Lotus Cup China – one-make racing sequence with Emira Cup race automotive to begin 2026 season in Sepang, Malaysia

The Lotus Cup China one-make racing sequence arrived in Malaysia on the Petronas Sepang Worldwide Circuit final weekend, when the Sepang 1000KM endurance race was additionally held. For the Sepang spherical of the one-make racing sequence that includes the Lotus Emiraa beginning grid of 11 automobiles took half.

Whereas the Sepang spherical of Lotus Cup China 2025 is positioned because the season finale on this 12 months’s calendar for the sequence, the Malaysian circuit will develop into the season-opener subsequent when the Lotus Cup China sequence will boast of an prolonged calendar, that includes greater than the 5 spherical of the 2025 season. At current, dates and venues for the 2026 season are but to be confirmed.

The operating of Lotus Cup China is to re-assert that motorsport stays very a lot on the coronary heart of Lotus, stated
Lotus Vehicles Malaysia government director Mohamed Reza Abdul Mutalib. The Emira is the final remaining internal-combustion-engined, two-door sports activities automotive within the present-day Lotus highway automotive line-up, alongside the Eletre and Emeya that are battery-electric automobiles.

The Lotus Emira Cup begins life because the Emira i4 that’s the foundation of the race automotive for the Lotus Cup China one-make sequence, and as its mannequin title signifies, its powertrain is the M139 2.0 litre turbocharged unit from Mercedes-AMG, and just like the highway automotive, the race automotive makes use of an eight-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission sending drive to the rear wheels.

The race automotive will get a unique exhaust system to that of the highway automotive however powertrain is in any other case unchanged, in response to a Lotus Cup China consultant. Acceleration on the 0-100 km/h benchmark claimed to be beneath 4 seconds, and kerb weight is 1,350 kg for the race-prepared Emira Cup.

Chassis tools embody modified AST 5100 coilover models adjustable for journey top in addition to compression and rebound damping, whereas entrance and rear management arms are adjustable models, and are fitted with spherical bearings.

Rolling inventory is a set of 18-inch cast alloy wheels, shod in Vitour Tempesta P1 measuring 255/35ZR18 in entrance and 315/30ZR18 on the rear. Braking {hardware} is by AP Racing, with J-hook discs in entrance and slotted discs on the rear; ABS is carried over from the race automotive, and the setup does with out driver-controllable brake bias adjustment.

As a one-make sequence aimed toward gents racers and people making their begin in sports activities automotive racing, the Emira Cup is sparing altered from the highway automotive, moreover requisite security tools for this racing utility. Security package within the Emira Cup contains an FIA-certified roll cage, racing bucket seat and six-point harness, and a semi-automatic hearth suppression system.

The steering wheel is by AiM, incorporating a knowledge show unit, which is the only real show for the motive force within the Emira Cup. The highway automotive’s instrument show, infotainment unit and dashboard which stay bodily current within the race automotive have been disabled, in response to Lotus.

The transmission selector continues to be in place, albeit in a re-fabricated housing as a substitute of the highway automotive’s centre console. The radio and datalogger models are positioned behind the motive force, on what could be the passenger facet of the automobile.

Along with the 2026 season of Lotus Cup China, the British marque is aiming to enter the Emira Cup in additional race sequence the place the race automotive might be eligible, probably together with entries within the Thailand Tremendous Collection (TSS) subsequent 12 months, stated Mohamed Reza.

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