Full disclosure: This author has a Lotus Emira to the order.
Lotus Emira is a very special car. Not only was the last Lotus not electrified, but it was also the first all-new car Lotus had built in a very long time.
How long are you asking? The last ‘new’ Lotus is Evora since 2008, before that it was Elise/Exige the platform was introduced in 1995. So when news of the Emira hit earlier this year and photos showed one of the best-looking modern sports cars on the market, it was hard not to attention.
While the production version of the Lotus Emira isn’t ready yet, we recently went to Bathurst to test drive a 3.5-liter V6 prototype around the mountains to give you our thoughts.
Before that, let’s go through some information about the car.
Emira is built on Lotus Sports Car Architecture We first heard about it in early 2021 and uses a lightweight bonded aluminum structure, encased in a body the company says is inspired by the all-electric Evija.
It has the option of a tested Toyota 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 offered with a manual transmission (which will eventually engage automatically) or a Mercedes-AMG-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. (think A45 S being cut a bit) with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Emira’s Measures 4412mm long, 1895mm wide and 1225mm high with one Wheelbase 2575mmmaking it about 100mm shorter than Porsche 911, but 43mm wider with a 35mm longer wheelbase. It also makes it 328mm longer than the Exige.
In other words, this is the first Lotus sports car that looks and feels like a genuine supercar in its proportions and design.
While figures are yet to be confirmed, Lotus is targeting a weight limit of 1405kg in the lightest form of the car, around 30kg lighter than a car. Porsche 718 Cayman GTS with a dual-clutch transmission, it is nevertheless capable of weighing around 1430kg for the car we drove here (V6).
Unlike the Elise and Exige, the Emira has power steering, but even then it ditches the modern electric power steering setup and instead uses hydraulic steering, which the British company owns China’s says designed to provide better feedback to the rider.
There are two suspension tunes offered: Tour, designed for everyday on-road use; and Sport, which is quite straightforward and part of the Lotus Driver Pack.
How much does Lotus Emira cost?
The first Emira variants to touch will be First version V6 later this year, followed by 4-cylinder AMG versions in the second quarter of 2023.
Valuation will begin at $155,990 before on-road expenses for Emira’s four-cylinder DCT, jump to 169,990 USD before going for the base V6 manual, and $173,990 before hitting the road for V6 engines.
The four cylinders First Edition priced from $177,990 pre-road, and the first version of the Emira V6 is listed at $184,990 pre-road.
Price in 2023 Lotus Emira:
- Lotus Emira four-cylinder: $155,990
- Lotus Emira V6 Manual: 169,990 USD
- Lotus Emira V6 automatic: $173,990
- Lotus Emira four-cylinder First Edition: $177,990
- Lotus Emira V6 First Edition: $184,990
How is the Lotus Emira inside?
We didn’t spend enough time inside the pre-production Lotus Emira to give you a full rundown of what the interior is like, but as a current Lotus Elise Series 3 owner, no it took a long time to realize it was completely different from what Lotus used to be.
The Emira’s interior may not be the latest in technology and sophistication, but it’s certainly a much more modern package than any Lotus before it. Additionally, the heated and adjustable seats (driver only) are comfortable enough for everyday use.
Perhaps the best news, at least for those who have driven Lotus sports cars before, is that getting in and out of the car no longer requires the person to be trained from a young age by an elderly Russian gym teacher named Olga.
From a technology perspective, there’s a 10.25-inch touchscreen that looks relatively similar to the center console and comes equipped with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the driver can enjoy the infotainment system. Beautiful 12.3 inch digital instrument.
We played with the infotainment system for a short while and found it easy and fast enough to use with good integration and clarity.
Honestly, even a Walkman from the 80s would be an upgrade over earlier systems, but Lotus decided to roll out about four generations of infotainment at once, bringing to market. th field is considered a pretty good set of technologies by 2022.
What’s under the bonnet?
The car we drive has 3.5 liter turbocharged Toyota V6which in this application develop 298kW power and 420Nm with a six-speed manual. If you want to give up some of the fun, you can increase that 430Nm with an upcoming six-speed automatic option with paddle shifters.
If you go with the 2.0-liter turbocharged AMG engine, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, you’ll likely get a lighter and faster car on the track. And now, the heart of Germany will be extinguished 268kW power and 430Nm of torque.
It’s annoying, in Mercedes-AMG A45 WILL BE, the same base engine puts out 310kW and 500Nm. No doubt Lotus is looking to allow some headroom for a future special edition potentially called the Emira S or Emira R.
