Lotuses are supposed to be special, but the Eletre didn’t exactly tug at my heart strings. It was mind numbingly quick and handled well, but didn’t feel very emotive. Maybe because it was all-electric? Or maybe, because it isn’t a light, two-door sportscar, like the Elise, Exige and Evora that Lotus is known for? The launch of the Emira did have my ears perk up though. Not only is it a two-door sportscar, it is also powered by a pure internal combustion engine, without any hybridisation!
My hopes were thus high as our test car was being unloaded from the flatbed truck, though a crowd gathered around immediately. That’s the pull of a two-door sportscar. It’s a format of the automobile that’s probably the purest – meant to only go fast. And that’s besides the fact that the Emira wore a bright yellow paintjob and looked exactly how a sportscar ought to – achingly gorgeous! I couldn’t help but soak in the details. The sculpted bodywork and lines remind of the Evija, the fully electric hypercar Lotus unveiled in 2019. There’s also a fluidity to the lines, and the Emira’s styling is an ode to the classic sportscar design – low slung and athletic looking.
The mid-engine configuration means there’s massive, well-sculpted air scoops right behind the doors that look aesthetic, while the flared wheel arches complement the profile well. The sharp ‘cuts’ in the hood look striking, as do the intakes in the front bumper, while the 20-inch wheels (you can also opt for 21-inchers) look striking. The boot lip spoiler adds to the stance as does the sculpted rear, while the large, dual exhausts look the part and mean business. Overall, the Emira looks picture perfect and probably 100 cameras (besides ours!) had captured the car by the time we wrapped up the shoot, thanks to its design and yellow hue.
The ‘boot lid’ opens to allow access to the transversely mounted engine that sits just before the rear axle, and the arrangement has allowed Lotus to offer a reasonably sized boot too. I could’ve ogled at the design for longer, but couldn’t resist opening the doors – they open conventionally – and lowering myself into the cabin. The interior design is spot on with lots of Alcantara, including the sporty steering wheel, but more importantly the cabin layout is simple and functional, sans any distractions.
The cabin is also driver-centric, and controls are easy to reach from behind the wheel. A 12.3-inch display functions as the instrument cluster and switching driving modes has it change its layout, while a 10.25-inch touchscreen is your gateway to a host of functions, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You get physical controls for air-conditioning, and the centre console houses a Lamborghini-inspired engine start/stop cover. The gear lever is a stubby unit and has an interesting detail behind it in the form of a stylised Union Jack, with ‘First Edition’ mentioned on it. Seats are swathed in a mix of leather and Alcantara along with contrast yellow stitching.
Quality of materials and fit-finish levels are top notch, and I particularly liked the brushed metal finishes. The paddle shifters have a nice, metallic finish too. The cabin also feels surprisingly practical for a sportscar’s – you get cup holders, storage under the armrest and door pockets. That said, there are no child seats behind the ‘front’ seats and at best, you could throw in a bag or two behind them. The Emira thus impresses with its interiors, feeling like a sportscar should from inside.
You can have the Emira with either a turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a Toyota-sourced supercharged V6. We drove the four-cylinder engine powered version – the engine is the same unit as the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, a rather potent mill. It isn’t in the same bonkers state of tune as the AMG here though and produces 360PS and 430Nm (down from the A 45’s 421PS and 500Nm) and is also mated to the same 8-speed dual clutch automatic as the AMG. But if you’re undermining the engine’s capabilities in a proper sportscar, the Emira will help you reassess your thoughts. The engine sounds good, sitting right behind your head, and has a nice exhaust note too.
It impresses even more on the go, with its performance. There’s a very likeable feel to the power delivery, as the Emira doesn’t threaten to scare you but goads you into going faster with its progressiveness. Press down on the gas pedal and you’re sure to break into a smile. What’s also worth noting is the absence of turbo lag, as the engine is quick to propel you to speeds and also race towards its redline. There’s lots of shove even at 6,000rpm, though going beyond will call for a very fast road or a racetrack. The engine has an urgency to build revs and it also sounds very good at full chat, especially with the turbo whistle and the exhausts pops and crackles being very audible. What I liked the most about the Emira is that you feel in control even when giving it the beans – this is no 600PS monster that scares you, as engine performance is accessible and very enjoyable. Public roads meant I couldn’t explore the engine’s full potential, but admittedly, even with ‘just’ a four pot engine the Emira is quite the sportscar for Indian roads.
Also adding to the likeable feel is the Emira’s ride and handling. It is a Lotus after all and lives up to the car maker’s legacy of making excellent handling sportscars. The aluminium chassis does a brilliant job in conjunction with the suspension that’s stiff but doesn’t threaten to break your back. This, while helping the Emira handle like a true-blue sportscar should – the mechanical grip is smile-inducing, as the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres are super sticky, besides which the low-slung body and suspension also help the car hold its line, no matter how fast you go around corners. The feeling of sitting as low as you do in the Emira, feeling the G-forces around fast corners, is a special feeling that only a hardcore sportscar like it can help you experience. The bigger star of the show though is the Emira’s hydraulic steering with its preciseness and weighted feel – it’s so good, even the best of electrically assisted steering systems will fail to match its feel.
Effectively, the Emira did tug at my heart strings. It’s the textbook definition of sportscars with a very nice, mechanical feel to it, something a lot of new-age performance cars fail to offer. The Emira doesn’t feel over engineered or gizmo-like either and almost wants to take you back in time. The four-cylinder version is priced at ₹3.22 crores ex-showroom, which is pretty steep for what is an entry-level sportscar though. A lower price tag should help in adding to its appeal, because the Emira is perhaps the only sportscar of its kind on sale today.
