Lotus teases the all-new Emira sports car ahead of debut

KUALA LUMPUR: While several established automakers have begun to phase out their entire ICE-powered models, the British carmaker Lotus is moving ahead with its swansong for ICEs, called Emira. Back in April, the company released a few teaser images of the new high-performance and lightweight sports car showcasing its front fascia and differently stacked headlights. And now, it releases some interior shots through a short, sharp video clip.

The video gives us a clear look at the Emira’s steering wheel and the digital dash, the former has an unusual hexagonal shape wrapped in Alcantara. It features a yellow 12 o’clock band, two four-way controllers, a volume rocker, a voice control switch, and one more button that seems to be a control for the adaptive cruise. In the centre of the wheel, we can also see the brand’s logo.

The Emira’s instrument cluster shows different screens, including a G-meter front and centre, Tour and Sport drive settings, and lane keep assist. All these suggest the Lotus Emira will come packed with advanced semi-autonomous driving assistance features.

The company’s managing director, Matt Windle explains the Emira as the “most accomplished Lotus for generations – the perfectly packaged, powered, and formed sports car. Beautifully proportioned, shrink-wrapped, but with comfort, technology, and ergonomics built in.”

Lotus is likely to offer its last petrol-powered sports car with a range of engines. The list may include a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit coupled with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Another mill on offer could be an enhanced version of the supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota V6 with manual or automatic transmission.

Besides revealing the new teaser, Lotus also announced that the upcoming sports car is set to enter the pre-production phase along with the all-electric Evija hypercar at Hethel. This comes after the company received an investment of more than £100 million (approximately equal to RM 583 million).

Bridging the gap between the Lotus outgoing cars (Elise, Exige, and Evora) and the forthcoming all-electric Evija, the Emira is set to make its world premiere on July 6 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Also read: Lotus Evija electric hypercar: All you need to know