Speculation: FE I4 will have 400HP and 480NM?

[GT1968]

2075kg is gross weight.... kerb weight is 1600kg

 

[GT1968]

2075kg is gross weight.... kerb weight is 1600kg

 

[GT1968]

2075kg is gross weight.... kerb weight is 1600kg

 

[ADC]

2075kg is gross weight.... kerb weight is 1600kg

Happy to stand corrected on the exact numbers... I struggled to find a consistent number (and wasn't sure whether some were quoting dry, kerb, or DIN). Admittedly it does make sense that a compact luxury saloon/sedan would be 150ish kilos heavier, but 700 lbs / 300+ kg difference seemed excessive.
That said, being comparatively down on power and lacking all wheel drive, I think my point of the Emira having a rough time of coming in under 4 seconds stands.

On the upside, I suspect I'll be too busy grinning like an idiot through the corners to get upset about that

 

[GT1968]

Happy to stand corrected on the exact numbers... I struggled to find a consistent number (and wasn't sure whether some were quoting dry, kerb, or DIN). Admittedly it does make sense that a compact luxury saloon/sedan would be 150ish kilos heavier, but 700 lbs / 300+ kg difference seemed excessive.
That said, being comparatively down on power and lacking all wheel drive, I think my point of the Emira having a rough time of coming in under 4 seconds stands.

On the upside, I suspect I'll be too busy grinning like an idiot through the corners to get upset about that

Well I haven't personally weighed it...!! My Macan GTS gives me V6 tones....i4 to throw around country roads..... Glad yours will be going round corners and not gathering dust in a garage

 

[GT1968]

Well I haven't personally weighed it...!! My Macan GTS gives me V6 tones....i4 to throw around country roads..... Glad yours will be going round corners and not gathering dust in a garage

 

[typhon9]

There was a recent dump of images and info from a Chinese car publication. There was a huge number of images posted of a blue car. I was flipping through the photos. Anyway, to copy/paste what I posted on another forum:

Ok, ok, ok, guys, guys, guys. This is potentially big. Potentially. Very big. If the information is accurate...

This image says “2.0T Turbo Engine, Maximum Power: 400 Horse Power. Maximum Torque: 480NM. Offical 0-100km/h acceleration: 4.3s." I thought they were just confused... yawn.

View attachment 1254

But this following picture says " Summary: Chinese market model will come with AMG sourced 2.0T engine, with 360HP and 430NM torque. Combined with 8 speed DCT transmission, 0-100km/h acceleration times will be 4.5s. Initial released First Edition will output a higher 400HP and 480NM torque. Acceleration will be reduced to 4.3s. Interestingly, the latter has a maximum horse power that is nearly the same as the 3.5L V6 supercharged version, and the torque is even 50NM higher, although I still want V6+manual...." Then it goes on to talk about Porsche, and I lost interest.

View attachment 1255

So my friends, we know the I4 base engine will be 360HP, but the FE I4 will be 400HP and 480NM?!?!?!?!

There was a recent dump of images and info from a Chinese car publication. There was a huge number of images posted of a blue car. I was flipping through the photos. Anyway, to copy/paste what I posted on another forum:

Ok, ok, ok, guys, guys, guys. This is potentially big. Potentially. Very big. If the information is accurate...

This image says “2.0T Turbo Engine, Maximum Power: 400 Horse Power. Maximum Torque: 480NM. Offical 0-100km/h acceleration: 4.3s." I thought they were just confused... yawn.

View attachment 1254

But this following picture says " Summary: Chinese market model will come with AMG sourced 2.0T engine, with 360HP and 430NM torque. Combined with 8 speed DCT transmission, 0-100km/h acceleration times will be 4.5s. Initial released First Edition will output a higher 400HP and 480NM torque. Acceleration will be reduced to 4.3s. Interestingly, the latter has a maximum horse power that is nearly the same as the 3.5L V6 supercharged version, and the torque is even 50NM higher, although I still want V6+manual...." Then it goes on to talk about Porsche, and I lost interest.

View attachment 1255

So my friends, we know the I4 base engine will be 360HP, but the FE I4 will be 400HP and 480NM?!?!?!?!?!?!

The Chinese version of the Emira doesn't have mechanical LSD which is the biggest problem, or the global four-cylinder model doesn't. I wonder if I can modify it later

 

[TomE]

i4 doesn't have LSD, it's only fitted on the V6 manual. i4 will have e-diff and other ESP elements to achieve the same effect.

 

[GT1968]

I can’t see how Lotus will bring out a 400 HP FE I4 when it’s already been declared as 400 for the V6 and 360 for the I4.

Having an already equal AMG engine with DCT, and failing to declare it will be available, would truly destroy customer relations and trust in the brand, especially when so many of the deposit holders are long term Lotus owners.

We all know higher HP versions will be available later, but not on the FE cars. It wouldn’t be the first time some facetube blogger or media outlet completely got their stats mixed up…….

And let’s not even imagine the reaction of giving China a different output to the rest of the world. I can’t see Matt Windle ever agreeing to that one !!

If someone is prepared to pay for a e.g. 425bhp i4 why should that upset some dinasour that wants a manual gearbox?.... asking for a friend...

 

[~el~jefe~]

how much PSI does a 2.0 need for boost to hit 400 HP? Also, it is inline. That's really hard to do safely. Porsche's flat four which rev's much more safely hits 7500 rpm and has 20.3 PSI. 400 HP would mean near 8000 redline and clearly over 20 psi boost, and then cool itself in a mid engine layout with a glass window overhead with like dessert sun beating down on it. Hm.

