Emira GT4 Is the Result of 74 Years of Lotus Greatness, Priced Like a 911 Turbo S

In July of 2021, Lotus showcased their upcoming Evora, Exige, and Elise replacement at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Emira follows the modern Lotus aesthetics brought forth by the Evija electric hypercar, which was first unveiled in July of 2019.

Lotus has been going through quite a transformation these past few years. And they certainly won't stop here, as the company will be introducing three more models within the next four years.

Following the global electrification guidelines, it seems like all of these vehicles will be running on batteries. And that means that the Emira is one final hoorah of Lotus's ICE age, which has been going on since the '50s.

The road-going version of the Emira will offer clients the possibility of choosing between two different engines: a supercharged, 3.5-liter V6 and a turbocharged, 2.0-liter inline-four. The Toyota-sourced V6 is rated for a solid 400-hp and 320 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque and will be shipped out later this year.

Meanwhile, the 360-HP, Mercedes-AMG sourced inline-four will become available starting with 2023. You know what they say "good things come to those who wait". Given today's complicated socio-economic context, all car manufacturers are experiencing at least some sort of logistic disruption.

As such, waiting times are increasing even for the most common of vehicles. So it's not unexpected that a special car like the Emira also has people sitting in line for a chance to drive one.

Earlier this year, Lotus introduced their new bespoke-design division called Lotus Advanced Performance. This division's role within the company is to deliver halo projects, limited-edition vehicles, advanced personalization of customer cars, and driving courses through the Lotus Driving Academy

Last but not least, continuing the brand's motorsports legacy is also one of its key priorities. That being said, enter the new Lotus Emira GT4 race car! The track-ready version of the Emira was unveiled during a VIP event earlier this week in the United Kingdom, where Lotus maintains its Hethel testing center.

Select Lotus customers have already been aware that this moment would come since September of 2021. When Lotus presented people with the possibility of buying a GT version of the Emira, the response was immediate. As such, the Emira GT4 is already sold out for the first year of production.

Gavan Kershaw, the Director of Vehicle Attributes, and a Lotus legend at the same time provided VIP guests with passenger laps on the 2.2-mile (3.54 km) circuit. Thus, he could reveal the result of hundreds of hours of testing that were conducted both onsite and during the winter in Portimão, Portugal.

Company representatives Richard Selwin, who is the Race Programme Manager, and Simon Lane, the Director of Lotus Advanced Performance, were both present for the event as well. Their official statements reveal their enthusiasm and confidence regarding the Emira GT4's potential for success.

The price for the Emira GT4 starts at £165,000 ($204,261) before tax. That is just what you'd expect to pay for a brand new Porsche 911 Turbo S, but it's less expensive than the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, for instance.