It isn't every day, or decade, that Lotus introduces a new sports car. In fact, the last new Lotus that was introduced to our shores was the four-passenger Evora way back in 2010. But now there's finally a new arrival: the 2022 Lotus Emira.
2024 Lotus Emira





- 2024
2024 Lotus Emira Review
Pros
- You’ll be the only one with an Emira
- Involving to drive
- Proven powertrains
Cons
- Heavy by Lotus standards
- Costs more than the Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0
What's new
- All-new mid-engine sports car
- Debuts with a supercharged V6 that makes 400 hp
- 360-hp turbocharged four-cylinder model arrives later
- Kicks off the first Lotus Emira generation
Overview
The 2024 Lotus Emira is an all-new model. While its exterior shape is unique, the Emira shares its wheelbase, V6 engine, transmission options, and hydraulically assisted steering with the now-dead Evora. It wouldn't be a stretch to view it as a rebodied Evora. Still, it's an important model for Lotus because it will be the brand's last car powered solely by an internal combustion engine.
But in this demanding segment the going won't be easy for the Emira. It enters a market ripe with mid-engine competition, including the high-value Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the highly engaging Porsche 718 Cayman. Starting at over $90,000, the Emira is not an entry-level sports car, though Lotus has traditionally succeeded by leveraging low weight and stunning chassis dynamics to produce models that are more than the sum or their parts — or price tags.
This newest Lotus offers a 400-horsepower supercharged V6 (supplied by Toyota and tuned by Lotus) driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Late in 2023 Lotus will add a 360-horsepower four cylinder version paired with a dual-clutch automatic. Expect the V6-powered Emira to accelerate to 60 mph in the mid 4-second range.
We're not so sure how well the Emira's lack of a front trunk will be received when both of its main competitors offer meaningful storage in that location. There is a small rear trunk and enough space for a carry-on sized bag behind each seat.
And in a distinct about face for the brand, there's been a substantive push for a quieter, more upscale interior, including a high-end audio system. Every millimeter of the Emira's interior is covered in leather or synthetic suede — a far cry from the bare aluminum we've experienced in other Lotuses. Times are changing, and even Lotus is changing with them. We now live in a world where the brand that made its name by simplifying and adding lightness will make its future with well-finished sports cars and — gasp! — even an SUV.
Which Emira does Edmunds recommend?
Lotus Emira models
The 2024 Lotus Emira is a two-seat mid-engine sports car. It is available in two trim levels: Base Edition and First Edition. The Base Edition comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 360 horsepower, while the First Edition comes with a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 rated at 400 horsepower.
Base Edition
Feature allocation for the Base Edition is not yet available. We will update this page when information on that trim becomes available.
First Edition
Feature highlights include:
- 20-inch wheels
- LED headlights
- Heated power-folding mirrors
- Two-piece brake rotors
- Keyless start
- 10.25-inch central touchscreen
- Navigation system (where available)
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Leather upholstery
- 12-way power-adjustable seats
- Heated seats
- 340-watt premium audio system
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
Standard safety aids included in the First Edition trim:
- Rear parking sensors
Option packages for the First Edition include:
Lotus Driver's Pack
- Track mode
- Choice of Tour suspension with summer tires or Sport suspension with summer tires or DOT-legal track tires
- Limited-slip differential
- Switchable exhaust sound (changes with drive mode)
Lotus Design Pack
- 20-inch wheels (different design)
- Privacy glass
- Sport pedals
- Black synthetic-suede headliner
- Choice of brake caliper color
Convenience Pack
- Front parking sensors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Auto-dimming rearview mirrors
Base Edition
Feature allocation for the Base Edition is not yet available. We will update this page when information on that trim becomes available.




2024 Lotus Emira First Impressions
The Emira's hood is a glass cover behind the cockpit, leaving the engine beautifully exposed to view. Buyers will have a choice between two engines. The first to be launched, and the one we have driven, is a supercharged 3.5-liter V6. Lotus has been using this engine for a while now, and it's a Toyota-derived mill that produces 400 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. It drives the rear wheels through either a six-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed automatic.
The alternative engine arrives in the spring of 2023. It's a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine cranking out around 360 horsepower. This engine also has roots with another manufacturer, in this case Mercedes-Benz. This is the engine that Mercedes puts in its AMG CLA 45, and Lotus says it worked in partnership with Mercedes to adapt this engine specifically for the Emira.
We've sampled the AMG engine's potency in the AMG CLA 45 and we're sure it will be ferocious in the relatively lightweight Emira. It will be paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. With the DCT and slightly lighter overall weight, this might be the version that laps a race circuit the quickest.
The outstanding impression is bewitching precision. Every input you give the Emira is answered immediately and exactly.
The V6 engine, because it's supercharged rather than turbocharged, serves up a progressive delivery with no lag. For a sports car, the 6,800-rpm redline seems a little mean, and you'll accidentally bounce off it in your early miles in the car. You soon learn to operate mostly in the engine's generous upper-middle revs. Its voice is a strong harmonious tenor. The gear ratios suit this, as there are no wide gaps between the ratios, so you can keep the engine in your chosen rpm band. And a fairly short axle ratio means the upper gears aren't too fast for road use.
