The Emira is Excellent but May Be the Last Gas Engine from Lotus

The Emira is a Lotus sports car that’s replacing the rest of the lineup in one fell swoop but it’s giving us something special to enjoy.

You can no longer find the Evora, Elise, or Exige among models offered by this boutique brand.  Not only will this new model replace the others, but it will also be the final car from this brand the has a gasoline-powered engine, making it a true unicorn in the automotive world. Going forward, this brand will only offer electric vehicles to the world, which means if you’re going to buy a new gas-powered Lotus, you need to do it now.

From Project Name to a True Sports Car

The codename for this new car was Type 131. That might have simply been the project name in some sequential order, but it now has a name we can admire. This new car is a promise to give the world a car that’s more usable and properly equipped to offer the drive that customers expect from the Lotus brand. Instead of only creating cars that had a few items that people might want, this brand is offering a car that more drivers will want to enjoy.

A Pair of Powertrains for the Emira

When this new Lotus Emira hits the market, it will have a choice of two impressive powertrains for you to choose from. Knowing you’re going to find a lightweight sports car that can tear up any track, you’ll surely admire and enjoy the power being offered by this incredible car. The base powertrain gives you a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that mates to a twin-clutch transmission to give you plenty of power.

This engine is expected to produce more than 300 horsepower. If you want more power than what the four-cylinder model offers, you’ll find a supercharged V6 engine sourced from Toyota to give you 416 horsepower. This engine will be attached to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission to provide you with the shifting needed for some fun behind the wheel of this amazing car.

See the Inspired Look of the Emira

As you might expect, if you’re familiar with the build of Lotus sportscars, the Emira will use a bonded aluminum architecture. You’ll see hints of the Evija EV hypercar, which we will see on the track sometime in the future. When you step into this car, you’ll find a cabin that’s plush and filled with comfortable items that give you the feeling you’re looking for.

Instrumentation is excellent with a digital screen and touchscreen controls to make this car one that you could live with when you’re out for a drive in the country.

Unique to the Emira, you’ll find active safety systems that help you know when you might need to make some driving adjustments. For those who love to be in control, none of the safety features are made to take over your steering, which is something you’ll be glad to know and experience in this car.

The Steering System You’ll Admire

Even though the new Lotus Emira is the last of its kind with a gasoline engine, it will not be a throwback when you’re behind the wheel. This car will use an advanced steering system, which is also being put into the Evija. This system uses a hydraulically assisted system that gives you better feel and feedback to make sure you have the car you want to drive when it’s time for some fun behind the wheel.

The feeling of performance is more important to Lotus than ensuring you stay in between the lines; that’s something you can accomplish on your own.

Without Gasoline Engines, What’s the Lotus Plan?

In ten years, Lotus will be 80 years old, and they have unveiled their Vision80 plan to build on the future that has already begun. The idea is to completely revamp the model lineup offered to give us cars that we want to drive while using electric powertrains. We can expect to see:

• More sports cars which will be the result of the expansion into other vehicle classes
• Continued use of the Geely group technologies and the Lotus product DNA, which will marry the sports cars of Lotus with the electrification offered by Geely
• Improve operations to meet and exceed expectations of customers in the sports and luxury markets
• Focus on growth in U.S. and China while developing models that can be sold in every area of the world

That’s quite a plan put down into four simple points. It’s something that makes sense with the Chinese electric automaker Geely owning Lotus now. We could see influences in the Lotus brand from Lynk, Polestar, Proton, and Volvo, which are all Geely companies which could share technology and systems across the various names.

A New Racing Machine is Underway

With a target of 2030, Lotus is developing a new E-R9 electric racing car that will be on the track. This car would race during the 2030 racing season and mark the 75thanniversary of the Mark IX debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The new E-R9 will have unique body panels that have active surfaces to ensure the maximum aerodynamics, downforce, and airflow. The electric powertrain has a motor at each wheel to give this car the incredible power needed to compete in this class.

Enjoy the Final Gas-Powered Lotus

When the Emira emerges as the only car that Lotus has to offer the public, it will signal the beginning of the end of an era for this automaker. Lotus is a brand that has been through many changes over its time in existence, but it has always been about lightweight performance cars. The Emira continues this wonderful tradition as the last car that will use a gasoline engine. Once this car is gone, we will look to Lotus as a sports car brand that delivers electric models. Will you drive the Emira? Will you buy one of the electric Lotus sports cars in the future?