Farewell, Lotus
To be clear, Lotus is not going anywhere. But the end of an era is nearing now that the last gas-powered British sports car is on sale. The Emira is a new model for the brand, but it’s been conceived with the notion to serve as a swan song before their full-on commitment to EVs.
Lotus Cars today, is a very different company today compared to one founded by Colin Chapman in 1948. He was an engineer who wanted to eke out cars with the best handling possible without prioritizing speed, as well as the greatest feeling cars without prioritizing cost to give drivers a great deal of enjoyment on the road.
This means Lotus has always targeted a niche market for purists looking to drive without distraction. They don’t care about the flash of a Porsche, nor the prestige of a Ferrari. This dies out with the Emira.
The reason for implement changes is a massive cash injection brought on by automotive Chinese giant Geely, who’s also the backing partner for Volvo. Since 2017, Geely has been investing in Lotus, not just for an Emira goodbye, but to develop a lineup of exotic EVs to closer compete against the likes of Tesla and Mercedes-Benz. Early electric Lotus’s like the Emeya and the Electre show promise. But a gas-free future is the definite conclusion.
This makes the Emira something special. Even the taillights make it look a little sad from the rear three-quarters. But the Geely support means Lotus can deliver the ultimate expression of what Chapman set out to achieve all of those years ago.
The Emira is not the quickest, nor the fastest, nor will break records if you fling it on racetracks to set the fastest time possible. It won’t envelope you in a cocoon of luxury or place you in a sofa on wheels. It is designed first and foremost to put the biggest possible grin on your face and for you to look back at it after you’ve parked.
In reality, nothing about the Emira is new. Mechanically, it’s an updated Evora, a car that debuted 4 presidents ago. However, a lot of the changes can be construed as positive. The Toyota V-6 remains, but it’s supercharged to deliver close to 400 horsepower. And it’s possibly the best new car I’ve heard this year.
Throttle House demonstrated its audible capabilities:
Another Lotus weak point has been barebones interiors. Finally, the Emira furnishes a cabin worthy of the expensive price tag it commands. The equipment list is generous too but to be honest, that’s not why I’ll buy a Lotus.
You can have an Emira with the automatic, which is a fair option to offer. Not everyone has a great left foot so this is an acceptable ask. Although, one bit of confusion is that it’s a 6-speed automatic if you opt for the costlier V-6. If you go for the turbocharged 4-cylinder sourced from Mercedes-AMG, the automatic becomes an, again from Mercedes, a 9-speed auto. Reviews of the Emira with this engine recommend you to skip it.
Still, the fact that there is an Emira at all is worthy of celebration. It gets a lot of love for the original Chapman virtues and it remains a niche product for those looking for one more hurrah. The only difference is now, you can cross-shop a Lotus with the equivalent Porsche or whatever gets you $100,000 these days, and still be none the wiser if you go the Brexit route.
Knowing that it will be a future classic, an Emira just might be on my buying list. All we can do now is hope it holds out for as long as possible before Lotus closes the Chapman chapter. When that happens, godspeed Lotus.
Godspeed.
-TA