Emme's high-performance but rather controversial Don Lotus sedan is the biggest failure of the Brazilian auto industry

It must be said that the 1990s, even despite the rather unstable situation in terms of the global economy, turned out to be successful in terms of the birth of high-performance cars.


In addition to iconic supercars, many powerful sedans were born at this time that still inspire admiration. These are, for example, the BMW M5 E34 and E39, the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG or the built Porsche 500 E, the first six generations of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and the list goes on.

It is logical that the sports car manufacturer, Lotus, also could not stand aside. During this decade, the brand's team did a good job and contributed to the development of two high-performance sedans.


The first was the Lotus Carlton, an incredibly fast four-door car based on the Opel Omega/Vauxhall Carlton, and the second was the little-known Emme 422T, which we will talk about in this article.

Brazilian miracle

Our today's hero Emme 422T was released in Brazil almost two decades ago. It was announced as the world's fastest sedan, and to this end it borrowed both the lightweight philosophy and one of the S4 Esprit engines from world racing car leader Lotus. Namely, the four-cylinder turbocharged 910S, which, according to rumors, they got as industrial scrap metal. Perhaps it was thanks to the presence of this engine that he received the coveted Lotus badge, but this did not save him.

Despite Lotus's indifference to the project, the 422T was very ambitious, and was set to challenge heavyweights such as the BMW M5 or Mercedes E55 AMG. But, unfortunately, this did not happen, and as a result, he was “knocked out” even before he was actually able to enter the “ring”.

Ambitious plan

The history of 422T began in the mid-1990s, when several Brazilian businessmen decided to organize a new company called Megastar Veiculos. The new venture, with financial support from the Swiss conglomerate Concept Aktiengesellschaft, aimed to produce the Mirage scooter series.


But at the same time, for some reason, they decided to “raise the bar” and began developing a luxury sedan called Emme. The car, assembled at a state-of-the-art plant in Pindamonhangaba, near São Paulo, was offered in high-performance entry, mid-range and premium versions.

Controversial design

The new model was first presented at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in 1997. Then the developer, represented by the company Megastar, stated that more than 87% of the components used to create this machine were produced in Brazil.

Moreover, to keep weight as low as possible, the body panels were made from a composite plastic called Vextrim. The material is said to be completely recyclable and will not corrode. In addition, it is supposedly characterized by increased strength and even has bulletproof properties, which could be very relevant for some regions of Brazil. But at the moment there is no practical confirmation of these statements.


At the same time, as for the appearance of “Emme”, it was, to put it mildly, not impressive. Not only was the design chosen rather dubious, but there were also clear similarities with the 1992 Volvo ECC concept car, which later became the production S80 model. This became the main problem that caused the most controversy.

It didn’t work out “with ease”

Lotus has become a successful sports car manufacturer, winning numerous motorsport titles, following the simple yet brilliant philosophy of company founder Colin Chapman:


The developers of Emme Lotus T422 also tried to adhere to this parting word. They tried to “empty” the car as much as possible. As a result, even ABS, airbags and other heavy components were removed. But at the same time, its chassis, made of galvanized steel, as well as the use in its design of many outdated ready-made components and parts, did not add lightness to the sedan.

Therefore, despite the innovative body, the T422 weighed almost 3527 pounds (1600 kg). It's very close to the much more advanced V8-powered German sedans it was intended to compete with.

"Heart" T422 as the main trump card

But, as we have already said, the Brazilian “Lotus” received a real in-line four-cylinder Lotus engine. It was a 2,2-liter turbocharged engine Type 910S 900 series, producing 264 hp. (up to 280 hp at short intervals) and a torque of 367 N*m. It worked in tandem with a Borg Warner five-speed gearbox.

The 910S type had been used in Esprint since the late 1980s, but in 1996 Lotus decided to replace it with a new V8. The few remaining engines were therefore sold to Megastar, who were allowed to use the Lotus badge on the bootlid of their performance model.


However, the legendary power plant was unable to provide the heavy “Brazilian” with outstanding performance. As stated, the new product demonstrated a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h). At the same time, the dynamics of acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) was 5 seconds. But, as one might expect, these figures were never confirmed by independent tests.

The T422 went into mass production just a few weeks after its public debut. Megastar had high hopes for him. It was planned to sell the modernized version in the USA and even Europe, where the prototype was tested on the Milan-Monte Carlo route.

But after the first owners received brand new copies of the Emme 422T, they discovered many unpleasant problems. Among the main complaints were complaints about the quality of materials, the presence of large gaps in the panels and, in general, the level of assembly of the entire car.

This, coupled with its awkward styling, lack of safety features and unreasonably high price that was almost on par with the BMW M5, meant only one thing: orders quickly dried up.

Things went so badly for Megastar that the entire project, in which about $162 million was invested, ingloriously folded in 1999, and the company itself declared bankruptcy.


Currently, there is very little information about where released but unsold cars can be stored. According to some sources, no more than 15 copies were collected in total.

This is how the story of Emme LotusL422, which on paper showed great promise, but in fact turned out to be a real failure, ended just like that.