British sportscar manufacturer Lotus has been soldiering on with its ageing Elise, Exige and Evora models for many years. That all changed today with an all-new model called the Lotus Emira. This is the very last internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered car from the automaker before it switches over completely to battery power.

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Matt Windle, managing director, Lotus Cars commented: “The Emira is a game-changer for Lotus. It stands as a beacon of everything we have achieved to date in the transformation of the business, the embodiment of our progress. It is a highly significant milestone on our path to becoming a truly global performance car brand.”

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Mini Evija

Lotus stunned the world two years ago when it announced that it was going to switch over purely to electric propulsion. The Evija is going to be an extremely expensive, all-electric hypercar that takes the brand into a new arena. However, it seems that Lotus wanted to give the ICE lovers one last chance to enjoy its expertise in the field.

Read more about the Evija hypercar at this link.

The Lotus Emira uses many of the styling cues, as well as the proportions seen on the upcoming hypercar. Headlamps, side vents and the profile are all reminiscent of the Evija. The most modern update is the completely new interior, the one area that was constantly criticized in the Elise, et al. The digital instrument cluster features a 12,3-inch display. A 10,25-inch touchscreen serves as the interface for the infotainment system.

Emira is the most feature-laden Lotus to ever go on sale. Features available as standard include keyless go, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, electric folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors (with front sensors as an option), auto-dimming rear view mirror, curtain airbags, launch control (as part of optional Lotus Drivers Pack), and a stolen vehicle tracker.

Two power options

The Lotus Emira comes with two powerplants options. First up is a carryover from the Evora. This 3,5-litre supercharged motor is a Toyota-sourced unit. It can be mated with both manual or automatic transmissions. A 2,0-litre turbocharged inline four comes from technical partner AMG. We already know this engine from the 45-series of AMGs. There’s only an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission on offer for the smaller engine.

Click here to watch our Mercedes-AMG A45S track video.

Lotus is being mum with the power outputs. Their press material simply states that power ranges between 265 and 294 kW, with a peak of 430 N.m of torque. The quickest versions sprint from 0-100 km/h in less than 4,5 seconds and the highest top speed is rated at 290 km/h. In its lightest form the Lotus Emira weighs 1 405 kg.