Lotus Evija electric hypercar now open for orders in Malaysia – 2,000 PS, 130 units globally, RM16 million!

Yup, this sounds rather unbelievable but it’s true. The Lotus Evija – dubbed as the most powerful series production car in the world, and limited to 130 units forever – is now open for orders in Malaysia. The price for such bragging rights? At RM16 million, this could well be the most expensive car to be officially sold in Malaysia.

Officially, because production slots for the Evija can be made through official Lotus importer and distributor Lotus Karz, based in Bukit Jelutong in Shah Alam. At a glance, the estimated RM16 million price tag sounds crazy, but a substantial portion of that is taxes for Peninsular Malaysia registration. If you register the car in tax free Langkawi, it’s RM10 million.

That’s still a huge house full of money, and it still sounds ridiculous. Until you know that the base price of the Lotus Evija is £1.7 million in the UK, which converts to RM9.8 million. I know, I know, you’re thinking that for the money, you’ll have a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, a Porsche, an Aston Martin and then a G-Wagen for “rough use” such as going to 7-Eleven for bread. There could be money left for some JDM legends like the R34 GT-R and NA1 NSX. I’d do that, and so would most people.

But Lotus’ first EV is not for most people. It’s likely to be for those who already have all the above, those who think that Ferraris and Lambos are a little bit too common (not entirely untrue if you camp at BSC’s Dome to check out the cars that pass by), those who see Porsches as Peroduas. I see this thing as an electric equivalent to the Bugatti Chiron, and the Veyron before it.

And the Evija has the numbers and exclusivity to back up its (still ridiculous) price tag too. Hethel is targeting a combined over 2,000 PS and 1,700 Nm of torque from four electric motors. Each drive motor is built into a single-speed helical gear ground planetary gearbox, which draws power from a centrally-mounted 70 kWh lithium-ion battery. Never mind 0-100 km/h below three seconds, it’ll reach 300 km/h in under nine seconds. Top speed is over 320 km/h.

If you’re wondering how all that power and speed will sound like without a traditional engine, it will sound like an ICE. Not just any old motor but the Lotus Type 49 race car and its Cosworth-Ford DFV 3.0 litre naturally-aspirated V8. The Evija’s noise was created by British music producer Patrick Patrikios, who has worked with Sia and Britney Spears, among other stars.

The Type 49 was a special car for Lotus, as it was one of the first Formula 1 cars to use a stressed-member drivetrain to reduce weight, something that would later be used by other teams. Only 12 examples were ever made and the car won on its debut in 1967.

“There’s a purity to that V8, a raw edge and an emotion that stirs something in your soul, just like the best songs,” Patrikios said. “We wanted to create a soundscape for the Evija that was recognisably and distinctively Lotus. I sat with the development team at Hethel and discussed what that should be. We wanted something intrinsically connected to Lotus so we could set an audio blueprint for its future electric cars,” he added.

As for exclusivity, just 130 units of the Type 130 – the Evija’s project code – will be made. Production is set to start this year. RM16 million, any takers? See the car in action at Goodwood below.

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