THE LOTUS EMIRA HAS A difficult job ahead of it. Fated to be the last Lotus powered by an internal combustion engine, it must live up to those expectations and sign off that volume of history in appropriate fashion before the book is slammed shut for good. But so too must it also be the bridge to Lotus’ future, until an all-new generation of pure electric Lotus sports cars can be brought on line some years from now.
Is it the brand new car it is claimed to be? Not quite. It is derived from theboth four-and six-cylinder Emira coming on stream thereafter. Prices start at £59,995 for the four cylinder car and end at £75,995 for the First Edition V6 tested here. The waiting list is already two years long, so those wanting a V6 should probably hurry: there’s new emissions legislation due, perhaps as early as 2025, which it won’t be capable of passing.
