The last gasp for a petrol-powered Lotus
Head of development takes it for a spin
Lotus has taken the Emira V6 First Edition for a shakedown run on its home test track, and they’ve given us the footage of the sports car with its supercharged engine and dynamic team boss Gavan Kershaw behind the wheel.
Kershaw has what might be the coolest title in the auto sector as Director, Attributes and Product Integrity, and he leads the dynamic development of every Lotus. In short, he knows the Lotus Emira and the Hethel test track.
Though he’s obviously a bit biased, Kershaw talks about the car’s dynamics as he laps the circuit. He praises the low RPM acceleration of the big V6 and blower, coming on as low as 1,500 rpm in low-speed corners.
Turning in, he says it stays flat thanks to a low center of gravity and that the car offers excellent agility. Four drive modes allow various levels of slip in the stability control ranging from fully on to completely off, though the ABS says enabled throughout.
The 2023 Emira is getting ever closer to production and is set to arrive on sale in North America late next year. It’s set to be the last gas Lotus, using engines from Toyota as well as AMG, along with borrowing from corporate siblings Volvo to help improve in-cabin tech and letting the company spend its R&D dollars on the drive.