 

[Nova]

how much PSI does a 2.0 need for boost to hit 400 HP? Also, it is inline. That's really hard to do safely. Porsche's flat four which rev's much more safely hits 7500 rpm and has 20.3 PSI. 400 HP would mean near 8000 redline and clearly over 20 psi boost, and then cool itself in a mid engine layout with a glass window overhead with like dessert sun beating down on it. Hm.

The M139 has been running at up to 30psi in AMG cars. The mid engine placement should not cause any special concerns since the M139 was designed for tight fitting installations. The 7200rpm redline is not anything out of the ordinary for a turbo I4 engine. The amount of solar heat coming in the rear glass is tiny in comparison to the amount of heat generated by the engine itself.

 

[TomE]

The change from front-mounted AWD to mid-engined RWD has a significant impact on layout of ancillary systems and on thermal management. Movement of the firewall forward to enlarge the engine bay, large front radiator and oil coolers, the massive side scoops and the "chimney stacks" either side of the engine bay are all part of dealing with that.

I suspect thermal concerns, for the subframe and other structures as well as the engine itself, are more likely to be limiting factors on increasing the power of the i4 than what the engine can theoretically reach on a bench.

 

[GT1968]

The M139 has been running at up to 30psi in AMG cars. The mid engine placement should not cause any special concerns since the M139 was designed for tight fitting installations. The 7200rpm redline is not anything out of the ordinary for a turbo I4 engine. The amount of solar heat coming in the rear glass is tiny in comparison to the amount of heat generated by the engine itself.

And there's no desert sun in Scotland for me to worry about

 

[ADC]

The change from front-mounted AWD to mid-engined RWD has a significant impact on layout of ancillary systems and on thermal management. Movement of the firewall forward to enlarge the engine bay, large front radiator and oil coolers, the massive side scoops and the "chimney stacks" either side of the engine bay are all part of dealing with that.

I suspect thermal concerns, for the subframe and other structures as well as the engine itself, are more likely to be limiting factors on increasing the power of the i4 than what the engine can theoretically reach on a bench.

Yeah, I'd like to think they've put a fair amount of thought into the thermal management side of things (no Ferrari 458 repeats here please!) ... I especially liked the whole negative pressure design, where air is sucked in under the bottom of the rear window, both cooling the engine bay and creating downforce on the tail. nice.

Extra points up for grabs by anyone adding an aftermarket fan under the engine for some extra cooling and mad ground effects like it's 1979

 

[TomE]

I especially liked the whole negative pressure design, where air is sucked in under the bottom of the rear window, both cooling the engine bay and creating downforce on the tail. nice.

That's a typically Lotus thing to do, use one thing for two purposes. Colin Chapman was famously the first to use the engine of an F1 car as a structural component - now everyone does.

 

[~el~jefe~]

Yeah, I'd like to think they've put a fair amount of thought into the thermal management side of things (no Ferrari 458 repeats here please!) ... I especially liked the whole negative pressure design, where air is sucked in under the bottom of the rear window, both cooling the engine bay and creating downforce on the tail. nice.

Extra points up for grabs by anyone adding an aftermarket fan under the engine for some extra cooling and mad ground effects like it's 1979

in traffic, that doesnt do anything. I totally would add an extra fan and pink neon ground effects. we should have a slammed Emira forum section.

 

[Nova]

The change from front-mounted AWD to mid-engined RWD has a significant impact on layout of ancillary systems and on thermal management. Movement of the firewall forward to enlarge the engine bay, large front radiator and oil coolers, the massive side scoops and the "chimney stacks" either side of the engine bay are all part of dealing with that.

I suspect thermal concerns, for the subframe and other structures as well as the engine itself, are more likely to be limiting factors on increasing the power of the i4 than what the engine can theoretically reach on a bench.

I agree there is an impact but I'm thinking it's more of a set of well-understood engineering changes to make rather than some particularly tough challenges to develop novel solutions for. The M139/8G-DCT integrated package was designed primarily for use in the "A" class chassis and derivatives such as GLA, CLA, and GLB. The "A" class chassis is front-drive biased, making the M139/8G-DCT a great mechanical fit for the mid-engine/rear-drive application in the Emira. All of the cooling enhancements you mentioned aren't because the M139 is somehow particularly difficult to cool as a turbo 4-cylinder, but just that this class of engine does require more robust cooling solutions because of the higher energy output density and the dramatically delayed expulsion of hot exhaust gas due to the turbo components.

The point of my post is that the M139 itself can withstand the heat of a tight installation compartment. Take a look at any engine bay it is installed in and it is packed full of components and ample heat shielding that reflects heat back towards the engine itself. The engine does just fine in such tight installation environments.

 

[darkling]

even if it is 360 the already have a plug into obd2 that switch stock to tune

 

[ADC]

even if it is 360 the already have a plug into obd2 that switch stock to tune

View attachment 2743View attachment 2743

There's no doubt that aftermarket tuners will be able to get healthy numbers out of the engine (assuming the ECU isn't locked down somehow... do Lotus have a history of that?).

What I'm interested in seeing is the stock power and torque curves, which have been reportedly tuned for linearity rather than peak numbers. I'd be reluctant to throw away much drivability in the name of pub bragging rights. At least, that's what I'm telling myself for as long as possible

 

[TomE]

There's no doubt that aftermarket tuners will be able to get healthy numbers out of the engine (assuming the ECU isn't locked down somehow... do Lotus have a history of that?).

Absolutely. Lotus encrypt the ECU and are not fans of it being cracked. This was after previous warranty claims that turned out to be modified cars returned to stock before being submitted for a claim.

This is one reason why relatively few aftermarket modifications exist for the Toyota V6 and people like Komotec have had to develop their own ECU.

With a higher number of Emiras and more aftermarket experience of the AMG engine I'm sure people will do it though.