How does the Lotus Emira drive?
The Emira is the replacement for both Elise and Exige, so it has relatively large shoes to fill when tracking performance. While the two older Lotus models are based on a somewhat archaic ’90s platform, even by today’s standards, they are a great entry-level race car and/or tarmac entry.
Emira’s challenge is to deliver performance and usability similar to a Porsche Cayman. That means it should be fast, but still be usable on a daily basis.
Although we spent all of our time behind the wheel of this left-drive prototype cruising around in leather around the Panorama Mountain, it’s easy to say that this Lotus has almost become a Porsche rival. true meaning.
In fact, the entire Lotus business model and proposal in the future will be more like Porsche, while retaining the British flavor. That means creating a range of halo sports cars (e.g. the Emira) while also creating a range of lifestyle family cars (e.g. Electra SUV) where real sales and profits are.
To that end, the Emira needed to have much more global appeal (like the Porsche Cayman) and not just an ultralight car but glued together, with all due respect to previous Lotus models. .
The good news is that the Emira is truly an absolutely brilliant, niche sports car that will be the perfect day out for any enthusiast. The sad news is that it is about 300kg heavier than the Exige and more than 400kg more than the Elise.
That weight disadvantage is the price you pay for having state-of-the-art safety systems, high-tensile steel construction, and the engineering required to make this an everyday drivable vehicle. It also means that 0-100km/h time is 4.3 seconds (4.2 seconds for automatic), a far cry from the 3.4 seconds required by the last version of Exige.
Leaving aside the annoying left-hand drive in this prototype, the first thing you notice in the Emira is the distance between the driver and the passenger. Unlike the Exige and Elise, changing gears in the Emira also does not require the consent of the passenger.
The other immediate difference is the power steering system. One of the biggest (and most disliked) features of previous Lotus models was the lack of power steering. In the Emira, the hydraulic power steering setup manages to maintain driver feel and interaction without making every steering input feel like a workout.
While we love the rudimentary powerless steering, the Emira’s class and refinement will match.
After five laps of Bathurst, it’s hard to give you a full report on how the Lotus Emira has performed, but our initial impressions have been very positive. Emira makes you confident everywhere while never feeling too harsh or unfriendly.
Our test car came with a stiffer chassis option on the super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, but even then, the mechanical grip was evident from the start.
From a driving perspective, the front end is extremely precise and small movements of the steering wheel are reflected in Emira’s direction on the road. It also provides great feedback so you always know exactly what the UI is doing – it’s an integral part of Lotus’ DNA and we’re glad it’s passed on to Emira.
The Powerband isn’t as powerful in its delivery as the lighter Exige, but Toyota’s 3.5-liter turbocharged engine has excellent mid-range traction, though we’d love it to run a little further than just 6500 rpm minute.
Likewise, the transmission in our test car felt a bit stiff and squeaky, with gears finding it harder to engage than we would have liked, although we could easily blame that on. having to shift gears manually in reverse.
The Emira feels quick without feeling too fast, like the 718 Cayman GTS (0-100 in 4.5 seconds). Although the available 2.0-liter engine offered by AMG has less power, the extra torque, quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission and lighter weight will make it feel more appealing in gears. between, but we’ll see.
One thing we would say in favor of the V6 is noise. While it’s not as loud as an Exige when it screams full, the Emira is still a much more introspective driving experience than most people would realise, and delivers dynamic output. the exact engine in the Exige has generated towards the end of its life (the Exige Cup 430 generates 321kW and 440Nm), there’s no reason a basic tune and hardware upgrade can’t lead to the same outputs for Emira.
How much does Lotus Emira cost to run?
Lotus Australia also only offers one three-year, unlimited km . warrantywhich we feel could be better in this day and age – engine suppliers Mercedes-AMG and Toyota both offer a 5-year, unlimited-km warranty.
Full details of the vehicle’s maintenance are yet to be finalized, but you’ll expect to pay between $400-800 per visit depending on the time period.
CarExpert’s Take on Lotus Emira
Having ordered a Lotus Emira, perhaps no author could compliment a car more highly.
The real question is; Would one use a turbocharged V6 or an AMG-powered turbocharged four with the DCT?
My initial order was for a four-cylinder, however after driving a V6 and feeling the need to keep a manual Lotus for life, that preference has now begun to shift in a different direction.
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