We haven't yet put the Emira through our own test-track regimen, but Lotus claims it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.3 seconds. It also says curb weight is around 3,200 pounds for the First Edition with the manual transmission. Combine that with our on-road impressions and Lotus' acceleration figure seems realistic. It's certainly quick, though, for context, the Corvette with the Z51 package checks in at around 3,650 pounds and, with the help of its automatic transmission, sprinted to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds in our testing.
The steering uses hydraulic assistance, which is unfashionable as it demands a small fuel economy penalty versus the electric sort, but the rewards come in weighting and road feel. Around the straightaway, the Emira's system has very little self-centering. That means you feel intimately connected with the tires as they ride road markings, or change weighting over crests or dips. It also means the car is wonderfully eager to begin a turn.
Deep into the curve, there is simply massive grip, both from the front and the rear as it propels itself from the apex. Thank the well-balanced weight distribution, wide track, double-wishbone suspension design, and the 295/30R20 rear and 245/35 20 front Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tires. Lotus says the car's bodywork generates significant downforce at track speed, though we'll have to take the automaker's word for it as so far we've only driven the Emira on regular roads.
And yet this is on the Tour tire-and-suspension setup. You could also opt for a slightly stiffer Sport suspension and even gripper Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. This Tour suspension is firm but never uncomfortable, and it has terrific control even over bucking, heaving roadway at speed. We never wished for the other setup.
Indeed there's so much grip that you'll surely not broach it on the road, and with that comes our slight disappointment with the Emira. It's mostly operating so far within itself that it has lost some of the traditional Lotus cornering involvement. You don't feel enough nuances of the tires working beneath you.
Part of the reason for the Emira's extra curb weight is the modern, comfortable interior. Which is also easy to access thanks to more compact rockers and wider door openings than previous Lotuses.
The two seats can be specced with either four- or 12-way electric adjustability and strike a balance between day-to-day comfort and support for high-performance driving.
Concerns over long-distance comfort have also resulted in increased attention to lowering interior noise levels. Lotus has partnered with the British high-end audio company KEF to design and construct a premium sound system for the Emira. It's truly a fine-sounding setup, although it does have to work hard overcoming tire noise on coarser road surfaces.
A fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel greets the driver. It's generally clear, although the bar-graphic rev counter isn't as clear as a round dial. The cluster also shows navigation arrows and radio station/music track, and you can use steering wheel buttons to navigate lists of phone calls too.
A slick-looking 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen takes care of the usual navigation, phone mirroring, trip computer and configuration duties. (We say "the usual"; it might be usual for the big automakers, but for Lotus it's a huge step forward.) Smartphone integration through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto works seamlessly.
Other modern features include rain-sensing wipers, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control, among others. This Lotus is certainly more than just a track-day special.
Luggage space includes a rear trunk capable of taking a roll-on suitcase, and two more can be stored on a roomy shelf behind the seats. Cupholders (a bit small) and useful door bins boost cabin habitability. There is no front trunk, unlike on the Porsche Cayman.
With proven performance coming from its two available engines and Lotus' unassailable handling excellence all wrapped up in a stylish and modern body, this is a car to fall in love with. Especially if you know some really curvy, open, empty roads. Or you often take your car on track. Because to show its very best side, it really does want to be pushed to its stratospherically high limits.
The Emira is clearly the best all-round Lotus of an entire generation because it combines those driving smarts with a reasonably usable all-round package. And as it represents the final Lotus to be powered solely by an internal combustion engine, it will doubtless end up a collector's item.
Related 2024 Lotus Emira info
Other models
- Used BMW M4-GTS in Wichita, KS
- Used Lexus LS-500 in Bellevue, NE
- Used Polestar 2 in Hamden, CT
- New Audi TT for Sale in Snohomish, WA
- Used Audi RS-3 in Montgomery, AL
- Used Kia Carnival in Woodland, CA
- Used Mclaren 600Lt-Spider in San Mateo, CA
- Used Suzuki XL-7 in Westland, MI
- Used Lexus Is-350 in Everett, WA
- Used Porsche 718-Boxster in Plattsburgh, NY
- New Ram Promaster-Cargo-Van for Sale in Menomonee Falls, WI
- Used Fiat 500L in Santa Cruz, CA
- Used Mini Hardtop-2-Door in Sherman Oaks, CA
- Used Lexus GX-470 in Findlay, OH
- New BMW X5 for Sale in Jamison, PA
Vehicle rankings by type
- Best Convertibles
- Best Coupes
- Electric Car Luxury Electric Cars
- Best Sports Cars
- Best Subcompact Vehicles
- Best Economy Vehicles
- Electric Car Luxury Electric SUVs
- Truck Midsize
Shop used vehicles in your area
- Used Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 2016
- Used Hyundai Accent 2007
- Used Toyota Camry Solara 2006
- Used Volvo V60 2016
- Used Chevrolet Express 2010
- Used Nissan Maxima 2002
- Used Toyota Tacoma 1997
- Used Buick Lucerne 1995
- Used Toyota Prius Prime 2019
- Used smart EQ fortwo 2015
Recommended
- Best Audi A4 Allroad Lease Deals in Cleveland, OH
- Best Acura RDX Lease Deals in Bronx, NY
- Best Kia Stinger Lease Deals in San Bernardino, CA
- Best Dodge Challenger Lease Deals in Santa Clarita, CA
- Best Kia Stinger Lease Deals in Spartanburg, SC