It has been quite a long time since the British sports car manufacturer, Lotus brought out an all-new car. Several months ago, they released their last new model before they go hybrid and electric, the Emira, but they were keeping some crucial details close to the vest.

On September 20, 2021, Lotus gave us the final specs and pricing for the Emira in the European market, which was enough to let us make some educated guesses about what we can expect in the U.S. market.

First Edition trim and pricing

The Lotus Emira First Edition starts at £75,995 or about $104,000 based on current exchange rates, and that is fully loaded with every option box checked. Expect a starting price around $75,000-$80,000 here in the States as a Porsche 718 Cayman S, a key rival for the Emira, starts at $72,000. }

The first edition's exclusive features include six paint colors; Seneca Blue, Magma Red, Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey, and Nimbus Grey.

Also, interior colors include:

- Red

- Black

- Grey

- Tan Nappa leather

- Black Alcantara with either red, yellow, or grey stitching.

Additionally, heated and 12-way adjustable seats, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 340W sound system developed with KEF are all controlled through a 10.25-inch infotainment system. The interior also has a 12.3-inch instrument cluster.

Lotus said prices for the U.S. and China will be released closer to launch

Engine, transmission, performance, and driving

This Lotus does promise to be much different from its predecessors with electric windows and an infotainment system, all of which would have been considered frivolous by Lotus themselves not that long ago. But the badges still say Lotus, so we can expect it to be one of the closest things to pure driving nirvana on the market and far from the most practical or reliable thing in the world.

The Emira's power plant is the familiar supercharged 3.5 liter V-6 that produces 400 horsepower. This engine is paired to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed torque converter transmission.

It can also come with an AMG sourced 2-0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 360 horsepower but only offers an 8-speed automatic. All powertrains come with hydraulic power steering as well.

2022 Lotus Emira First Edition specifications

ngine configuration

3,456cc / V6

Engine model

Toyota 2GR-FE

Supercharger

Edelbrock 1740

Power

400hp / 298kW

Torque

420Nm (manual) / 430Nm (auto)

Max engine speed

6,800rpm

Gearbox

Six-speed manual / six-speed auto

CO2 emissions (WLTP combined)

243g/km*

0-60mph

4.3 seconds*

0-100km/h

4.3 seconds (manual) / 4.2 seconds (auto)*

Top speed

180mph / 290km/h*

Drag coefficient (Cd)

0.349*


Other trim levels

There is also the Driver's, Design, and Convenience packages. The driver's pack adds touring or sport suspension with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tires or Sport suspension with only Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

The design pack adds tinted windows, different pedals, branded floor mats, a black Alcantara headliner, and painted brake calipers. The confidence pack includes parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, and a cargo net.

The official configurator is also up and running on the Lotus website so you can play around with the options and paint colors to your heart's desire.

What this means for Lotus

The Emira is the last purely internal combustion car Lotus plans to make. Hopefully, this could give Lotus a ton of market share in America, as the primary reason the Elise and Exige did not sell well in the states is more than likely the lack of creature comforts. Something Americans have come to expect more and more of in new cars.

The addition of a decent stereo, heated seats, and a full-blown infotainment system are sure to make it tempting to anyone looking at the Porsche Cayman. The Emira could also be the closest thing Americans come to the Alpine A110, another critical rival for the Lotus across the pond.