2024 Lotus Emira test drive review

For decades, Lotus has been something of a niche sports car manufacturer. Its founder Colin Chapman said, “Simplify, then add lightness,” when describing his approach to sports car development. While others have chosen to chase the rabbit down the horsepower hole, Lotus has stood by its lightweight, precision-based driving mantra. The result? Some of the most unique sports cars in modern history like the Esprit, Elise, Exige and Evora. 

For 2024, Lotus has given us its last (or so they say) internal combustion sports car: the Emira. Translated from Arabic, Emira means “someone worthy of merit or princess,” and we can see why the name makes sense for this car. It’s beautiful, powerful and capable, but also has some quirks requiring delicate and well-acquainted inputs by the driver. It may be like other cars, but it also offers a driving experience that is wholly unique, one that you appreciate and love the more you drive it. 

In fact, It may just be the best alternative sports car choice in the world. Read on to see why. 

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Photo by Lotus Cars

Price and value 

The Emira lands nicely between the sports car and supercar worlds. It’s certainly more exotic than some of the usual sports car competition, but it’s also not as powerful or high-performing as the standard exotic fare. The MSRP range for the 2024 Lotus Emira is $99,900-$105,400. Currently, only the loaded first editions are available. Later this year the base model will be available, and it is expected to begin in the mid $70,000 range. 

● I4 Turbocharged: $99,900 

• 2.0-liter 360-horsepower turbocharged engine from Mercedes-AMG

• Forged wheels 

• Alcantara headliner

• Heated seats

• Premium audio system

● V6 Supercharged: $105,400 

• 3.5-liter 400-horsepower supercharged engine from Toyota 

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Whether the Lotus Emira is a good value or not is a matter of perspective. On one hand it looks and performs like a budget supercar, but with the engine reliability of a Toyota. On the other hand, it’s not considered a true exotic compared to certain Italian and English competition, and it’s more expensive than many similar rivals. Additionally, it offers a different driving experience than pretty much anything else on the road. 

Unfortunately, Lotus’s warranty doesn't sweeten the deal. They do offer a three-year or 36,000-mile limited warranty, but their powertrain coverage is limited to the same parameters, and no complimentary maintenance is offered. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Performance 

We’ve driven a lot of cars but we’ve never driven anything quite like the Emira. At first assumption, you think it’s going to be refined, controlled and progressive. Strap in and you’ll find it’s all a facade. This thing is an engine-heavy, hyperactive little puppy — which isn’t really a bad thing. It’s fast, visceral, raw and uber-precise. It just takes a little getting used to. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Engine 

Mounted behind the driver’s head is the 3.5-liter supercharged Toyota V6. Make no mistake, this is not your mom’s typical Camry V6. This is a hot-rod, loud and generally over-caffeinated rocket that’s ready to play. The motor makes 400 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, which is plenty for this 3,279-pound go-kart. 

It’s a carry-over from the Evora, but we don’t mind. It’s fun, especially with the supercharger and its whine constantly spooling up. A bonus: Lotus has placed the throttle body directly in view of the rearview mirror, which makes for a fun party trick to show your passengers as you punch the gas. 

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Fuel efficiency

Thankfully, all that power doesn’t come at the expense of decent fuel economy. Our tester was rated at 70 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg in combined driving. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Drivetrain 

The Emira is only available with rear-wheel drive and a mid-mounted engine. It comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission but an automatic transmission is optional for an additional charge. 

The drivetrain is visceral and alive. You can feel the engine vibrating the seats, floor and shifter. The shift linkage is visible through a mesh window below the shift knob. The synchros are close together and can be challenging to smoothly slot in to. The throws are longer than what you’d expect, and it takes a decent amount of effort to make shift changes. 

In other words, it’s not the most refined manual transmission we’ve experienced. However, after spending some time with it, and getting used to its quirks, we found it very fun and endearing. There’s truly nothing else like it on the road today, especially when combined with the burly V6.

Photo by Lotus Cars

Acceleration and handling 

Accelerating in the Emira is like letting an aging dog off its leash. It’s exciting and quick, but a little clunky in its execution. Punch the gas and you feel — and hear —  the supercharged V6 unleashing its fury in a hurry, especially with the exhaust valves wide open. Car and Driver clocked from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds. 

But as fun as the acceleration is, Lotus’s hallmark has always been handling, and the Emira is no exception. We tested the Sport Chassis version and found it to be surprisingly livable. We imagine the Touring Chassis will be even more so. It’s razor-sharp, with extremely quick turn-in by the hydraulically assisted steering rack. The Emira may not be a full-fledged supercar, but its handling and acceleration will have you feeling like it is.

