Agent47 Posted September 20, 2021 Posted September 20, 2021 Lotus’s first brand-new series-production model in more than a decade is a stunning mid-engined, two-seat sports coupé with supercar-aping looks, a high-quality interior and the option of four-cylinder turbo power supplied by Mercedes-AMG. The Emira (pronounced ‘eh-meer-ah’) will eventually be priced from £59,995 and is pitched at what Lotus believes to be a gap in the market below higher-performance versions of the Porsche 718 Cayman. It will go on sale in all key global markets next spring, initially powered by the Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-litre V6 from the outgoing Exige and Evora, before the 2.0-litre AMG unit follows in the autumn. The first version on sale will be the limited-run First Edition, which brings the V6 engine and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes for £75,995. Bespoke First Edition touches include a set of two-tone 20in alloy wheels, branded brake calipers, a tyre pressure monitoring system, black contrasting lower trim and 12-way adjustable heated seats. Buyers can choose from six exterior and seven interior colours, while the standard-fit Design Pack brings privacy glass, a black Alcantara headliner and sports pedals. The First Edition is also equipped with the Drivers Pack which offers the choice of 'Tour' or 'Sport' suspension, and can be specified with either Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The Emira will be Hethel’s final non-electrified car. It follows the limited-run Evija electric hypercar in this promising new era for Lotus under the majority ownership of Geely, which is funding not only new cars but also new facilities and manufacturing processes with the aim of products being built to a higher and more consistent quality. Underpinning the Emira is Lotus’s new Sports Car Architecture, which was developed using the extruded and bonded aluminium chassis technology first used by Lotus on the Elise of 1996. The car is 4412mm long, 1985mm wide and 1225mm high, with a wheelbase of 2575mm, making it just a fraction larger than the Evora. While the architecture is nominally a development of that older car’s, only the wheelbase remains the same. The tracks have been widened, larger 20in wheels can be fitted and the Emira has dramatically different proportions to the Evora. The first deliveries will be special, higher-spec Launch Edition cars using the Toyota V6, which will be offered with a manual or automatic gearbox. The AMG four-pot (which became available through a new technical partnership between Lotus and AMG, born of Geely’s stakeholding in AMG parent firm Daimler) has been given its own tune for Lotus, along with a bespoke air intake and exhaust. It will come exclusively with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Both versions of the Emira have their engines mounted transversely and powering the rear axle alone. Lotus hasn’t yet confirmed final performance figures for either version of the Emira, rather that there will be a range of outputs between 355bhp and 395bhp, alongside maximum torque of up to 317lb ft. The 0-62mph time will be less than 4.5sec and the car will be able to reach a top speed of more than 180mph. CO2 emissions, meanwhile, will officially be below 180g/km. In terms of design, the Emira takes heavy influence from the new Evija, sitting low and wide with prominent intakes, short overhangs and bulky haunches among its defining characteristics. Styled by Lotus design boss Russell Carr, the Emira has been made more usable and fitted with more technology than any Lotus before it. That modernisation push extends most obviously to LED lighting at the front and rear and, on the inside, a 10.25in touchscreen for an infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, along with a 12.3in digital driver’s information display. Link : https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/all-new-lotus-emira-priced-75995-first-edition-trim
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