2024 Lotus Emira 2.0 First Drive: New Heart Lacks Soul

• The Lotus Emira now comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine made by Mercedes-AMG.
• 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque provide more than enough oomph for this 3,212-pound sports car.
• Unfortunately, this engine lacks refinement.
• Thankfully, the rest of the Emira experience is very, very good.

Sounds good, right? Well, hold on. The engine in question is AMG's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four — the same one you get in the CLA 45. In the Evora, this high-strung four-banger churns out 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers aren't the issue; that's exactly as much horsepower as the supercharged V6, and the turbo-four actually makes 44 more lb-ft of torque. Lotus even estimates a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds for the AMG-fed Emira, which is 0.4 second quicker than its Toyota-powered sibling.

The problem, instead, is how the 2.0-liter engine goes about delivering its impressive thrust. Turbo lag is super noticeable; there's a delayed reaction between stomping the throttle and having the power surge to the rear wheels. You've really got to keep the engine boiling and be quite liberal — and early — with your throttle inputs. It's not a fun sensation; you constantly feel like you're having to coax the engine to do its thing.

Then there's the noise. The turbocharger's air intake is placed behind the driver, so you're privy to all sorts of wooshes and whirrs. I'll admit, I kind of like this — it reminds me of driving the old Alfa Romeo 4C. But the engine itself sounds like someone is using a can of hairspray, except instead of hairspray it's bees, and the bees are unable to stop farting, so therefore they are angry, flatulent bees. In other words, airy and metallic and buzzy and bad. And because you have to really keep the engine cookin' in order to eke out its power, that wheezy soundtrack is loud, and it gets old. Quick.

By contrast, the V6 Emira isn't perfect, but the 3.5-liter engine delivers power in a more predictable and linear fashion, and the whopping thrust brought on by the supercharger feels like a rush of blood to the head. Bonus points for the V6: You can get it with a six-speed manual transmission (with exposed mechanicals beneath the center console). The 2.0-liter only comes with an automatic.

The Emira's eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is also sourced from Mercedes-AMG, and it does a bit to right some of the engine's wrongs. Gear changes are snappy and well timed; the transmission will happily drop a gear or two under braking before you enter a corner, and it'll do so while you're driving in the Emira's standard Tour mode — no switching to Sport or Track required. Large metallic paddle shifters look and feel great against your fingertips, but their action unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. I want a satisfying chunk when I command an upshift or downshift in a sports car, not some measly little mouse click.

Happily, the rest of the Emira absolutely slaps regardless of which engine provides power. Its 3,212-pound weight is roughly the same as the V6 coupe's heft, and the Emira feels Miata-like, all nimble and spry on a canyon road. The suspension tuning is nearly perfect: taut enough to provide a sense of what's happening at each corner, but not so stiff that you couldn't feasibly drive this car every day. Lotus doesn't let you screw with damper settings or steering weight either, instead preferring to set things up correctly from the get-go. On that note, the steering is a real highlight — alive and communicative with a quick enough ratio that you won't be sawing at the wheel through back-and-forth hairpins.

The Emira's cabin seats two, and a 6-foot, 4-inch passenger didn't complain too much after a couple of hours riding shotgun. It's a nicely appointed space, as well, with soft leather, real metal detailing, and a level of fit and finish that reminds you Lotus exists in the same Geely-owned corporate universe as Volvo and Polestar.

Small annoyances include the bright red cover for the engine stop-start button that doesn't stay raised when you lift it, as well as the finicky electronic gear selector, which defaults to a central neutral position requires two taps forward or backward to switch between reverse and drive. On the other hand, there's a standard 10.2-inch touchscreen that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is good because the native infotainment system is still, well, crap.

The Seneca Blue car pictured here is an Emira First Edition, which is kind of a liar-liar-pants-on-fire situation considering the V6 First Edition came, um, first. (I'll just call this an Emira 2.0 1.0.) In any case, pricing for the four-cylinder Emira First Edition starts at $102,250, including $2,350 for destination, which is only $5,500 off the V6's original MSRP. This test car doesn't have any optional extras, either, since the First Edition is meant to be a one-stop-shop fully loaded spec.

That places the Emira right alongside a bunch of other excellent sports cars, everything from a BMW M2 or M4 to a Chevy Corvette Stingray or — arguably this coupe's primary rival — a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. I personally don't think any of those cars can match the curb appeal and general allure of the Emira. But all of the aforementioned cars come equipped with significantly more engaging and more exciting powerplants. And in a sports car, that's mega important.

Thankfully for prospective Emira buyers, there's no visual difference between the 2.0-liter car and the V6-powered version. As long as you don't let anyone peep through your hatch glass anyway.

The Lotus Emira is a great car. This one just lacks a great engine.

Photos by Tyler Clemmensen