“Is that a McLaren?” “Is that a Porsche?” To the non-petrol head members of the public, the Lotus Emira clearly struck a chord in the right way, being immediately positioned alongside lofty competition. At the outset of this review, I thought this would be the last dance for Lotus and lithe sportscars. The Emira looked destined to be the last in a long line of evocative two-seat cars which includes the Lotus Seven (the heart of which still beats in the Caterham Seven), Elan, Esprit, Elise and Exige. During my time with the Emira, however, it was announced that it will live on.
This is great news. As I touched upon in my review of the Lotus Emeya, these have been testing time for car manufacturers. Strong-armed by dim-witted regulators into producing cars no one wants, the EV rush is slowing or at least becoming more considered. That said, a look around the competitive landscape for two-seat sportscars is barren. There’s this, the Lotus Emira, and then there’s the second-hand market. Porsche will no doubt be frantically trying to work out how to fit a straight-six into the EV-designed next gen 718s.
So, if Lotus gets this one right, they’ve got a clear run at a market with which they’re synonymous. The model tested here is the Lotus Emira Turbo SE. It sits in the middle of the Emira range, above the Turbo, beneath the V6, at least in terms of price. Starting at £89,500, this one with options comes in at £98,205. There’s no getting away from it, that’s punchy. Anecdotally I’ve heard that dealerships are offering enticing discounts on that list price. The question is, should you seek one out?
What’s the Lotus Emira like to live with?
Things get off to a good start, because this a lovely bit of design. You feel good walking up to it, a sense of anticipation having been created by the aesthetics. Open the door, slide into the cabin and you’re welcomed by leather and Alcantara. It feels like a supercar, with a purposeful minimalism that’s very driver focussed.
This is also surprisingly practical for a Lotus sportscar. The rear boot is sufficient for weekend bags and there’s ample storage behind the seats. Then you get the usual modern comforts with charging ports and a decent infotainment system. The screen isn’t overbearing and the layout feels more McLaren than Porsche. Android Auto and Apple Car Play are easily accessible so you can bring the KEF audio into play.
The driver’s view is excellent. There are, however, considerable blind spots, so the driver assistance functions and overhead camera are useful. On the more intrusive assistance systems, there’s a shortcut in the top right-hand corner of the screen to access the menu to disable them. This is good, because you never remember to turn them off before you depart.
The seating position is a little high, you always want to drop a few centimetres further down, but you get used to it. The driving position is otherwise exceptional. The seats are very comfortable on long journeys, although the headrests are something of an irritation. If you’re over 6ft, they’re a bit too low and way too narrow.
At 4.41m long and 2.1m wide, it’s a manageable size (by modern standards). Zipping round multi-storeys is a breeze and parking posed no issues. It leaves you free to focus on what’s important here…
What’s the Lotus Emira like to drive?
The driver-focussed element certainly carries over to the driving experience. During initial forays – I like to familiarise myself with a car before going all out – I did find things a bit frustrating. The throttle can be too eager, as can the brakes. A slight dab of either induces a howl of fury from the engine or a complete stop. More than once I was glad I wasn’t driving behind me.
The Lotus Emira Turbo SE features a 2.0ltr turbo-charged four-cylinder AMG engine. Here, it produces 400bhp and 480Nm of torque. 0-62mph is ticked off in a very brisk 4secs flat. The advantage of using the AMG engine is that it’s an excellent unit. It’s lighter than the Toyota-sourced V6 and absolutely suits the Emira. The downside is the Mercedes gearbox. It’s never quite sure what gear it should be in and often holds lower gears for way too long when you’re pottering about.
The significant upside of all this is that the Lotus Emira is a car that you really have to drive. You have to use the paddles to change gear yourself and be very deliberate with all your inputs. It also meant that across my fortnight with it, I kept on discovering new layers to the Emira. Had I had it for a weekend only, I’m quite sure my opinion of it would be different.
What’s the Lotus Emira like once you find the right road?
There was one drive through the Surrey Hills which made my heart sing. It’s the same route I took the wonderful Toyota GR Yaris along last year. I didn’t think the mighty little GR Yaris could be topped for such a scenario, but boy did the Emira run it close.
The steering, once out in the wild, is an absolute joy. The wheel comes alive in your hands then you start to discover the depth of responses to your pedal modulations. You can draw a different tune from the very vocal engine with slight throttle compressions, then the brakes immediately make sense. You don’t care that they’re a wee bit grabby around town anymore. It’s a car that positively demands you live life on the edge. There’s no point in not grabbing this particular bull by the horns.
Darting through narrow lanes, the way the Lotus Emira changes direction is sensational. There’s impressive traction to work with and you can get into a flow with it so easily, so well balanced is the car. On these roads, the suspension also came up trumps. With sharp undulations, you’d be uncomfortable in a supercar, but the Emira attacked the roads with gusto, not wincing at the sight of the UK’s pockmarked surfaces. It feels immediately like a British car designed with British roads in mind.
The noise also starts to play a significant part, with the whole experience becoming immersive. The engine is right behind you, so you hear every rev and every whistle from the turbo. It’s a raw and visceral experience, with the hedgerows zipping past, the steering communicative and the chassis changing direction with aplomb. I’ve absolutely no doubt that it would be a blast on a track day.
Conclusion
It’s difficult not to look around the sportscar landscape at this point. Porsche’s 718 Cayman GTS was the most natural competitor of the Lotus Emira. It also highlights a very different way of achieving the same thing. The Cayman is a car you feel like you know instantly. From the first drive, you get a great sense of it, with it being more amenable and less frantic on the edge.
The Emira, however, is a more challenging daily by comparison, but leaves a bigger impression when your inner hooligan consumes you. If you were buying one as the only car on your drive, you’d have to opt for the Cayman; buying as a weekend weapon, then the Emira holds more appeal.
It’s a car of compromises, but each one feels well worth it. I realise I’m on the verge of depicting it as an unruly animal, but I commuted to work, undertook motorway journeys and went shopping in it without fuss. Once you’ve dipped your toe into B-road waters though, you’d forgive the Lotus Emira almost anything.
I asked if you should be seeking out a deal on the Lotus Emira and I’d be very tempted to say yes. It does depend on your circumstances, though. This car is all about the driver and it comes together when you really lean on it.
I covered 403 miles in the Lotus Emira at an average of 21.4mpg (you can guess where I was driving it most of the time). It’s a car that I’ll remember if only for that one sparkling drive on deserted, moonlit, Surrey backroads. I’d happily have kept it for another couple of weeks and no doubt unearthed further layers. It’ll keep you coming back for more. That, really, is the very point of a sportscar.