It’s definitely still a Lotus, but the new Emira will excite the purists on its road to success
The new Lotus Emira is powered entirely by small explosions. He’s not even a hybrid. It’s not because Lotus isn’t able to electrify a car, or because they don’t feel like it. Next year there will be a new ‘lifestyle product’ (just a crossover, so) that will be fully electric. An electric sports car will follow in 2025, in collaboration with Alpine. So the Emira, with only a combustion engine, has immediately acquired the status of a classic. It’s a good thing it looks so good.
It is a two-seater with a mid-engine. Lotus has already made a lot of it, but it’s not a substitute for anything else – even though the Elise, Exige, and Evora have now left this mortal world. It is intended for daily use. But we hope it won’t be commonplace. He must be special. With a British starting price of less than 70,000 euros (probably just under 90 grand with Dutch taxes), the Emira is a rival to the Boxster; in America it competes against the cheapest Corvettes. Because yes, it will be sold worldwide. Very ambitious, everyone.
The Emira will not appear at dealers until next year and will initially only be available as a V6. A four-cylinder option will follow after a few months. At the moment Lotus is still a bit mysterious about the specifications. But here’s what we know: The V6 is Toyota’s 3.5-litre supercharged block that was already in the Exige and Evora. The four-cylinder will be a version of AMG’s super-hot 2.0-litre turbo. There will be manual, automatic and double-clutch transmissions, Lotus says, without revealing which engine can be equipped with which transmission. You can safely assume that neither will be available with all three boxes, and in the old cars you could get the V6 manual or automatic. So we can assume that the DCT is reserved for the four-cylinder.
Specifications Lotus Emira
Lotus says we can count on 365 hp for the 2.0-litre entry-level and 405 hp for the V6, and that the fastest acceleration time from 0 to 100 will be under 4.5 seconds, with launch control. Both engines don’t really do their best, as they can easily deliver more than 420 horsepower in cars we already know – the V6 in the Evora and the four-cylinder in the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S. The latter will be the lightest variant, but could thus also be positioned as the more hardcore, more track-oriented option.
The V6 is for those who feel there is more to life than lap times. It has always been a very nice engine. Thanks to the supercharger, it already has enough power at low revs, it produces great baritone sounds in the midrange and then focuses itself diligently on the red. The six-speed manual transmission is equipped with Lotus’ open-work shifting rods: beautiful to look at both when stationary and in action.
In addition to the engines and transmissions, you can also choose from different set-ups for the chassis. In either case, the steering is hydraulically assisted, not electrically, because a better feel in the steering wheel is worth a small price in fuel economy. The Tour suspension is what you want for street use, because the suspension comfort gets a little more attention. And it’s not like they’re going to make a heaving battleship out of it, is it?
The tires under the Lotus Emira
But if you frequent circuits, live in an area with no bad road surfaces (or bumps), or like a ‘slightly stiffer set-up for improved dynamics and feel’, go for the Sport option. We use quotes because we have to take Lotus at their word so far. But Lotus’ word is rarely exaggerated. All wheel options measure 20 inches and the tires have been specially developed, including a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 for those who like to drive fast.
Lotus pioneered the technique of gluing aluminum extrusions into a car construction. This is how they work with the Emira, although all dimensions are different than with the previous models. If you took an Evora and added all the equipment and extra stiffness of the Emira, it would gain 60 pounds. The Emira itself is only 10 kilos heavier.
And that while it, and we’re not sure yet what we think of this, is also a bit wider. More width means less roll and more grip on the track, but also more tightly squeezed buttocks on tight country roads where you can sometimes encounter oncoming trucks or tractors. This is a significantly longer, wider and stronger car than an Alpine. But it’s also heavier – it weighs 1.4 tonnes – so it doesn’t really have a power/weight advantage over the S version of the A110. But the V6 Emira does have, well, a V6. Still nice.
The design history of the Lotus Emira
Lotus’ design director Russell Carr is intertwined with the history of the brand. But he is not one to look back much, because he knows that Lotus has always looked ahead. And he’s been through enough: he’s been with the brand for so long that he did the last facelift of the Esprit, in 2002.
The Esprit is a good hook to hang the Emira on. For most of its life it only had four cylinders, but it did push the limits of what a supercar is capable of. It also looked exotic and was, yes, luxurious for its time. Lotus was not always about hard lightweights. They’ve made mid-engined cars, as well as front-engine, four-seater, and even the front-wheel drive Elan, if you can remember it. The cars of the brand often used engines from other manufacturers. And now there’s a four-wheel drive electric hypercar.
Carr has analyzed all this to arrive at his take on what a Lotus visually should be. It’s about freshness, originality and sharpness, and the low weight and aerodynamics should be visible. But you shouldn’t be beaten about it – no boasting or gimmicks. With his Evija there are tunnels through the back of the body, because there is no bulky engine there. They are aero aids that are intrinsic rather than screwed on.
