ICE DANCING

MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE I WAS LAST AT HETHEL, but two constants remain. The first is the biting wind that always seems to slice across this former Second World War bomber base. The second is a rare feeling of anticipation. If you love sports cars, driving through the security gates at Hethel feels like coming home.

The Emira is a simultaneous first and last for Lotus: the first nose-to-tail product of the exciting and rejuvenating Geely era, but the last model to be powered by an internal combustion engine before the company morphs into an EV-only brand.

For an unashamed fan of the marque it’s a bitter-sweet moment. After years of anxiety over its perennially parlous position I feel euphoric at the thought of Lotus having a parent company with the vision – and money – to fulfil its potential. Yet I also feel a little melancholy. If only for the great new petrol powered cars we were denied during the wilderness years.

We’re here to drive an Emira V6. Not a fully