The heavy-hitting Eletre has been making (electromagnetic) waves this week, but Lotus has just announced details of a new Emira that’s a bit more true to tradition.
Like many forbears from the Elise to the Esprit the Emira is now available with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and it just happens to be the most powerful motor of its kind ever fitted to a Lotus. The two-liter four-pot made by Mercedes-AMG already holds bragging rights as the punchiest series-production four-cylinder on the planet, but Lotus has further fettled the engine with revised intake and exhaust systems, and a new calibration. That takes its output to 360bhp, with 317lb-ft of torque also on tap.
The all-aluminium engine is mid mounted and drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Mash the accelerator and the Emira will reach 62mph from rest in 4.4 seconds, which is just 0.2 seconds off the pace of the V6 manual version. Top speed is a claimed 180mph.
The new powertrain required a bespoke cast aluminium subframe, and overall the four-cylinder weighs in at 12kg less than the V6. The car’s double-wishbone suspension has been tuned to suit the new setup, with Tour or Sport chassis configurations available as before. Prices start at £81,495 compared to £85,995 for an equivalent V6 model.
