3.5L V6 or turbocharged AMG four offered in Emira
More creature comforts, but this is still a Lotus
The latest Lotus is here. It’s also the last purely combustion model the brand plans to deliver. It’s the Lotus Emira, and the automaker says it’s the most accomplished car the company has ever made.
It’s a new mid-engine sports car in traditional form for the brand. A replacement for both the Elise and Exige, the Emira will be the brand’s only sports car line, at least temporarily. It’s the first all-new car for the brand in more than a decade, on a bonded aluminum chassis wearing fibreglass bodywork, the way Colin Chapman intended.
The design is clearly inspired by the Evija, including contoured scoops in the hood and doors to help channel air. It’s slightly longer than the Evora, but a narrower door sill and larger door opening should make it more accessible to more drivers. Despite the lack of aero add-ons, it should still generate downforce rather than lift, Lotus says.
Two engines will be offered in the Emira. The first is the supercharged 3.5L V6 that’s known and loved in the Exige and Evora, here making 400 hp. The new engine, and the base model, will be a 2.0L four-cylinder from AMG. Turbocharged, the engine should produce 360 hp. The lightest version of the car should come in at 1,405 kg, priced from £60,000.
Automatic, manual, and dual-clutch gearboxes will be offered, though Lotus didn’t detail the boxes. The quickest version should hit 100 km/h in under 4.5 seconds and run to 290 km/h flat out.
An auto box and narrower sills aren’t the only accommodations for driver and passenger. Lotus says there is a “step-change” in the cabin with a new design, improved materials, soft-touch surfaces, and, the horror, even power seats. Tech features include adaptive cruise, anti-collision system, and it will have rain-sensing wipers and parking sensors.
Drivers need not worry, though, two suitably Lotus chassis offerings will be available. A Tour package setup for everyday use, but a Sports chassis comes with the optional Lotus Drivers Pack for a stiffer setup designed to enhance capability and feel.
Order books are open now, deliveries start in the spring.
