a central role rather than being phased out.

The Bottom Line

Lotus lost its way for a while. Heavy EVs, bloated SUVs, and a confused identity. The Type 135 feels like the brand finally remembering what it actually is. A V8, over 986 horsepower, built light, built in Europe, and arriving in 2028. More details are expected later this year.

Whether it ends up being called the Esprit or not, the spirit of it is already there.