Horse Powertrain has revealed its first production-ready V8 engine, the Horse W40. The 4.0 litre twin-turbo unit makes over 500 kW (680 PS) and 800 Nm of torque on its own, and it weighs just 200 kg. It’s designed as a “hybrid-first” engine, so it was developed from the start to work with Horse’s new 8LDCT eight-speed dual-clutch hybrid transmission.
The engine and gearbox will make their debut together in the Lotus Type 135, the mid-engined hybrid supercar due in 2028. Lotus has said the V8 version will have over 1,000 PS and weigh around 1.5 tonnes.
Horse was set up by Renault and Geely in 2024 to take over their combustion and hybrid powertrain businesses. The two carmakers own 45% each, and Saudi oil company Aramco holds the other 10%. Based in London, Horse employs over 19,000 people at 18 plants and five R&D centres, and its 25 customers include Renault Group, Geely Auto, Volvo Cars, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Proton.
