Lotus Emira – A First Glimpse

An invite to the Concorde Hangar at Manchester airport seemed a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Not only would I be able to take a look at the new Lotus Emira, on its tour of the UK prior to launching next spring, but also, I would be able to get up close to Concorde.

I can remember as a small boy watching the magnificent planes fly over London, and even though it was a regular sight, people still stood and stared, marvelling at its elegance and grace. And there was the noise…

Lotus will undoubtedly be hoping that the Emira will be a crowd-pleaser too and I don’t think they will be disappointed.

The Emira will be Lotus’s last ever petrol-powered sports car, building on the legacy of the Elise, Exige and Evora. Developed on a new lightweight bonded aluminium chassis, the core values that made its predecessors great are undoubtedly carried over, but with a noticeable uplift in levels of comfort, practicality and technology.,

First Editions cars will be available from spring of next year with prices starting at £75,995. For now, that is the only model that you can spec, but a base model will be available to order next year to arrive in early 2023. From £59,995 if that appeals.

Powering the First Edition is a mid-mounted 3.5-litre supercharged V6 motor, developing 400hp, and capable of propelling the Emira from rest to 60mph in just 4.3 seconds. Top speed is stated to be 180mph.

I was lucky enough to drive an Exige Cup 430 last year and confirm how blisteringly quick that car was in real world driving. Thrilling and slightly scary…

There is a choice of manual and automatic gears, the latter being an £1,800 option.

The car rides on 20-inch ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels, diamond cut to create a two-tone finish, but other options are available.

LED lighting, power-fold door mirrors and rear parking sensors add to the car’s everyday usability.

There is a choice of six paint colours, with Seneca Blue of the display car likely to be a popular choice. Others include Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey, Nimbus Grey and Magma Red.

On the inside you can choose from a variety of colours in either leather or Alcantara.



The Emira will be a rare sight on our roads, though a very distinctive one. Orders have been flooding in and it is unlikely that any new customers will now be able to get a car next year. My advice would be to make contact with your local Lotus dealer without delay and perhaps get in early for the new entry level car.

I look forward to getting behind the wheel sometime soon and will bring you driving impressions then.

As for Concorde, still as majestic as ever and such a shame that they will never fly again.