This mid-engined Lotus sports car was unveiled in July 2021 as part of the brand’s major product and business transformation, and it reached customers as a 2022 model-year vehicle. Lotus positioned it as the final petrol-powered sports car in its lineup and as a successor-era machine to the Elise, Exige, and Evora, carrying forward the company’s traditional focus on lightweight construction and sharp handling while adding more everyday usability and refinement. The nameplate was introduced as an all-new model rather than a revival, and it marked a significant reset for Lotus’s road-car range.
The car was developed on a new bonded aluminum chassis and launched with a strong emphasis on road usability, comfort, and technology alongside the dynamic character expected of the brand. Early versions were offered in First Edition form, and Lotus highlighted both a V6-powered version and a turbocharged four-cylinder option as part of the model’s initial rollout. The Emira quickly became an important symbolic model for Lotus because it bridged the company’s classic internal-combustion sports-car era and its later shift toward electrification.
In Lotus history, the Emira is notable not just as a new model, but as the last of the company’s traditional sports cars to arrive before the brand’s broader move into electric and lifestyle vehicle categories. It has remained an enthusiast-focused halo car for buyers who want a contemporary Lotus with a more polished and practical character than some of the company’s earlier lightweight models.