With a production capacity of 20 cars a day, the Hethel plant is running at full speed to satisfy customers who are enthusiastic about this head-turning Emira.
It must be said that after the pretty but austere Elise and Exige, the Emira wants to be more usable on a daily basis, with care given to the passenger compartment, to small practical details, without losing the essential of what makes a Lotus: driving pleasure.
Sporty but comfortable
The Emira is first of all a pure line, without aerodynamic appendage, which seduces at first glance.
The treatment of the passenger compartment is also new for the brand, which offers several very neat levels of finish, and is above all concerned with comfort: cup holder, storage spaces, digital instrumentation (2 screens of 10 and 12 inches), "keyless" system, cruise-control, rain sensor, electric mirrors, parking assistance... In short, enough to make the Emira very usable on a daily basis.
Especially since the seats and steering wheel are adjustable in height and depth, allowing everyone to find a very nice driving position.
It changes the simple "front-back" adjustment of the seat of the Elise!
But all this comfort at a price… Since its creation, the major obsession of Lotus is the weight.
But with all this comfort, the Emira weighs between 1,405 and 1,435 kg on weighing, depending on the engine.
That's almost 300 kg more than an Alpine A110 (less powerful), and the same weight as a Porsche 718 GTS 4.0, the two main competitors.
But either.
pure pleasure
For the Emira, Lotus offers two engines: the 3.5 liter V6 turbo 400 hp of Toyota origin (engine of the Supra, already present on the Exige and the Evora), and the 4 cylinder 2 liter turbo 360 hp Genuine Mercedes-AMG.
We can also for a "Touring" chassis, and a "Sport", more radical and suitable for those who regularly go to the circuit.
It's a Touring version that we took control of both on the road and on the circuit.
The first observation is the road comfort of the car.
On the often narrow and uneven back roads of Norfolk, northeast London, the Emira is docile and comfortable.
The V6 is pleasant, very "civil", and its torque available from low revs means you don't play too much with the gear lever.
The "road feel" is typically Lotus,
with a very precise front axle but which transmits all the information from the road to the driver, forcing him to make frequent "mini" corrections at the wheel.
But overall, we quickly begin to consider a long trip for two without apprehension, as the Emira is easy to live with.
On the circuit and when everything is in Sport mode, a change in personality.
The engine is louder, the braking is powerful and enduring, and the Emira is extremely efficient.
You really have to rush the car for the rear axle to admit defeat and allow a slight drift.
Nothing but fun!
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The Lotus Emira V6 First Edition in a few figures
Engine: V6, gasoline, turbo, 3.456cc;
400hp;
420Nm
Transmission: to the rear wheels
Gearbox: 6-speed manual
L/W/H (mm): 4.412/1.895/1.225
Empty weight (kg): 1.435
Trunk volume (l): NC
Tank (l): NC
0-100 km/h (sec.): 4.3
Max speed (km/h): 288
Cons.
Mixed (l/100 km): NC
CO2 (g/km): 258
Price (€): +/-96,000
The Lotus Emira is currently offered in a "First Edition" version, priced at around €96,000.
Other versions will arrive in 2023, from 75,000 to 80,000€.
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