It is the end of Lotus’s age with the combustion engine. Matt Windle, managing director of Lotus, says that the Emira is a major breakthrough for them. It is an important milestone in our journey to become a global performance car brand.
The Emira, a two-seat, mid-engine, was built on a lightweight, bonded aluminum chassis, which Lotus created in Hethel (Norfolk), where it had its press release last night. The Emira’s two engines are a 3.5-liter V6 engine and a turbocharged 2.0 litre four-cylinder “i4”, which were developed in collaboration with Mercedes performance arm AMG. The Emira is expected to produce power outputs between 360 and 400 horsepower, while it can reach 62mph in a little over 4.5 seconds. It also boasts a maximum speed of 180mph and a speed limit of 62mph.
Russell Carr, the project’s design director, said that the Emira “captures the visual drama and exotic supercar with great proportions, wide footprint, and a cabin that sits low between muscular haunches.” It is a compelling and attractive alternative to existing sports cars.
The design of the Emira, which costs $83,000, follows the theme that was first seen on the marque’s flagship Evija hypercar, worth $2 million. I saw it in 2019. It features a slim, sculpted body and a volume that is athletically shrinkwrapped to describe the Lotus’ agile driving characteristics.