The Lotus Emira is hands down one of the most exciting sports cars I have driven in recent times. The first time with an Emira was February last year when this last hurrah for the Lotus sports car as we have known it for 70 years broke cover in New Zealand. Fast forward a snip over a year and Chris Parker from Lotus Cars Auckland got in touch offering the chance to borrow one for a second time.
As you can probably tell by the content you are reading, the response was a resounding “yes please.” While I am looking forward to experiencing its turbo four cylinder counterpart, another chance to experience that supercharged V6 howling at high rpm and swapping cogs around yourself via a six-speed manual box in a beautifully balanced chassis and record these sensations in Tarmac Life was never going to be passed up. However, was it as good as I remember first time around?
A bit of a recap, the Emira is to be the last petrol powered Lotus sports car that will ever be as the Hethel based brand, once the home of all things to do with simplifying and adding lightness in line with the vision of company founder, the late great Colin Chapman, transitions to a fully electric and luxo oriented future. Cars like the Elan, Esprit, Elise, Elite and Exige were all about using lightweight materials and giving drivers a simplistic and exciting driving experience in a way that few cars could equal.
Now the Emira, while not super light, is the last Lotus of that outgoing formula. Underneath that simply gorgeous exterior lies a mid-mounted supercharged 3.5L V6 petrol engine mated to that aforementioned six speed manual transmission. Power sits at 298kW and torque at 420Nm. There is also the 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder petrol option which has been co-developed by Mercedes-AMG, but that is another story. The supercharged V6 will and some quick shifts will allow you to reach 100kph from a standstill in around 4.2 seconds and reach a top whack of 300kph.
The Emira really is a stunner to look at. Incorporating Lotus’ “Carved by the Air” design philosophy we first saw on the limited run Evija hypercar, the Emira does look for many angles like a baby Evija. Oodles of ducts, intakes and 20-inch V-spoke alloy wheels really do look epic. The Emira is a compact car length wise but quite wide, resulting in a low slung and squat appearance usually associates with many mid-engined supercars. However, I reckon the Emira sits firmly in the sports category and whichever way you look at, looks stunning.
Inside you have a driver’s focused cabin without too much compromises on daily necessities. That was the only drawback with the likes of the Elise and Exige, brilliant though they were at a weekend blast they weren’t really designed as a daily driver, though I am sure many have used theirs as a weekday commuter!
Anyway, the Emira manages to offer a good amount of creature comforts. This being a First Edition Emira, you get Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 10.25-inch touch screen infotainment system which can display all manner of driving data including the amount of G you are generating in each corner and the amount of power you putting down. There is also a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster screen, a nice sounding KEF sound system, tyre pressure monitoring, and a delightful suede and leather sports steering wheel.
Hopping in and out is still not as strenuous as you might think as the chassis tub is not as high allowing for easier access to the cabin but still leaves you feeling cocooned by your surroundings. In typical Lotus fashion, we have a nigh on perfect driving position and everything is within easy reach.
Flick up the fighter jet style ignition guard and that uber sweet supercharged V6 still sounds as glorious as it did a year ago. Burbling loudly before dialing it back to a sedate idle, your neighbours will know when you are leaving for work in the morning.
The Emira rides relatively well for such a drive focused car, its Sports suspension and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, while giving a bit of tyre roar, still make for a perfectly acceptable ride by sports car standards. I also love looking in the rear view mirror and seeing the throttle cable flex everytime you give it throttle.
It defaults to Tour mode on start up but its forte is Sport and Track mode. Most of my time was spent in Sport with only a few occasions if the road and conditions allowed it going whole hog in the latter Track mode.
Open it up in Sport and it all started to come back to me, that surge in acceleration, the hydraulic power assisted steering so sharp and well weighted and that V6 soundtrack which turns the Emira into a supercharged giggle factory.
With the six speed manual box, the gear lever is nice and close to the wheel, meaning the next gear is literally never far away. I actually found myself swapping cogs just for the hell of it, as well as lifting off to hear some glorious crackling and booming from that dual sports exhaust system.
A jaunt on my favourite section of road past Ashley Gorge and the Emira V6 is just as magic as before. It gives you confidence to push harder in the corners thanks to its perfectly balanced handling characteristics and as the tarmac tightens, rises and falls, you can be on the power all the time without fear of this one biting back. Grip, go and balanced handling bliss, its all here.
So, was it as good second time around? You bet. In fact, it might have been a bit better. The Lotus Emira V6 is terrific, plain and simple. It will certainly be interesting to see how the AMG derived four pot can measure up. That said, if it’s anything like what I have experienced, it should be one epic treat.
RATING: 9/10
