The Lotus Emira is the first new car launched by the British automaker in decades – which is quite ironic as it will be their last non-electric car. Huh. I guess that at least works as some kind of assurance that this will be something of a unique offering – which it definitely is.
The world is quickly moving towards the electrification of cars. And rightly so! Internal combustion engines over the years have done substantial damage to our environment and despite efforts to minimize their effects,
emissions from petrol and diesel-powered engines have been enormous. Lotus plans to mark the end of its journey in the combustion engine segment and begin a new age for the future of the brand. Doing so, the lotus Emira is here to punctuate the last bit in the history of brands IC run and in spectacular fashion.
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Design And Drivability
In terms of styling, the Emira’s bonded aluminum body is quite reminiscent of the Evija Hypercar with similar scallops at the bonnet, thin headlights, and wide haunches with vents to the mid-mounted engine. However,
it does not borrow its looks entirely from there. Around the rear, The Emira has a slightly Porche-esque thing going on that reminds me of the 911 where you see a small ducktail spoiler, an LED brake light across the end, and branding with wide spaces. But take nothing away, this does not mean, the Emira doesn’t look original or unique. It’s definitely its own thing.
The exterior design purposes this car with hot names in supercars such as the 911, Ferrari 448, but around the interiors, the Emira is very much unlike a sportscar you get for such a low price. It doesn’t just come with an infotainment system that operates with buttons and rest all empty cabin.
Rather, Lotus seems to have gone the whole hog here and styled the car with chock full of useful features. The interior of the Emira has a daily driver feel to it. It does have a sporty design but houses every useful addition you’d come to expect from your daily driver – A digital driver’s display, a beautiful looking 10.25-inch infotainment screen, android auto, apple car play, enough holes to hold your belongings and even Lamborghini inspired start engine button at the side.
The Emira’s imposing design is taken up a notch with 20-inch alloy wheels as standard which fit quite nicely on a low-slung car like this. Another outstanding element of the Emira that separates it from a regular sports car is its practical boot space.
Usually, in sports cars, you would find not much space for anything but that’s not the case here at all. The Emira has quite a significant boot with more than 151 liters of space – enough to carry a couple of golf sets.
In terms of color configuration, the sportscar does not disappoint either. You can choose from a wide range of color combos namely, Nimbus Gray, Shadow Gray, Dark Verdant, Hethel Yellow, and Magma Red.
Engine And Other Specs
The Lotus Emira is offered with two engine options. One is the supercharged 3.5-liter petrol V6 from Toyota which can be seen in action in its predecessor Lotus Exige. The other is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder AMG-built engine that will come with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard.
Both of these engines are well capable of powering a sports car and lotus claims the Emira will make around 360-400 brake horsepower and complete naught to 60 in under 4.5 seconds.
With such impressive specs, an all-inclusive interior layout, and unmatched design, Emira seems like the perfect option for those looking to switch to a ride that’s sporty when needed on the race track but has all the practicality of a road car too.
However, there is one odd thing here, or at least something that doesn’t gel with lotus’s reputation. Lotus’s Founder Colin Chapman had a famous quote “adding lightness” and over the years lotus has maintained that, building vehicles as light as possible.
In fact, the Elise was one of the lightest sports cars of its time, weighing just over 900 kilos. But now lotus seems to be breaking its long tradition for its last internal combustion tribute. The reason for this could be simply more sales.
The British automaker very clearly stated at the launch that The US is the biggest sports car market in the world, and it would be crazy not to look at that market. So it’s quite clear that lotus is aiming to make the vehicle appeal to a wider demographic and sees its competition in the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, BMW Z4, and the Porsche 718.
Release Date And Pricing
The lotus Emira is expected to go on sales anytime around the summer of next year. And though Lotus may not have confirmed its pricing, if rumors are true, the base model could start from just under 60000 pounds or approximately 62 lack rupees. Now, that’s loads cheaper than any supercar out there that looks like that.
Typically with that kind of a budget, your options in buying a sports car are quite limited. Choosing between M3 competition, R8 or the AMG GT will set you back more than the base price of Emira while going for brands known for supercars would just not be possible. The price tag of the lotus Emira sportscar is set to be a head-turner in itself and will surely be an exciting offering when it hits the market.
