The Weight of Progress

This isn't the ultra lightweight Lotus of old (to be fair, nor was the Evora GT). Leather, tech, and premium touches are all part of the mix now. We think it's a strong proposition to bring in new buyers while keeping just enough rawness to make the old guard raise an eyebrow.

ACCELERATION - NOT RECORD BREAKING, BUT A FULL-BODY EXPERIENCE

With two of us in the car, on wet roads, and with a gentle launch, we timed 5.5 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph). That’s about right given the conditions. But raw numbers miss the point. Lotus isn’t chasing straight-line records. It’s chasing feel. The supercharged V6 roars from behind your head, winding up with a mechanical edge that modern turbo engines have forgotten. It builds linearly, almost like an NA engine, but with supercharger wine peppered in. When you finally reach the top, you slam it into the next gear and start the journey again.Even in a straight line, the Emira is an experience. And that’s before you even think about turning.

The hydraulic steering setup genuinely makes it feel alive and chatty. Not with fake weight or artificial resistance, but with road texture and real feedback.

DRIVING DYNAMICS – IT'S STILL A LOTUS (AND THAT'S A GOOD THING)

Get the Emira into a corner and some of the old Lotus magic happens. The hydraulic steering setup genuinely makes it feel alive and chatty. Not with fake weight or artificial resistance, but with road texture and real feedback. The chassis feels planted, balanced, and reactive. It’s less “knife-edge” than the old Elise or Exige, so you can't go in expecting that. And that's likely because...

INTERIOR & TECH – THE BIGGEST EVOLUTION IS HERE

Gone are the bath tub bare panels. In their place is premium leather, touchscreen with wireless carplay, upgraded speakers, decent switchgear, digital clusters... you get the idea. The Emira’s cabin finally feels like a place you’d want to spend time in even if you're not doing hot laps.It’s not Porsche-level refinement, but it’s a major step forward for Lotus, and likely the place where some of this weight is being retained or gained.

STYLING & DESIGN – SUPERCAR STYLING WITHOUT THE PRICE TAG

From almost every angle, the Emira looks like it costs twice as much as it does. The proportions are just right. Rounded shoulders, tucked waist, and huge hips. That front three-quarter angle is the money shot. It's truly timeless. This car was turning heads everywhere we drove. There's no other way to say it. Lotus absolutely nailed the styling here.

FINAL THOUGHTS – A LOTUS FOR 2025 AND BEYOND

If you're looking for driver engagement, you'll find it here. Just don't expect it to feel like a go kart. This is a slight evolution into the new Lotus brand under Geely. It still keeps the core of what makes driving fun: feedback, connection, involvement. But it also opens the door to people who previously couldn’t justify daily-driving a plastic tub with no sound insulation.

In a world of silent EVs and one-pedal driving, the Emira is gloriously analog. It’s loud. It’s still slightly flawed. But it’s brilliant.