THIS is the new Lotus Emira, a 400bhp, £60k Lotus – and the end of an era

The new Lotus Emira is revealed as the last ICE car from Lotus, a successor to all the current Lotus models with up to 400bhp and prices from £60k.

It’s a few months since learnt that Emira is the name of the new Lotus sports car, replacing all that Lotus currently offers, and the last ever purely ICE Lotus, with all that’s to come using electrickery as the key power source.

Now the Lotus Emira arrives – although it’ll be the end of the year before you can get your hands on one – with looks that are an evolution of the Evora and a choice of V6 and four-pot models to cover all the previous Lotus sports car bases.

Despite moving to a one size fits all model, Lotus has ambitions for global sales of the Emira – taking on competition like the Porsche 718 and Alpine A110 – and with a starting point of £60k it looks competitive. Although you’ll be spending much more for the Emira you really want.

Engine options are the 3.5-litre V6 Toyota from the Evora with a manual or auto ‘box, and a 2.0-litre four=pot from AMG mated to a DCT ‘box, although the AMG-powered version won’t arrive until next year.

Lotus is being coy about performance figures and power outputs, but they do say the quickest Emira will do 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds with launch control, and it looks like the V6 will offer 394bhp and the four-pot 355bhp.

The Emira will be offered with either standard Tour or optional Sport chassis – with Sport bringing forged alloys, better brakes and stickier tyres – in a car that’s slightly longer and wider than the Evora.

Inside, the Emira is a two-seater with room for a couple of suitcases, has a 12.3″ configurable digital instrument panel and 10.25″ infotainment and an altogether more grown-up feel than the models it replaces.

The Lotus Emira will be available only with the V6 engine initially – with first deliveries one early 2022 – but you’ll have to wait until summer 2022 for the four-pot. Prices start at under £60k, but we’ll have to wait for details of what the sub-£60k Emira offers.