Earlier this year Lotus announced it was dropping the Elise, Exige and Evora in preparation for the arrival of a range of hybrid and fully electric sports car and crossovers. But there’s just time for one last Lotus ICE adventure before the EVs arrive. Called the Emira, and projected to cost less than £ 60,000 (US$ 84,500), it’s the natural replacement for the Evora, and will battle cars like the Porsche 718 Cayman when it goes on sale in Europe in spring 2022, and the U.S. at the end of that year.
Closely following the Lotus sports car recipe familiar since the introduction of the Elise in 1996, the Emira rides on a new version of the company’s bonded and riveted aluminium chassis. And it’s almost exactly the same size as the Evora, riding on the same 257 5mm wheelbase, and measuring an additional 0.8-inches (20mm) between front and rear bumpers. Lotus claims the new car represents “a paradigm shift in levels of practicality, comfort, functionality and technology”. And one of the key drivers in that shift is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four from Mercedes-AMG.
Though Lotus hasn’t confirmed it, we believe this engine is lifted from the Mercedes-AMG A35 where it makes 302 hp. But ‘fundamental changes’ including a new air intake system and new exhaust help push power to around 360 hp. Lotus hasn’t revealed a torque figure, but we’d expect it to improve on the A35’s 295 lb ft. That inline four drives the rear wheels through AMG’s seven-speed dual clutch transmission, whether you like it or not, and will get you to 62mph in “less than” 4.5 seconds.
If you’re determined to row your own gears, you’ll need to fork out extra few thousand (exact prices TBC) for the 2.0-liter car’s 3.5-liter V6 big brother. This is essentially the same Toyota-derived supercharged V6 that’s been available in the Exige and Evora for years. Available with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions, Lotus says it will generate 400 ps and 317 lb ft, making it both less powerful and torquier than the old Evora GT410. Top speed is quoted as 290 km/h, and while acceleration figures for the V6 haven’t been released, they’re likely to come in close to the 4.2 seconds to 100 km/h achieved by the Evora.
Visually, the Emira, whose name, according to Lotus, translates as ‘leader’ in some un-specified ancient language, is clearly inspired by the upcoming Evija electric hypercar. The fibreglass body features Evija-like bonnet cut-outs, and both the air intakes in the rear quarter panels ahead of the rear wheels, and the dual vents on the rear panel below the taillights also echo the look of the 1973 hp Lotus halo car. But perhaps the most striking thing about the Emira is the interior. Not because it’s particularly radical, but because even without setting foot inside you can see that quality has taken a much-needed step forward. Instead of the aftermarket double DIN head unit fitted to the Evora there’s now a proper 10.25-inch touchscreen media system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. And that’s backed up by a second, even larger digital display located behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Four-way electric seats are standard, 12-way power chairs are optional, and depending on how generous Lotus’s product planners are with the final specification in your market, keyless go, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, electric folding mirrors, front and rear parking sensors will all be either standard, or at least available. This being a thoroughly woke sports car, there’s also the option of an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) package that includes adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, fatigue alert, lane departure warning and more.
Of course if you get too carried away with the options ticks you’ll swell the base 1,405 kg curb weight. In which case, you’ll definitely want the optional Lotus Drivers Pack, which includes stiffer suspension and grippy Michelin Pilot sport Cup 2 tires (along with launch control) to keep the Emira tidy through the corners. One interesting point to note is that Lotus, like McLaren, has stuck with hydraulic steering, which it claims still offers the driver more feedback than an electric steering setup. It also claims the Emira has a wider track than any recent Lotus road car.
But, keen to sell the Emira as a car that’s up for the daily grind, and not just a toy for weekend fun, Lotus has also ensured there’s plenty of usable space for people and their stuff. The door bins have been designed to accommodate a 500 ml soda bottle, there’s 208 liters of room behind the seats, and Lotus says the 151-liter trunk behind the engine is big enough for a flight case or a set of golf clubs. Customer cars are a year away, but if you like what you see dealers are taking deposits now.
