Photo rewind: Lotus Singapore brings lineup to Cars & Kopi

If you were one among the hundreds of car enthusiasts that flocked down to Dempsey Hill last Friday (9 August 2024) for the latest Cars & Kopi meet, you may have noticed a special car adorning the stickers stuck under the wipers of the morning's coolest cars: The all-electric, freshly-launched Lotus Emeya.

With Lotus Singapore co-hosting the meet, the Emeya was one of the many Lotuses that descended upon the parallel lots lining the main Dempsey thoroughfare on Friday. Making an official appearance alongside it were the Eletre, Lotus' first SUV, as well as the Emira. Together, the models form the British brand's three-model lineup in Singapore currently.

Attendees of the latest Cars & Kopi meet may have noticed the Lotus Emeya adorning the event's official artwork 

But back to the Emeya - as Lotus pledges to go fully electric, the car marks its first fully 'hyper grand tourer' (hyper GT). The term stems from the fact that the Emeya blends hypercar-like performance with the refinement, comfort and usability of a long-distance cruiser. 

Courtesy of dual motors that put out 905bhp and a whopping 985Nm (nearly 1,000!) of torque, the car, in its range-topping R guise, can shred up the century sprint in a stomach-churning 2.78 seconds. 

The Emeya, Lotus' first fully electric hyper GT, continues the firm's growing emphasis on luxury and tech in its cars 

But even the 'base' Emeya is no slouch, with its slightly less powerful motors (603bhp and 710Nm of torque) helping it zip to 100km/h from a standstill in just 4.2 seconds. Powered by a 102kWh battery, it can really go the distance too, with a WLTP-rated range of 610km. 

Alongside high levels of driver engagement, Lotuses in the past have prided simplicity and lightness above all else, and while the Emeya promises to maintain the former, it also reinforces the brand's new emphasis on tech and luxury. 

One highlight of the cabin is this crisp rear-touchscreen, which gives passengers behind direct access to a multitude of functions

It's not just up front but in the rear where occupants will find lots of space to stretch out. A key highlight of its cabin is its rear screen, which gives passengers behind access to the car's media and sound system, the ability to adjust their seats, as well as to control the car's stunning electrochrome roof.

On the other hand, while the Emeya is the newest member of the modern Lotus trio, it was most certainly the Eletre that truly flipped a new chapter over for the brand.

The Eletre is Lotus' first production SUV - and also probably the first Lotus you could take your entire family (and their bags) out in 

Apart from its fully electric drivetrain, the Eletre marks the first production SUV to be released by the firm. At five metres long, and tipping the scales at around 2.5 tonnes, it also marks quite the U-turn from the lightweight and track-focused models of past, such as the Exige and Elise.

Nonetheless, the inclusion of the Eletre (with its cavernous second row) in the lineup now means the entire family can come along for the ride - and bring their belongings too, thanks to its 688-litre boot. It's also blisteringly quick for an SUV, with its two electric motors pumping out 603bhp and 710Nm of torque.

Future classic: The Emira marks Lotus' last combustion-powered model 

Given the full electrification of the Emeya and Eletre, the final member of the current Lotus trio is a special one: The Emira marks the last combustion-powered model to be released by the firm.

At the heart of the first variants released in Singapore lie a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine, developing 400bhp and 420Nm of torque. These numbers may seem far less extreme than the figures mustered by the Emeya and Eletre - but bear in mind again the Emira is a two-seater mid-engined sports car, and is far lighter than its two electric siblings.

As a transitory point between the firm's past and present, the Emira's cabin cockpit is still relatively straightforward, but starts to weave in extra creature comforts and bits of tech to a level not seen on models before it 

Considering that the Emira is, in many ways, the last of its kind, it shouldn't be surprising that demand for it was ravenous when it was first introduced. Even before the car was previewed two years ago, all 15 units allocated to Singapore for 2022 had already been spoken for. Lotus Singapore has since also introduced a 2.0-litre turbocharged variant.

With Lotus Singapore joining in as the official co-host of the meet, last Friday's Cars & Kopi also saw a stronger-than-average presence of Lotuses, both past and present.

Other Lotus highlights from the meet included a couple of Lotus Eclats, and a Lotus Elise 220 Cup

Apart from a few other customer units of the Emira (and one of the Eletre) that we managed to catch, Dempsey's car park lots also saw a good number of Exiges and Elises joining the festivities - including a beautiful Elise 220 Cup. No Cars & Kopi meet is truly complete without some extremely rare machines making an appearance, though. In a beautiful past-meets-present moment, parked right next to the official Lotus Eletre in Solar Yellow were two stunning Lotus Eclats.