The Lotus Emira represents a sort of watershed in the history of the British brand. It is in fact the last combustion engine car from the Hethel manufacturer before the transition to a totally electric range. In this sense, it marks at the same time the end of a journey that began decades ago with the Elise and Exige and continued with other models such as the Evora, but also the beginning of a new era, especially in style. This was also often stated by Russell Carr, head of the brand’s design since 2014, who with the Emira wanted to define the look of the Lotus sports cars of the future.
Let’s go back to the present. Today the range of this “Princess” – this is the Arabic meaning of the name Emira – is expanding with the arrival of a new version which does not change in appearance but is revolutionized in its mechanics. It replaces the well-known supercharged 3.5 V6 with a 2.0 4-cylinder turbo of Mercedes origin (that of the Class A 45 AMG). The new Emira has power, weight and performance similar to the previous version, which remains on sale. The price doesn’t change too much either, however it drops below the 100,000 euro threshold. The new powertrain was chosen for a series of reasons including that of being able to switch from manual gearbox to a dual-clutch automatic one which offers equally sporty feelings but – if necessary – even more relaxed driving, given the absence of the clutch pedal.
Tested on the track and on the roads around Norwich, the new Emira confirms the good qualities it has already shown in the past. The car, in full compliance with the Lotus DNA, is agile, light and fast. It can be chosen with two different suspension settings, Touring or Sports, with the first one, more focused on comfort, which perhaps goes better with the new engine-transmission combination. The Lotus Emira, then, has a quality that cannot be ignored. Thanks to the sharp lines, the alternation of concave and convex surfaces, the impeccable proportions, the low and wide nose, it manages to give off an air of a supercar of superior lineage.
