Lotus’s first brand-new series-production model in more than a decade is a stunning mid-engined, two-seat sports coupé with supercar-aping looks, a high-quality interior and the option of four-cylinder turbo power supplied by Mercedes-AMG.
The Emira (pronounced ‘eh-meer-ah’) is priced £59,995 and is pitched at what Lotus believes to be a gap in the market below higher-performance versions of the Porsche 718 Cayman.
Initial models are powered by the Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre V6 from the outgoing Lotus Exige and Lotus Evora, before a 2.0-litre AMG unit follows in the autumn. The first version on sale will be the limited-run First Edition, which brings the V6 engine and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes for £71,995.
Bespoke First Edition touches include a set of two-tone 20in alloy wheels, branded brake calipers, a tyre pressure monitoring system, black contrasting lower trim and 12-way adjustable heated seats. Buyers can choose from six exterior and seven interior colours, while the standard-fit Design Pack brings privacy glass, a black Alcantara headliner and sports pedals.
The First Edition is also equipped with the Drivers Pack which offers the choice of 'Tour' or 'Sport' suspension, and can be specified with either Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.
UK customers can reserve a first edition car from 8 April, while deliveries are set to take place at the end of the year. Full specification details for the entry-level, four cylinder model meanwhile will be revealed in the coming months, prior to orders opening in the summer.
The Emira will be Hethel’s final non-electrified car. It follows the limited-run Evija electric hypercar in this promising new era for Lotus under the majority ownership of Geely, which is funding not only new cars but also new facilities and manufacturing processes with the aim of products being built to a higher and more consistent quality.
Underpinning the Emira is Lotus’s new Sports Car Architecture, which was developed using the extruded and bonded aluminium chassis technology first used by Lotus on the Elise of 1996. The car is 4412mm long, 1985mm wide and 1225mm high, with a wheelbase of 2575mm, making it just a fraction larger than the Evora.
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All the performance you'll ever use?, 90% of the time it should be and the Car isn't a stupid six or seven figure asking price,so, unless your disposable income means you can buy, drive what your pocket allows, this is the ideal spec for a Car of this type.
Looks like it will be a cracker. Problem is the sports car market is tiny and Porsche dominates. Very hard for Lotus and Alpine. Lotus / Alpine and Jaguar should do a deal to share sports car components it could be the only way any of them can take on Porsche