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The 2022 Emira: Lotus Says Goodbye to the Combustion Engine With Help From AMG and Toyota

The Lotus Emira was first presented to the public at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Showcasing many design similarities with the brand's high-performance model, the Evija, the new Emira is intended to replace three outgoing models from the brand's line-up, namely the Evora, Exige, and Elise. Furthermore, Lotus announced that this will be their last combustion engine-powered vehicle ever produced.
Lotus Emira 19 photos
Photo: Lotus
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Lotus Cars is a British automobile manufacturer headquartered in Norfolk, England, specializing in producing lightweight sportscars with excellent handling characteristics. The brand has vast expertise in sportscar engineering, even being involved in Formula One racing, managing Team Lotus, which won the Formula One World Championship seven times.

The Lotus Emira is intended to fight against sports cars like the Porsche 718 Cayman or the Alpine A110. In that regard, it follows a mid-engine drivetrain architecture but, at the same time, boasting an unmistakably Lotus appearance, stealing some design cues from its high-performance sibling, the mighty Evija. Moreover, although emphasizing a delicate silhouette, the all-new Emira is larger. Dimension-wise than all the other three models in the line-up that it replaces, measuring 173.7 inches (4,412 mm) in length, 74,6 inches (1,895 mm) in width, and standing 48.2 inches (1,225 mm) tall. Last but not least, in pure Lotus fashion, the engineers shaved off as much weight as possible, making this vehicle tip the scale at about 1,4 tons (3,097 lbs).

Lotus Emira
Photo: Lotus
Like its predecessors, the new Emira features a bonded aluminum chassis with fiberglass body panels that wrap around it. Hints of the Evija electric hypercar can be seen throughout the front-end design that features similar heavily sculpted air scoops that feed the much-needed air into the engine.

Speaking of the powerplants, the new Lotus Emira will highlight a choice of two highly potent engines. The higher-spec Launch Edition vehicles will be equipped with a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 sourced by Toyota that will produce 400 hp and 430 Nm of torque and can be mated either with a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox. This configuration will propel the car from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph) in just 4.2 seconds and will enable a top speed of 180 mph (290 kph). An AMG-derived four-cylinder engine will also be available, namely a version of the M139 unit that already powers the AMG 45 models, which will be combined exclusively with AMG's eight-speed double-clutch transmission.

The interior design is remarkably modern, minimalistic, and somewhat practical. A huge step-up for Lotus, the Emira features carefully crafted materials, soft-trimmed surfaces, and modern technical finishes, that all blend together beautifully and create a premium living space. The steering wheel has a squared-off stylish appearance with metallic spoke details and integrated controls, while the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is clearly visible and offers lots of much-needed information. The V6 manual cars will even get a semi-exposed gear linkage visible at the base of the center console. The sports seats offer excellent lateral support for high-speed driving, with 4-way adjustment as standard or 12 ways for the optional premium sport seat package. The infotainment system consists of a 10.2-inch touchscreen mounted in the middle of the dashboard, featuring Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity.

Lotus Emira
Photo: Lotus
The Emira is expected to go on sale starting from summer 2022, with a base price tag for the US market of $74,900. However, the first production run of Emiras will be the First Edition ones powered by Toyota's V6, which will start from $93,600.

With this much going for it, the Emira is set to become one of Lotus' most iconic vehicles. Because of its affordable pricing compared to other models in the line-up and the fact that it is the brand's last conventionally powered vehicle, the new Emira will definitely become one highly collectible sports car that will proudly showcase the lightweight performance vehicle recipe that consecrated the brand in the automotive industry.
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About the author: Dan Marinescu
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Since his early childhood, Dan developed an avid passion for cars and, now he sees himself as a genuine petrolhead. His enthusiasm comes from his father, an automotive engineer. They love to reminisce about the days when his dad showed him the inner workings of an engine and why everything does what it does.
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