The story of Lotus has never been simply about cars. It is a story of triumph and agony, of brilliance and uncertainty, played out as much on the road, on the race track as it has been within the boardroom. 

For 74 years, Lotus has endured — an improbable survivor born from the imagination of Colin Chapman, an engineering visionary who understood that speed was not simply a matter of power, but of thought, balance and the relentless pursuit of less.

A new chapter is being written and committed to history. This chapter is called the Lotus Emira

The Exterior

Striking, stunning — I don’t need to say much more than that. The design is influenced by the Evija, and for that, the Emira doesn’t lack presence. Hypercar looks for sports-car money.

Lotus says the Emira is entirely new, but the engineering details suggest it is based on the Evora chassis. The Evora’s bonded aluminium chassis was advanced enough that it really couldn’t be bettered.

For the Emira, the chassis has been extended in length and width, giving it a wider and longer stance. But at first sight, it looks more compact.

The Emira is available in six model trims, with prices starting, at the time of publishing, from £79,500 for the entry-level model and rising to £105,900 for the top-spec 420 Sport.

The Emira is available with either a manual or automatic gearbox, and with either a Mercedes-sourced four-cylinder twin-turbo engine or a Toyota-sourced, Lotus-tuned supercharged V6.

The Interior

Minimalist luxury, beautifully designed, with high levels of fit and finish. You won’t find cheap materials anywhere. It’s Nappa leather, Alcantara or carpet, with a few quality plastics used for the switchgear.

Ingress and egress requires a slight bit of flexibility: left foot in, right hand on the sill, lower yourself in. That’s the easiest way to get in and out.

As for storage, you do get a reasonably sized glovebox. The door bins are big enough for storing small items such as a sunglasses case or perhaps a small water bottle. Behind the driver’s seat is a storage platform with enough depth and width for two duffle bags.

The boot space is probably wide enough for a set of golf clubs, but you’ll have to leave the bag at home.

The equipment list is extensive: heated 12-way adjustable seats, driver safety systems and a host of optional extras.

I could go on, but let’s just say that when you come to spec your Emira, Lotus will treat you very well. But you’ll have to pay for it, of course.

Infotainment System

The native system is very simple to use. The minimalist graphic design works well and gives it an industrial functionality. Thankfully, Lotus opted for a small screen, mounted so that it isn’t in the driver’s line of sight.

The fully digital instrument binnacle allows for a degree of customisation, most of it controlled via the steering-mounted buttons. There is some initial confusion over what the buttons do, but you soon adjust accordingly.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and USB-C charging points are located in the centre-console armrest.

The Drive

It’s the Lotus Emira with the Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre supercharged V6 and six-speed manual gearbox. On paper, the stats read 400bhp and 420Nm of torque, a top speed of 178mph and 0–62mph in 4.2 seconds.

But the stats can’t convey the sense of occasion every time you step in, buckle up and press the start button to fire up the engine.

At that moment, the V6 snarls into life. It’s pure theatre — an exciting sensation to feel and hear in its own right. I’ve missed that sound of starting a sports car in the morning.

Engage first gear and I instantly get a feeling of rawness. Engage second, then third, and that rawness continues.

But it is good rawness. It is defined. It feels purposeful. It feels composed. It feels like it’s ready to explode into action at any given moment. It only takes courage to do so.

This is how a sports car, at the most basic level, should feel. And I haven’t even driven very far.

The Emira has three drive modes: Tour, Sport and Track. Initially, I was too intimidated to switch on Track mode. In my mind, Track mode is for the race track, not the road. It took me a few days to pluck up the courage.

What a mistake I initially made.

Track Mode is the natural state of the Emira, before all the safety and environmental mandates governing modern car development enveloped sports cars and turned them into safety-first rather than driver-first machines.

Engage Track Mode and all the driver safety/assist systems deactivate.

Collision detection — not needed, thanks.

Lane Assist — DEFINITELY not required.

No sports car should ever come equipped with lane assist, but modern compliance regulations require it. Don’t blame Lotus; blame the regulators.

With Track Mode activated, the Emira immediately felt alive, more revs, more feel. Better still, the exhaust note becomes more vocal.

The manual six-speed is long-ratio, so you can pull 60mph in second gear and hear that supercharged V6 whine and roar like a rock star — like you’re using the throttle to play a musical instrument.

The Handling

Speed isn’t everything. A man in his white van can drive fast in a straight-line . So the ride and handling are where it really counts. The Emira has the powertrain to deliver a punchy character with raucous emotion.

Indeed, the Emira’s ride, handling and grip levels are simply sublime. It rides on 20-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres, and combined with the suspension, it has the right balance between stiffness and suppleness to soak up the bumps.

Engage its talents and it will fly through corners as if they don’t exist. The steering, pitch, yaw and body roll are all perfectly synchronised, delivering near absolute perfection.

I could detail the suspension setup and geometry, but that would just bore you. Read Autocar instead. My take is… just get in the car, throw away the handbook and, for God’s sake, activate Track Mode — or, as I call it, default mode — and just drive off into the sunset.

The Emira possesses what only the very best sports cars have: absolute feel through the steering. When you’re hammering through those corners, the steering transmits the vibe of the entire chassis.

When you reach this point, you are now at one with the car. A symbiotic relationship arises. Driving becomes second nature as you enter a parallel state of total concentration and total serenity with the car and the environment.

It’s an almost spiritual, ethereal state of existence.

The Verdict

The Emira replaces the Elise, Evora and Exige. One model to rule them all? Perhaps.

Do you know what the Emira reminds me of? No, not the Porsche Boxster, as many other reviews have suggested. The Emira is closer to the 911 GT3 in terms of its rawness and initial intimidation, and it’s every bit as sublime as a 911 when it comes to cornering.

OK, so the 911 GT3 has a smoother powertrain and is faster. I get it.

Yet the Emira has the presence, the theatre you find in much more expensive supercars. And if you drive like Miss Daisy, you can easily achieve 31mpg. Enjoy it too much, though, and that efficiency falls to 24mpg.

But the Emira isn’t cheap. The V6-powered version on test, with optional extras, costs over £103K. However, because I think it’s closer to a 911 GT3 than a Porsche Boxster, it is actually a bit of a bargain… to the few who can afford such a sum.

However, in 2030, the Emira is set to receive a brand-new, in-house-developed powertrain: a new hybrid V6.

But that supercharged V6 engine is the heart of the current gen Emira, and while a V6 hybrid may be technically better, the old-school formula will be hard to beat.