The Lotus Emira is the British sports car maker's last hurrah for internal combustion engines. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's a dinosaur. The Emira is a stunning, modern, and thrilling machine that can go toe-to-toe with some of the best supercars in the world. And it costs less than $100,000.
What Is the Lotus Emira?
The Lotus Emira i4 is the successor to the Elise, Exige, and Evora models that have been around for decades. It's also the first all-new Lotus car since 2008. The Emira is designed to be a more accessible and practical sports car than its predecessors while still retaining the core values of Lotus: lightness, agility, and performance.
The Lotus Emira i4 comes in two flavors: a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 sourced from Toyota that produces 400 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque or a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four sourced from Mercedes-AMG that produces 360 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The latter is called the 2024 Lotus Emira i4, and it's the focus of this article.
The 2024 Lotus Emira i4 is expected to weigh around 3,100 pounds, which is about 500 pounds heavier than the Elise but still lighter than most of its rivals. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 180 mph. Thanks to its mid-engine layout, double-wishbone suspension, hydraulic steering, and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, it can also handle corners like a dream.
The 2024 Lotus Emira i4 offers a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Both are rear-wheel drive only. The manual has a mechanical limited-slip differential, while the automatic has an electronic one. The automatic also has launch control and paddle shifters.