Braking 

If the Lotus has any shortcoming, it’s in the braking. They’re powerful but are very grabby and difficult to modulate. Compounding this issue is the very small pedalbox. I wear size 9.5 shoes and they were at their limit. If wearing larger soled shoes, it will be a struggle. 

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Photo by Lotus Cars

Interior comfort and convenience 

The Emira’s interior is a huge step up from any previous Lotus. It’s elegantly designed, with good materials throughout, is reasonably comfortable and is no longer a sacrifice to spend time in as were previous Lotus vehicles. Intimate is a good descriptor here, though most drivers and passengers will have the space they need, except for the aforementioned driver’s footwell. 

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Photo by Lotus Cars

Seats 

The seats we tested were finished in leather and Alcantara and were comfortable, and not overly aggressive. They were also heated and easily adjustable to fit your ideal driving position. 

Climate control 

The cabin warmed up quickly on our cool day of testing. Whether that was from the HVAC system or the engine just inches behind the cabin, we aren’t sure. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Cargo space and cabin storage 

If you’re prone to junk piling up in your car, this isn’t the vehicle for you. There’s not much here by way of storage. There are two cup holders, two small door pockets, seven cubic feet of storage behind the seats and five cubic feet of storage behind the engine. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Infotainment system 

The Emira comes with a 10.2-inch touchscreen that is devoid of physical controls for volume and tuning. If you want to adjust those, you must use the buttons on the steering wheel. Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Exterior appearance and functionality 

The Emira does its best to imitate some of the most beautiful cars in the world. There’s a touch of Ferrari here, a dash of Porsche there, and even a little McLaren — all mixed in with some of the best bits of the now-dead Evora. It’s beautiful and looks decidedly more special than your average sports car. It also looks more expensive than it is, which we expect will be a huge selling point for those wanting a McLaren or the like, but don’t want to spend north of $150,000 for such a privilege. 

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Photo by Lotus Cars

Wheels 

Our tester had forged 20-inch wheels, shod with 245/35 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tires in the front, and 295/30 sized tires in the back. They’re meaty enough and provided good grip even on a slightly chilly day of testing. 

Lights and turn signals 

The LED headlamps and taillights all provided good illumination and looked sharp and worthy of the price tag. Auto on/off and auto-leveling headlights are standard, as are perimeter and approach lights. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Cameras and side mirrors 

You only get one camera with the Emira: a backup camera. We wish for a surround-view camera to help with parking. 

Front and rear windshield 

Visibility out the front is excellent. Out the rear, not so much. There are massive blind spots courtesy of the engine bay, so you’ll need to be careful backing up. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Safety 

Safety features and technology aren’t huge selling points here, but at least you have some airbags and powerful brakes to bring you to a stop. The Emira has not been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

Awards and ratings 

The Emira was voted the New Car Of The Year by Automotive Management Online. “Clearly the Emira is being seen as a fantastic start of a new chapter for Lotus and its dealers. It is the most accomplished Lotus road car yet, balancing a high level of driver engagement with the practicality of an everyday sportscar, and our audience – including dealers with rival brands - is now certainly very excited about the Lotus brand’s future. Emira will certainly attract new customers to Lotus and this will give the carmaker great foundations for growth,” said Tim Rose, editor of AM Online. 

Photo by Lotus Cars

Final impression 

The Lotus Emira is a wonderful blend of past and present. It takes the best qualities of what Lotus has been, sands them down and improves upon them without diminishing any of the brand’s signature quirks and idiosyncrasies. It blurs the line between a sports car and an exotic car, especially with its cab-forward design, swollen fenders and low cowl. 

It isn’t perfect, however. The manual transmission and brakes take some getting used to and can feel surprisingly clunky at times. However, once overcoming the learning curve, the Emira offers thrills in ways no other car can — especially at this price. This princess is not only beautiful, she’s capable and powerful. In other words, don’t get hung up on her quirks — she’s worth getting to know, especially in her supercharged V6 manual transmission form.

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FAQs 

Who should buy the Emira? 

The Emira is perfect for several buyers. First, the buyer who wants something different than the usual sports car suspects. Second, it’s perfect for someone who wants exotic car looks without an exotic car price tag. Lastly, it’s for Lotus fans who want the best car the brand has ever produced before they move to only producing electric cars. 

What cars does it compete with? 

The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, the Chevrolet Corvette and the Toyota Supra. To a lesser extent the Mazda Miata, Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86. 

KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.

About the author: Having owned everything from a DeLorean to an E46 BMW M3 and a Toyota Land Cruiser, Jason Bell is a lifelong car enthusiast who loves sharing his passions as a teacher, automotive journalist, and social media manager. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press where he serves on the Board of Directors. Contact him at jasonbellcars@gmail.com. 

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