Lotus Emira - TopCarNews

Key specifications
Image gallery
Media reviews
Auto Express
Auto Trader
The Sunday Times
Top Gear
Safety rating
Eco rating
Reliability rating
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Lease a new Lotus Emira
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Summary

The Lotus Emira is a two-seater, rear-engined sports that was launched in early 2022, and is the company’s first new model since production of the long-serving Evorea, Exige and Elise models ended in 2021. Lotus has also claimed that it will be the final petrol-powered car it will ever build as it shifts towards an electric future.

Replacing three separate models is a tall order, but Auto Trader comments that the Lotus Emira is “a massive step forward” for Lotus – “preserving the performance and handling we loved” from the Exige and Evora, “but with the luxuries and technology modern drivers demand.”

In traditional Lotus spirit, the Emira is no slouch. Customers can choose between a 360hp four-cylinder petrol engine which is also found in the Mercedes-AMG A45, or a 400hp supercharged petrol V6 supplied by Toyota. Carbuyer says the latter makes the Emira perform “like a small supercar”.

“It sounds great and looks sensational too”, Auto Express adds, “and has an interior that’s miles better in design and quality than any of its predecessors.”

That said, Parkers asserts that the Emira’s closest market rival, the Porsche 718 Cayman, still has the upper hand when it comes to interior quality, and that the Porsche is the more practical choice for day-to-day travel.

Though, “is it as special as the Lotus?”, Evo asks of the 718 Cayman. “Certainly not to look at and for that sense of occasion. The Emira feels every inch the next-generation sports car Lotus wants and needs it to be.”

As of June 2022, the Lotus Emira holds an Expert Rating of 82%, based on 11 reviews published by the UK media. That’s a few points behind the Porsche 718 Cayman (currently 85%) and Alpine A110 (89%).

Emira highlights

Supercar looks and performance
Class-leading driving dynamics
Comfortable and refined interior

Emira lowlights

Former Lotus flagships were more exciting
No rear seats and rivals are more practical
Question marks around reliability

Key specifications

Body style: Two-door coupé
Engines: petrol
Price: From £59,995 on-road

Launched: Summer 2022Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Emira is a massively important car for Lotus and, by and large, it makes a decent fist of being Britain’s alternative to the Porsche 718 Cayman. It goes well, sounds great, looks sensational and has an interior that’s miles better in design and quality than any of its predecessors.”
Read review

Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“A more traditional two-seat coupe in the mould of the Elan, Exige and Evora of recent years. While sharing much of the same spirit it’s a massive step on from those cars as well, preserving the performance and handling we loved but with the luxuries and technology modern drivers demand.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: Emira V6 First EditionScore: 9 / 10“As a driver’s car, it’s mostly great. On challenging stretches of road is where it’s absolutely at its best, in fact. On a road where there are loads of inputs on one side of the car and fewer on the other, strewn with cambers and crests and gradients, it shows its true Lotus origins.”
Read review

Model reviewed: “It feels friendly and benign, even in challenging conditions and with unfinished settings. It feels like a Lotus.”
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Car

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 10 / 10“If you need an everyday accessory, take the Cayman; if you value lightness of being above all else, try the Alpine. But if you want weekend wheels with wow factor and an intricate, immersive, involving experience, then our initial encounters strongly suggest you should take a very close look at the Emira.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7.2 / 10“The Lotus Emira looks and performs like a small supercar, but it’s also comfortable and usable.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overview (Youtube)“It really is easy to live with. The interior is just lovely, and the fact that you get a low dashboard means that you get great forward visibility. It is much easier to drive on a daily basis than the Elise.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“It takes very few miles to dial yourself into the Emira and after a couple of hundred extra miles you don’t want to get out, it feels every inch the next generation sports car Lotus wants and needs it to be.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The driving dynamics are sensational, the V6 engine is punchy and the overall quality is a massive leap forward for Lotus. However, the Sport chassis option is very firm at low speeds, the manual gearbox is stiff and heavy to use, and the Emira isn’t as practical as its rivals. Quality and – let’s face it – reliability remain big question marks at this stage, too.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: “A a car that is hugely enjoyable on track and much more refined on road than previous efforts from Lotus. It may not be enough to really worry Porsche because the 718 Cayman is so bloody good, but it does give sports car enthusiasts another high class option with similarly impressive performance, refinement and versatility.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: “It might not be a huge technological achievement, but it’s a giant leap for this great British company.”
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Safety rating

No safety rating

As of June 2022, the Lotus Emira has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP.

Eco rating

No eco rating

As of June 2022, the Lotus Emira has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.

Reliability rating

The Lotus Emira is a brand new model so we don’t yet have enough reliability data to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively for us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Emira, we’ll publish the score here.

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Keyword: Lotus Emira