World Famous Sportscar Marque Lotus recently launched their new Emira at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Norfolk-based company has brought all their experience from the past into developing the Emira, hoping it will become a leader in the sports car market.
The Emira was launched at the annual celebration of speed and vehicles known to most as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It is a mid-engined car taking inspiration from the Lotus Evija Hypercar, marking its clear intention to continue developing useable supercars.
Two petrol engine options are available, with one being the 2.0-litre Turbocharged i4 from technical partner AMG, the other a 3.5-litre Supercharged V6. These can combine with either manual, automatic or dual-clutch transmissions.
Sportscar buyers do love to have a manual gearbox option, especially if they intend to use the car on track, which I suspect many Emira owners will. They will have plenty of power available, with the output being between 360 and 400 hp when first launched.
Impressive acceleration figures have been announced of 0-62 mph in less than 4.5 seconds and a top speed of up to 180 mph. Being a Lotus, you know it will be light and production weight is hoped to be 1,405kg. The starting price at under £60,000 seems reasonable for what you get.
As I mentioned, the Marque looks at their past designs, the Elise, Exige and Evora and build upon those to create supreme cars for the road that are equally at home on the track. Using the latest technology, Lotus can improve practicality, comfort and functionality.
The Emira has a new lightweight bonded aluminium chassis, which Lotus pioneered and remains an intrinsic part of the company’s sports car DNA.
Lotus cars have been famed for their excellent handling, and the Emira will be no different. Two defined chassis and suspension settings are available to offer the driver preferred use benefits. For everyday road use, Tour delivers the optimum performance and handling for a comfortable ride.
The optional Lotus Drivers Pack a slightly stiffer suspension set-up for enhanced dynamic capability and feel in the Sports option. Excellent feedback for the driver comes from Hydraulic steering.
The brand has always put the driver first when it comes to position within the car. As you would expect, the ergonomic design and instruments are carefully placed for the most intuitive use. The Emira has a modern cockpit with the essential controls to hand and minimum distraction.
The two seats are designed to combine exceptional lateral support for high-speed cornering with total comfort for long-distance journeys. There is a four-way electric adjustment on the standard seat, with the option to upgrade to a premium sports seat with a 12-way electric adjustment for both the driver and passenger. All seats are unique to the Emira.
Also unique is the flat-bottomed sports steering wheel with metallic spoke detail and integrated controls. Available on the Emira are keyless go, rain-sensing wipers, electric folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors (with front sensors as an option), cruise control, auto-dimming rearview mirror, curtain airbags, launch control (as part of optional Lotus Drivers Pack), and a stolen vehicle tracker. The safety package is impressive, with the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems including Adaptive Cruise Control, Fatigue Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Road Sign Information.
The car’s infotainment is accessed via a 10.25-inch centrally mounted touch-screen. The driver has an additional 12.3-inch TFT display behind the shaped steering wheel.
Storage is vital in sportscars, and Emira’s cabin has been exceptionally well thought out. It has twin central cup holders with a phone storage slot between them and door bins to accommodate a 500ml bottle. Practicality also comes from the glovebox, trinket tray ahead of the gearstick, armrest between the seats with USB and 12v ports, plus a console net for bottles or documents.
Although sports cars are notoriously poor when it comes to storing luggage, Lotus have at least made a decent fist of it with the Emira. The car has 208 litres of space behind the seats and a further 151 litres of space which is enough to take standard-sized flight cases or a set of golf clubs.
The Lotus Emira certainly looks stunning, and as has been mentioned before with other supercars, it looks fast, even static. I believe it will be a good seller for the Norfolk based company, and I think it will receive many accolades. Whether enough it will be good enough to elevate itself from the pack and sway buyers is another matter altogether; it has many of the right ingredients, but only time will tell.
Lotus Emira – Where and How?
Prices for the Lotus Emira start at less than £60,000, and delivery is expected to start in Spring 2022. For more information, visit www.lotuscars.com.
Read more automotive news, features and guides here.