Lotus and AMG may not be considered kindred spirits, but thanks to Chinese car-maker Geely, their paths have crossed and led to the creation of an interesting and potentially excellent little sports car.

To understand how we got here, let’s backtrack a bit. In 2010, Geely acquired Volvo from Ford. Seven years later, Geely took a major stake in Malaysia’s Proton, which included control of Lotus. Geely has since transformed Lotus into an EV-only brand, with the Eletre SUV being its first venture. However, the Emira, built in Hethel, marks the end of Lotus’s combustion-engine era. It comes with the familiar Toyota V6 engine, as well as one of the most powerful four-cylinder units currently in production.

This is where Geely’s behind-the-scenes work becomes evident. In 2018, Geely acquired a roughly 10% stake in Mercedes-Benz, primarily due to its interest in the German company’s electromobility vision. Around the same time, AMG was developing the M139 engine, which surpassed even the renowned V8s in performance. When Lotus needed an engine for the Emira range, CEO Matt Windle turned to AMG and struck a deal. With Geely’s support, crates stamped ‘AMG’ now arrive in Norfolk.