Lotus Emira

Lotus had not released an all-new car in over a decade when the original Evora debuted. Following a long teaser campaign, the 2022 Lotus Emira makes its long-awaited arrival as the first sports car developed under Geely ownership. The Emira joins the Evija in a completely refreshed Lotus lineup. Whereas the Evija calls on battery packs and electric motors for propulsion, the Emira strictly uses internal combustion with no electric assist. Lotus says this is its final gas-powered sports car, so think of the Emira as a purist's tribute car.

It's not every day we get to say hello to a brand-new sports car, so the Emira has the potential to shake up the market in a big way. Though the Evora GT was a hidden gem car that won our Track Weapon award, we think the new Emira will have much wider appeal than its predecessor.

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Depending on the engine and region, the 2022 Lotus Emira's release date differs. The Base Edition will be coming out from spring 2023, and the First Edition will be available from autumn 2022 in the USA. With the four-cylinder engine specifically, the First Edition will be available from winter 2023/2024. UK customers can reserve their Emira from April 8.

The base Emira starts at an MSRP of $74,900 in the USA or $82,900 for the V6. If you want a First Edition, that begins at $85,900. With the V6 engine, the First Edition's price goes up to $93,900.

Rivals will include the Porsche Cayman and the Chevrolet Corvette. The Cayman S begins at $72,500 and the GTS 4.0 starts from $87,400, whereas the more exotically styled Corvette undercuts both with a starting price of only $60,900. The upcoming Corvette Z06 comes with a 670-horsepower V8 and will cost in the region of $90,000. In this company, at least, the 2022 Lotus Emira's price is competitive, but it's not the quickest car here by a long shot. Then again, straight-line speed has never been everything to Lotus.

Whenever a new car is released, car enthusiasts are usually split on the design and spit out the common cliche that it looks like some other car already on the market; not so with the 2022 Lotus Emira's exterior. Its design seems universally beloved, and we struggle to see a single angle where it resembles any other sports car, besides the familial Evija. Lotus started with a clean sheet creating modern curves and a stunning silhouette. The details, such as the lights, wheels, grilles, and bumpers, are simple in classic Lotus fashion.

The base model will come with power-folding mirrors and 20-inch alloy wheels, but First Editions will get V-spoke forged alloy wheels with a Diamond Cut, Silver, or Gloss Black finish and brake discs in colors like red, yellow, black, or silver.

The Lotus Emira's colors won't cost extra and six are available, including Seneca Blue, Hethel Yellow, and Magma Red.

The new Lotus Emira coupe measures just 173.7 inches in length, 74.6 inches in width, and 48.2 inches in height with a 101.3-inch wheelbase. The Lotus Emira's dimensions make it slightly longer, narrower, and lower than the outgoing Evora GT. This is truly a compact sports car, and it only weighs 3,097 pounds in its lightest form.

Like the outgoing Evora, the Emira features a 3.5-liter Toyota-sourced V6 engine with a supercharger, mounted in the middle. Lotus says this engine produces 400 horsepower and 317 lb-ft (310 lb-ft for the manual) and propels the car to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds on its way to a 180-mph top speed. If you opt for the Toyota engine, Lotus offers either a six-speed manual or traditional six-speed automatic transmission.

But there is another Lotus Emira engine choice. In a new plot twist, buyers will have the option to fit the Emira with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder sourced from AMG. This is the same engine that powers the CLA 45 and GLA 45, though it's been tuned by Hethel engineers specifically for the Emira to produce 360 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. In certain Mercedes models, this engine makes over 400 hp.

If you opt for the AMG engine, the Emira sends its power through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. In this guise, the Emira will reach 62 mph in 4.2 seconds. Lotus hasn't indicated a 0-60 time for this model but performance is clearly very similar to the V6.

EPA-rated mpg specs have yet to be published but the car's light weight should make for acceptable gas mileage.

Lotus did its best to equip the Evora with modern features such as Bluetooth and navigation, but it always felt like a losing effort. The Lotus Emira's interior finally brings the automaker out of the calculator era and into a smartphone world. It includes a 10.25-inch central touchscreen plus a 12.3-inch digital driver's display and a seven-speaker sound system. We didn't know Lotus knew what Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are, but both come standard in the Emira. Lotus will even include driver aids such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.

In the First Edition, the Lotus Emira's seats are finished in Nappa leather and are more widely adjustable.

Cool details in the cabin include a flip-up starter button cover, flat-bottom steering wheel, and exposed gear linkage on manual-equipped models. Lotus wants the Emira to function as a daily driver, so it has sufficient space and storage inside, including two cupholders, an area behind the seats, and a trunk behind the engine.

Don't expect the Lotus Emira's cargo space to challenge that of a sedan, though.