First Emira test drive
See what Carfection, Top Gear & Car and Driver thought after they drove the latest Lotus Emira sports prototype on the track and road before it’s release in 2022
"...its a Lotus, 100% ...fundamentally the Emira is going to be bloody brilliant...
...if there were any doubts about this being a property Lotus, you can forget them now..."
"...steering, brake pedal, gearstick – are all brimming with Lotus’s DNA.
There’s very few car companies these days that you could jump in any of their models, blindfolded, and know who screwed it together.
Lotus is one of them, and the Emira carries the torch.
"The Emira is very much a Lotus, but a different one.
The driving experience remains exemplary, something common to pretty much all its predecessors.
But it also looks set to deliver the usability that the company's earlier cars rarely gave much concern to."
"Spoiler alert: it's brilliant...
...there's no great surprise that the Emira handles so well...
This is still a Lotus, just an exceptionally handsome and well-finished one...."
"Spoiler alert: it's brilliant...
...there's no great surprise that the Emira handles so well...
This is still a Lotus, just an exceptionally handsome and well-finished one...."
Lotus Emira for sale in 2022
We are pretty excited to see the first opinions from some of the world’s leading journalists after driving an Emira prototype in the UK.
While there are still quite a few elements to be finessed the early indications are really positive. All the reviewers impressions left no doubt the Emira will drive and feel like a true Lotus. We mention this because quite a few people assumed this sports car was going to be full of luxury and the driving experience would be forgotten about.
Far from it.
The Emira retains a lot of DNA & no matter how many press releases you read or branded materials you might come across, hearing or reading it from people who have now driven the car first hand should inspire confidence.
The Emira has all the key elements we love about the brand – the bonded aluminium chassis with larger footprint than Exige or Elise, the hydraulic steering for precise fingertip responses, passive dampers and all the everyday interior features everyone expects in a new vehicle.
For those who are keen learn more about the driving experience, make sure you watch Gavan’s video as he hustles an Emira around Hethel and talks about the development journey.
