If you’ve been wondering why only the Lotus Emira Turbo received the ‘SE’ treatment while the Emira V6 did not, well, that’s officially in the past! Lotus has just unveiled the new top-of-the-line Emira V6 SE, introduced today alongside refinement updates to the existing Emira line-up, which will also be applied on the Emira Turbo SE – but more on those later.
‘SE’ in Lotus speak stands for Special Equipment, and in this case, it includes several exclusive exterior and interior items including the Zinc Grey colour that comes as standard, extended Black Pack that colours the roof, roofline, mirror backs, rear Lotus badge, and exhaust finisher in black, as well as specific V6 SE badges.
It also features 20-inch forged alloy wheels, red brake callipers, and an Alcantara upholstered interior with sport pedals. Further personalisation options include 15 exterior colours and seven interior themes, four brake calliper finishes, and eight wheel designs.
Otherwise, the powertrain and chassis is still the same as the regular V6 variant from before. The Lotus Emira V6 SE continues to feature the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine that produces 405 hp and 420 Nm of torque. This is paired to a six-speed manual gearbox with a limited-slip differential as standard, or an optional six-speed automatic transmission.
According to Lotus, the Emira V6 SE can sprint to 100 km/h from a standstill in 4.3 seconds (4.8 seconds for the AT) and onwards to a top speed of 290 km/h (272 km/h for AT). The Hethel-based sportscar maker does say, though, that they have refined the powertrain for “more emotional engagement,” alongside a new compression mount for the manual gearbox to facilitate more precise gear changes.
Additionally, the Emira V6 SE also includes optimised damper calibrations and small adjustments to its wheel alignment for improved handling and ride comfort, with two chassis and suspension set up to choose from: Tour and Sports. Hethel says that Tour is tuned for daily use while Sports stiffens up the suspension for a more “dynamic capability and feel”.
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As for the refinements made across the Emira lineup, these include an optimised cooling system, where Lotus engineers have rerouted the coolant line differently for better flow to the transmission oil cooler and the main radiator, improving both cooling efficiency and weight reduction.
Lotus is also pleased to state that the air conditioning has been recalibrated to provide a more stable interior climate at high temperatures – which sounds just perfect for our hot and humid Malaysian climate. Other refinements include increasing the engine thermostat’s operating temperature from 65°C to 75°C, which improves heating and performance.
On the Emira Turbo, the recalibrated eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) now offers faster shifting, improved shift quality, and smoother interaction with the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 2.0-litre engine. This allows the Emira Turbo to do the 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 275 km/h.
Besides unveiling the updated Emira line-up, Lotus has also launched its new Racing Line design option, which is exclusive to the Turbo SE and V6 SE variants. This design option includes a subtle, lower pinstripe in yellow, red, or silver, matching the brake calliper colours and mirror caps.
Further exclusive Racing Line design touches include Racing Line badges with a matching accent, high-gloss black wheels and a black and silver exterior logo. The interior, with this design package, gains a special badge and stitching in the accent colour of your choosing.
Available to order now with a showroom debut in September 2025, the Lotus Emira V6 SE is priced at GBP96,500 (approx. RM554k) and the Lotus Emira Turbo from GBP79,500 (approx. RM457k) in the United Kingdom.
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