Evija hypercar gets futuristic sound inspired by F1 V8 race car

Lotus has turned to Hollywood and one of its most famous V8 engines to create the sound for its upcoming Evija hypercar.

The British brand enlisted fellow Brit Patrick Patrikios to create a bespoke suite of synthesised sounds for the upcoming all-electric sports car.

The result is a futuristic sound that was inspired by a very old Lotus, the Type 49 that took Graham Hill to the 1968 Formula 1 world championship.

“There’s a purity to that V8, a raw edge and an emotion that stirs something in your soul, just like the best songs,” said Patrikios, who has written and produced songs for artists including Sia, Britney Spears and Olly Murs.

Read about the Lotus Evija testing at Goodwood.

“We wanted to create a soundscape for the Evija that was recognisably and distinctively Lotus,” Patrikios said of the process to create a unique audio track for the car claimed to produce as much as 1471kW of power – roughly triple that of a respectable supercar.

The Evija – which was delayed until 2021 due to coronavirus – has a 368kW electric motor for each wheel and is claimed to reach a top speed of 320km/h, making it among the most ballistic of all EVs in development. It’s priced from £1.7 million plus taxes, so something like $4.5 million once you get it registered and pay the taxes in Australia.

“I sat with the [Lotus Evija] 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.”

That included recording the sound of a Lotus Type 49 F1 race car.

“I adjusted the replay speeds and digital filtering of the Type 49 to generate a soundscape for the Evija – it was a very organic process.

“We all wanted something to spark an emotional connection between car and driver. Sound is hugely influential when it comes to creating and forming emotions, to enrich that bond that’s such a critical part of the Lotus experience.”

Lotus is not the only one turning to Hollywood for inspiration for its electric cars.

BMW employed Oscar winner Hans Zimmer to create the futuristic sound for its upcoming EVs.

And artificial sounds are common in electric cars, including the Porsche Taycan.