Renault has turned its back on nearly half a century of Formula 1 engine development, even agreeing to sell its historic racing-engine operations to Belgian industrialist Guido Dumarey.
Yet the French manufacturer is now indirectly backing a spectacular new 670-hp V8 for Lotus’s next supercar, alongside Geely, potentially reviving the legendary Esprit name.
The engine comes from Horse Powertrain, the joint venture owned by Renault and China’s Geely. Its new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 will power the forthcoming Lotus Type 135, a hybrid supercar expected in 2028 with more than 1,000 hp of combined output.
For Renault, the announcement illustrates a new approach to combustion-engine development. For Lotus, it adds another chapter to its remarkable retreat from an all-electric future.
A new V8 with serious muscle
The new Horse W40 develops more than 500 kW (around 670 hp) and 800 Nm of torque. Weighing just 200 kg, it features two turbochargers nestled between the cylinder banks in a compact ‘hot-V’ configuration.
Horse has also developed an eight-speed hybrid dual-clutch transmission capable of handling up to 1,050 Nm, with gear changes taking less than 20 milliseconds.
With electric assistance, the V8 should push the Type 135 beyond 1,000 hp, although Lotus has yet to reveal the battery specifications or the final vehicle weight. That last figure will be particularly interesting for a brand built around Colin Chapman’s famous lightweight philosophy.
The engine also marks Horse’s entry into the premium-performance segment. The company sees potential applications beyond Lotus, including other sports cars, pickups, and off-road vehicles.
Renault’s combustion paradox
Renault and Geely each own 45% of Horse Powertrain, with Saudi oil giant Aramco holding the remaining 10%. Its customers already include Renault, Geely, Volvo Cars, Nissan, and Mitsubishi.
The timing is striking. As Newmobility.news reported in October, Renault agreed to sell its historic Viry-Châtillon F1 engine operations to Belgian entrepreneur Guido Dumarey, who hopes to return as an independent racing-engine supplier by 2029. Having ended its own F1 engine program in 2025, Renault’s Alpine team now uses Mercedes power units.
The apparent contradiction reflects two very different business models: Renault is abandoning costly engine development for its own F1 team while retaining a substantial stake in a supplier developing combustion and hybrid powertrains for multiple manufacturers. No known technical connection links the new Horse V8 to Renault’s former F1 operation.
Will the legendary Esprit return?
For Lotus, the new V8 gives substance to a strategic U-turn. The Type 135 was originally conceived as an electric sports car, but disappointing sales and mounting financial losses forced the British manufacturer to rethink its ambitions.
As NMN reported in August, Lotus now targets a sales mix of approximately 60% hybrids and 40% fully electric vehicles under its Focus 2030 strategy. The plug-in-hybrid Eletre X is already part of that transformation.
The Type 135 will become Lotus’s new performance flagship, positioned between the gasoline-powered Emira and the electric Evija hypercar. It is also widely tipped to revive the iconic Esprit name, although Lotus has yet to confirm this.
There is a certain irony in that prospect. When Lotus unveiled its all-electric Theory 1 concept in 2024, it drew inspiration from the original Giugiaro-designed Esprit, launched in 1976 with a modest 160-hp four-cylinder engine.
The Esprit would eventually evolve into a 350-hp twin-turbo V8 in 1996. Thirty years later, its possible successor could revive both the legendary name and V8 power, this time with more than 1,000 hp of hybrid muscle.
For Geely, the project brings together its Lotus investment and its powertrain partnership with Renault. For Renault, it shows that quitting Formula 1 engine manufacturing doesn’t mean abandoning powerful combustion engines. It simply means making money from them differently.