The Emira has something Evija-like, but also carries enough individual character not to come across as a poor substitute. The absence of unnecessary frills in its surfaces subconsciously tells you that it will provide a clean and focused driving experience. The body generates downforce without moving parts and without a high rear wing. He borrowed the ‘air outlets’ in the front cover of the Evija; which ensure that the airflow flows neatly over the top of the body. The side inlets have both a feeding and a cooling function for the engine.
The Emira is not a replacement for the Elise
It is virtually impossible today to design a car of that size and weight to withstand upcoming global legislation without resorting to exotic materials. Never mind that you can design another cabin that is so basic that it tends to be user-unfriendly. Perhaps the Emira is closer to the softer versions of the Evora, although that car became quite pricey towards the end of its life and still didn’t offer the comforts that buyers were looking for.
You would forget – just look up pictures of it – how simple the interiors of the Elise, Exige and Evora were. But in recent years most Elises were sold in England for new prices of 60,000 euros or more. The Emira’s cabin looks and feels infinitely more precious. The dashboard flows elegantly into the doors. Soft materials and mood lighting create a dramatically different ambiance than before. And that’s a good thing, given the basic age of those cars. Even though the handling and steering never got boring.
Sports cars are about more than just dynamics: few manage without a successful appearance. The Emira looks good, that’s hard to argue with. And not just in a functional way, or as a form that catches on with a specific type of car fetishist. The Emira should not only appeal to those who have already bought Lotuses in the past. He needs to look good in the mainstream sports car world so he can appeal to people who would otherwise buy his successful rivals.
In fact, he shouldn’t even address them alone, because they won’t want their social circle to think they’ve bought something strange. So the Emira also has to pack the friends of its buyers. It almost works like circles in a pond. Anyone who bought an Exige at the time, with all its grilles and bulges, clearly didn’t care what others thought.
What this means for Lotus
Lotus wants the Emira to sell in much larger numbers than the Elise, Exige and Evora. Owner Geely is therefore investing heavily in it. Yes, the aluminum frame and fiberglass body are made from materials that Lotus has been using for years. But they will be made in expensively elaborate factories. Lotus built a new facility in Norwich for the aluminum parts, so they don’t have to drag the frames far to the main factory in Hethel. There is also a new production line, with painting robots and computer-controlled trolleys that transport them between the assembly stations. Almost EUR 120 million has been invested and 200 new jobs have been created.
Take another look at the Alpine A110. It is rarely sold, partly because people get in and have the idea that they are in a toy. Lotus has also received this criticism in the past and they now want to avoid it at all costs. Step into the Emira and he’s a world away.
Bucket seats for the Emira
If Lotus’ marketing team has some Porsche-esque insight, you can also buy the Emira with hip-shattering race fairings in the future. But for now, you’ll have to experience the luxury of standard four-way power seats, or optional premium seats that move in twelve directions. You don’t have to fold yourself to get in either – the doorways and the height of the sills have been carefully designed.
The seat reclines far enough to accommodate tall drivers who simply couldn’t sit in an Elise. You can also see quite well outside. It may sound boring, but the storage space in the Emira is important. Large bags behind the seats, smaller ones in the trunk: together good for 359 liters, or as much as a Polo. Drink bottles fit in the door pockets and, er, cups in the cup holders and a phone in the phone tray. The counter screen and the central display both show Lotus graphics, unless you switch to your phone’s image, which you can. KEF was working on a ten-channel audio system.
Lotus’ current slogan is ‘For the drivers’. But if you want to use a car every day, a little help is quite welcome. If you drive your commute on a stretch of highway with a lot of speed checks, you’ll want adaptive cruise control, a self-locking anti-collision function, lane assist and blind spot warnings. And in the city please keyless go, parking sensors and a beep that warns of crossing traffic when reversing. So you can order all of that on your Emira. It hardly adds any weight.
You already see where this is going. Is Lotus going mainstream? Some will hate the Emira because the brand has “gived in.” It weighs 1,400 kilograms and has radar cruise control and electric seats. Think for a moment about the uproar when the new Defender came out. Internet types vilified it because it was different from the old one, when it was a car that no one bought new anymore – because its design and technology were so terribly new. We love the old Defender and the Elise, but would only consider buying them second hand. A brand cannot pay its staff with that.
The price of the Lotus Emira
So let’s put the righteous anger aside for a moment and see the Emira for what it is: an approximately 90 grand, over 400 horsepower sports car with modern equipment, charismatic engines behind its seats, a lightweight construction, beautiful design and – to we may assume – Lotus’ dynamic magic dust. What exactly doesn’t sound right about this?
