Meet Emira, the new 400hp sportscar from Lotus

British carmaker Lotus has revealed its latest sportscar, the mid-engined Emira. Developed on Lotus’ recently announced Sports Car Architecture with a lightweight bonded aluminium chassis, the new model takes design inspiration from the Evija hypercar.

The Emira will be available with two petrol engine options, including a 2.0-litre turbocharged ‘i4’ sourced from the brand’s technical partner AMG, and a 3.5-litre supercharged Toyota V6 that already does service in the Exige and Evora.

Planned as a global model, the Emira will be available with manual, automatic and dual clutch transmission options, with power output said to be between 360 and 400 horsepower. The top spec model will do the 0-100kph sprint in less than 4.5 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 290kph.

At the rear, the Lotus wordmark dominates the integrated bumper, above a body coloured panel that’s clearly inspired by the rear of the Evija. At each end is an exit vent for air from the wheel arch. Each corner has a flat C-shaped LED light cluster linked by a slimline high-level brake light.

Below is a black section housing twin exhaust pipes either side of the number plate and with an air diffuser underneath to aid downforce.

The driver-oriented cockpit has a wraparound dashboard that blends into the door trim, a raised gear shifter and soft-trimmed surfaces. The start-stop button has a protective red cover.

Lotus says the two seats have been designed to combine exceptional lateral support for high-speed cornering with comfort for long distance journeys. There is four-way electric adjustment on the standard seat, with the option to upgrade to a premium sports seat with 12-way electric adjustment for both the driver and passenger.

Lotus retailers around the world are now taking deposits for the Emira. Delivery of the first customer cars will start from next spring and prices will start at less than £60,000 (Dh304,000).