For decades, Lotus has been turning out sharp sports cars that focus on driver engagement above all. That single-minded approach hasn’t always made money, so the folks in Hethel have had to find ways to drive down costs, usually through cheap interiors and questionable build quality. As a result of that cost cutting, there’s always been a “but” with Lotus’ cars, but not with the 2023 Emira. Lotus’ last internal combustion model offers a level of driving enjoyment you’d expect from this brand without asking you to overlook obvious shortcomings. This is the car that Lotus has always wanted and needed to build.
Mechanically, the Emira shares a drivetrain with the Evora GT. That means it’s powered by the same mid-mounted Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 with a Roots-style supercharger courtesy of Edelbrock. This engine produces 400 hp (a 16-hp reduction from the Evora GT, because emissions) and 310 lb-ft of torque if you spec the six-speed manual transmission. The six-speed automatic with its traditional torque converter nets an additional 7 lb-ft.
The manual transmission – the one you should get – is a properly weighty and notchy gearbox with exposed linkage and a very substantial-feeling milled aluminum shift knob. This stick-shift isn’t as effortless to use as, say, the one in a Porsche Cayman, but I find it ultimately more rewarding. When you shift gears, you really feel like you’re moving metal.
While the gearbox is good, conversely, the clutch is not. Not only is the pedal fairly heavy, the bite point is near the floor and it’s grabby. It’s not quite as on-off as a racing clutch, but it feels needlessly aggressive for what is ultimately not that wild of a car.
Lotus will also offer the Emira with a Mercedes-AMG-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine and nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The plan is for this drivetrain to debut later this year with 360 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. The inability to spec this engine with a manual will be a bummer, but Mercedes’ DCT is at least a good one.
My test vehicle is the Emira First Edition which means that, in addition to the V6, it gets the Drivers Pack as standard equipment. This option bundles a limited-slip differential, a valved exhaust and a track mode for the electronic stability control system.
Being a Lotus, the chassis is where all the magic happens, and the Emira is no slouch here. The Emira is notable for featuring good old-fashioned hydraulically assisted power steering – a rarity in 2023. (Get thee behind me, EPAS!) The benefit to this is that the steering is beautifully weighted, and not overly heavy or light and flighty. Hydraulic systems like the Emira’s are also much better at telegraphing what’s going on at the front wheels through the steering wheel. When people talk about “communicative steering,” they’re talking about this. With a clear picture of how much grip your front tires have, you can drive the car harder.
The Emira is available with two suspension options: Sport and Touring. The differences between the two are somewhat significant, at least on paper. For example, the Touring spec gets Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, while the Sport can have either Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s or the Goodyears. The Sport version has a more aggressive alignment and different springs. Having only driven the Touring version, I can’t speculate on which you should get if you’re shopping for one of these, but I will say that, with the base setup, I never feel like I’m missing out on driving pleasure.
The Emira’s suspension design is a tried-and-true, fully independent, double-wishbone setup at all four corners. The Bilstein dampers aren’t electronically controlled, which is a Lotus hallmark; the company sets the suspension up right the first time and saves money on electronics. The results are hard to argue with, because I never find myself wanting firmer shocks while driving on canyon roads, and I’m not wishing for a softer setup around town.
The Emira’s brakes aren’t especially noteworthy at a glance, but in operation, they’re excellent. They’re from AP Racing and feature four-piston calipers both front and rear as well as cross-drilled, two-piece discs sized at 14.6-inches and 13.7-inches, respectively. The pedal is firm but easy to modulate, the initial bite is good and I’ve yet to experience any brake fade during spirited driving.
Overall, driving the Emira V6 feels like a two-way conversation. The more you push the car, the more communicative it becomes and the more alive it feels. It’s a hardcore sports car but lacks any of the sharp edges that might normally accompany that categorization. It’s a playful, friendly car that lacks vices. None of this should be surprising, given the badge on the hood, but what is surprising is just how nice the Emira is to drive around town.
A large part of that pleasantness comes from the really lovely interior. Unlike its predecessors, nothing in the Emira’s cabin feels like an afterthought or like it was picked as a way to cut costs. The cabin is uncluttered and clad in very nice materials. It feels well built, and the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screens go a long way to make this car feel modern. The 10.2-inch multimedia screen features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and if you aren’t mirroring your phone, Lotus offers a simple, easy-to-navigate interface.
However, if you’re looking for advanced driver aids like lane-keep assist or an automated highway driving assistant, you’re looking at the wrong car. In the First Edition, there are three drive modes, each with its own level of stability control intervention, as well as traction control and ABS. That’s it.
My essentially loaded Emira V6 First Edition retails for $108,290, including a $2,200 destination charge, thanks to a recent price hike owing to production delays and cost overages. That’s not cheap, but it’s in the ballpark of a comparably equipped Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0, and having recently spent some time with the GTS 4.0, I think, in terms of driving engagement and excitement, I’d have the Lotus.
That the Emira is good isn’t much of a surprise, but it feels great to no longer have to make excuses for loving a Lotus. It just works. And though this car marks the end of an era as the company’s last internal combustion-powered car, at least Lotus is going out on a very high note.
