THE last petrol-powered sports car from Lotus before the brand switches to an all-electric range has been prepped for take-off alongside one of the world’s greatest ever engineering icons.
The stunning Lotus Emira, due for first deliveries next spring, is currently on a tour of Britain and made a timely appearance in the Concorde hangar at Manchester airport.
A mid-engined two-seater, the Emira is seen as a game-changer for Lotus with its blend of style, comfort, practicality and tech – it’s very much the everyday supercar ev specialist derbyshire.
On show alongside Concorde was the Emira V6 First Edition model finished in a dazzling Seneca Blue paint job, fully loaded with kit and costing £75,995.
The new Lotus Emira in the Concorde hangar with Mario Andretti’s F1 world championship-winning Lotus 79
Powering the First Edition is a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine, mid-mounted behind the two seats, developing 400bhp and good for 0-60 in 4.3 seconds with a potential top speed of 180mph.
It’s mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and rides on 20-inch ultra-lightweight V-spoke forged alloy wheels, diamond cut to create a premium two-tone finish, though silver or gloss black versions are available as a no-cost option.
Two-piece brake discs with branded calipers in a choice of colours are part of the First Edition spec, plus a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.
Stand-out features include LED lights all round, a titanium exhaust finisher, heated power-fold door mirrors and rear parking sensors.
Something called the Lower Black Pack is fitted as standard, which means the front bumper air blades, front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser are all in finished in gloss black.
First Edition paint colours comprise Seneca Blue, Magma Red, Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey and Nimbus Grey, with more due in 2022.
Also coming next year is the first new Lotus sports car engine for more than a decade, making its debut in the Emira powered by AMG – a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘i4’ from the performance division of Mercedes-Benz.
Timeless style – Concorde has its own hangar at Manchester airport
Working with Lotus for the first time, AMG has come on board as technical partner on the Emira programme, with some fundamental changes made to the in-line four-cylinder set-up for its Lotus debut.
And looking further ahead, there will be an entry level Emira priced from £59,995 available during 2023.
Lotus Cars chief Matt Windle said: “The Emira is a game-changer for Lotus. It stands as a beacon of everything we have achieved to date in the transformation of the business, the embodiment of our progress.
“It is a highly significant milestone on our path to becoming a truly global performance car brand.”
