Lotus Emira rolls out on AMG and Toyota power

Lotus Cars has unveiled the Emira, a sports car destined to succeed the 13-year-old Evora model, as well as the Exige and the Elise. It is officially the company’s last ICE car: all new models will be either hybrids or fully electric.

At 4,412 mm (14.48 feet) long, 1,895 mm (6.22 ft.) wide and 1,225 mm (4.02 ft.) tall, the Emira is larger than the models it replaces. The wheelbase is the same as the Evora’s at 2,575 mm (8.45 ft.). The foundations are provided by a lightweight aluminum platform called the Sports Car Architecture, but at 1,405 kilograms (3,100 lbs) before options, the newcomer is not exactly featherweight.

The engine is mounted within the wheelbase, just behind the seats. Customers can choose between two gasoline options: Mercedes-AMG M139 turbo-four rated at around 360 PS (355 hp / 265 kW) and a 3.5-liter Toyota V6 supercharged to deliver 400 PS (394 hp / 294 kW) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque. The former works in tandem with an eight-speed DCT and the latter with either manual or Aisin auto transmission.

The Toyota engine enables the car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds and max out at 290 km/h (180 mph). Nothing is being reported about the AMG four-pot.

The feature list mentions cruise control, Nappa leather, rain sensor, 12-way power adjustments for the seats, a 12.3-inch digital dashboard, a 10.25-inch touchscreen display, and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay support.

Prices in Europe will begin at approximately €72,000 when the sales start next summer.