The Lotus Type 135 supercar will get this new 670bhp+ twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8

Lotus is making a new V8 supercar, and here’s your first look at the new V8 that’ll sit merrily inside that new supercar. It’s a brand-new eight-cylinder powerhouse making many horses via a company called Horse Powertrain, and no, engine renders do not make exciting images.

But it should make a good noise, not least because it’s a 4.0-litre V8 with twin-turbos mounted in the very hot bit of the V. On its own, Horse reckons on over 670bhp and 590lb ft of torque. That’s… dense.

What's a Horse Powertrain, you might reasonably ask? It's a company that specialises in building hybrid combustion engines and range extenders and associated electronics, owned by Renault (45 per cent), Geely (also 45 per cent) and Aramco (10 per cent).

And so this brand-new 4.0-litre V8 has of course been developed to accept hybrid power (because the new Lotus Type 135 will be a hybrid V8 with nearly 1,000 horsies in total), and features direct fuel injection, a shortened intake path for the turbos, and “extensive lightweighting techniques”. Among other Horse witchcraft packaged within.

Indeed, this 200kg unit is able to deliver “exceptional low-end torque and high peak power”, and we’re also told it’ll be matched to an eight-speed dual clutch gearbox. The tech stuffed inside this ‘box includes a “sportscar grade” wet clutch, a built-in silicon carbide control system and power module (shrug emoji), and a variable displacement mechanical pump.

Which, we think, allows it to shift in under 20ms. That’s pretty quick. “The Horse W40 marks another landmark achievement for Horse Powertrain’s engineering teams, with our world-class technology powering one of the most power-dense V8s in automotive history,” said Horse Powertrain boss Matias Giannini.

“In powering the Lotus Type 135, Horse Powertrain is both advancing the state of the art of automotive engineering while making a historic contribution to the world-renowned Lotus brand.”

Could have done with a better, more exciting render, mind.