After months of anticipation, the new Lotus Emira has been revealed to lead the Hethel-based company’s new line of mid-engined everyday sportscars.
The Emira is the first all-new sports car from the company’s “Vision80” strategic transformation plan to enhance the brand’s presence around the world as it approaches its 80th anniversary in 2028.
Pronounced as ‘Eh-meer-ah’, the word has been featured in several ancient languages and often translates as ‘commander’ or ‘leader’. The Emira will lead what is set to be the last generation of internal combustion sportscars for Lotus as the company transitions to electrification.
Powering the sportscar are two engine options, a 3.5-litre V6 engine previously seen in the Exige and Evora. They will be available in the “First Edition” launch models followed by a 2.0-litre turbocharged AMG engine – the most powerful production 4-cylinder engine in the world – co-developed with Mercedes-Benz. The latter will be available from mid-2022 onwards.
Transmission options are extensive with manual, automatic and AMG’s dual-clutch options available. Power output is expected to range from 365 hp to 405 hp with up to 430 Nm of torque to play with.
Couple that with a (target) weight of merely 1,405 kg, the Emira is capable of 0 to 100 km/h in under 4.5 seconds, before topping out at 290 km/h.
Evija Emira
The Emira is the first Lotus sports car to embrace a new design language first seen in the 2,000 hp Evija hypercar. The exterior is not only muscular with profound character lines but it’s also blessed with the ability to cut through wind like a hot knife through butter.
The body features unique-in-class vents that channel air over the car while sculpted sections on the door help increase airflow into the air intakes, placed ahead of the rear wheels.
The Emira sits on 20-inch wheels all-round, wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 are offered as options as both tyres have been specially developed for the Emira. There are a total of five different wheel designs.
Aside from the stunning new exterior, the new Emira is also the first Lotus to wear the company’s redesigned badge. It’s available in Hethel Yellow, Shadow Grey, Magma Red, Nimbus Grey, Dark Verdant and Seneca Blue (launch colour).
The Emira’s bonded aluminium chassis is also new; built on the latest Lotus Sports Car architecture with a lower centre of gravity and wider track than any Lotus car in recent history.
Available with two suspension and chassis setups, “Tour” delivers a balance between comfort and performance while “Sport” (available through the Lotus Drivers Pack) provides a stiffer setup for better driving feel. To maintain its signature steering feedback, the hydraulic steering system is retained. The Lotus Drivers Pack also offers Launch Control.
Unlike before in older Lotus’, the days of sparsely furnished interiors are over beginning with the all-new Emira. Not only are there more soft-touch surfaces, better fit-and-finish using luxurious materials but it also offers more storage space! The Lotus’ of old would appear cave-like by comparison.
Combining the wraparound dashboard, raised gear shifter and flat-bottom steering wheel, the Emira prioritises the driver first, with intuitive controls and minimum distraction.
Gone are the fixed bucket seats of before, in the Exige and Elise. The new Emira offers powered seats as standard, with up to 12-way adjustments for both driver and passenger. Upholstery options include Nappa leather in Black, Red or Grey or Alcantara with different colour stitching.
There are two displays to rely on; a 10.25-inch touchscreen for entertainment and a 12.3-inch TFT display for the vehicle’s parameters. The infotainment displays were designed and developed by an in-house team at Lotus, with the system paired to a KEF premium sound system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.
The new glass panels offer much-improved all-round visibility with Lotus also claiming best-in-class ingress/egress and headroom for the Emira. This should be interesting, considering what past Lotus sports cars were like.
The new Emira offers up to 208-litre of storage behind the two seats and 151-litres in the boot; enough for one cabin-sized luggage or a set of golf clubs.
Other creature comforts available include keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, and even curtain airbags! If that isn’t impressive enough, the new Emira also offers “semi pure-driving” features such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane change assist, an anti-collision system and rear cross-traffic alert.
Prices are expected to be around £60,000, with the first customers taking delivery in early 2022. Pricing for the Malaysian-spec Lotus Emira has yet to be confirmed however those interested may contact Lotus Malaysia to register your interest.
For more info on Lotus cars in Malaysia, reach out to:
Lotus Karz Sdn Bhd (Lotus Malaysia)
43 , Jalan Astaka U8/84A,
Bukit Jelutong 40150 Shah Alam Selangor
Call: +60 17 621 7227
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