Lotus Emira Is A Gorgeous 400HP Swan Song For British Marque's Gas-Engined Sports Cars

This is why the announcement of the Emira is a bitter-sweet moment for Lotus. The vehicle will be its last all-new vehicle that launches with an internal combustion engine. The rest of Lotus' cars that come after it will be powered by electric motors and batteries. While that shift will likely increase performance, we wonder what it will do to weight and handling, but we digress...

As for the vehicle itself, well, just look at it. It looks absolutely amazing. It has classic mid-engine proportions, and not a line seems out of place when looking at the Elmira from all angles. This car slathered in British racing green is a sight to behold, and we can't wait to see one in the metal driving down American roads that are increasingly becoming littered with homogenous crossovers.

Climbing inside the Emira, there's a simple, straightforward interior -- a hallmark of Lotus vehicles -- with a 12.4-inch display in front of the driver representing the instrument cluster and another 10.2 display for infotainment. Like the Elise and Exige that the Emira replaces in the lineup, the vehicle has seating for just two occupants. For those not in the know, the long-in-the-tooth Evora seats four.

Now, we must talk about performance. The Emira can be configured with one of two engine options. The first is a Mercedes-AMG sourced turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that pumps out 360 horsepower. The second engine is a supercharged 3.5-liter Toyota V6 engine (which also serves in the Evora) that generates a healthy 400 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. This will be a "pure" platform, so you won't see any hybrid versions down the road. And for prickly enthusiasts, you'll be glad to know that a manual transmission will be available with the V6 engine. Unfortunately, the turbo-four only hooks up to a dual-clutch transmission.

With a curb weight of just under 3,100 pounds, Lotus says that the Emira can dash from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 180 mph.

According to Lotus, sales of the Emira will start in early 2022 in its home market of the United Kingdom, priced at around £60,000. However, when the vehicle arrives stateside, it will feature a starting price tag south of $80,000.