Lotus revises Emira lineup (again) with new V6 SE

Having seemingly held back new Emira derivatives for yonks, Lotus is now all guns blazing when it comes to making the most of its last purely combustion car. In just the past few months it has announced the Turbo SE and Jim Clark special edition; now the V6 flagship gets the SE treatment, and the four-cylinder gains a regular Turbo model. 

The new versions arrive as part of a wider refresh for the Emira. Changes for the mid-engined sports car include revisions to the cooling system, said to improve efficiency and reduce overall weight, plus advanced driver assistance systems are now standard fit. More exciting is the fact that the eight-speed DCT in the 2.0-litre car, always a source of some frustration, has apparently been reworked for ‘faster shift times, improved shift quality and smoother interaction between transmission and driver.’ That’s encouraging, especially with the 400hp potential of the Turbo SE; it always felt like there was a great four-cylinder sports car in the 2.0-litre, so let’s hope this update is the realisation of that. 

The new Turbo model boasts the spec of the original i4, with 360hp and 171mph potential. It can be identified with specific badges, yellow-black Lotus emblems and satin silver details, with options like a Lower Black Pack as well as new colours – Eos Green and Purple Haze are seen here –  to further the visual drama. It costs from £79,500.

Arguably of more interest, however, is the new V6 SE; while no more powerful than all the other 3.5-litre Emiras, rated at 400hp, it does have additional damper and alignment tweaks over previous versions for ‘sharper handling and increased ride comfort’. The choice of a Tour and Sports chassis remains. A new compression mount for the manual promises greater precision to the shift, so this really ought to be the best Emira V6 yet – a tantalising prospect. 

Certainly it’ll be the most expensive series production one, the V6 SE coming in at £96,500. And that’s before the new Racing Line option, offered only on the SE versions; it adds a pinstripe and colour codes the mirrors to the paint chosen for the calipers, then replicates it inside with contrast stitching. To ensure things aren’t too colourful, the Racing Line wheels are black. 

The updated Emira lineup, complete with the new models, colours, wheels and options, is available to order now, arriving in showrooms this September. And if that’s too long to wait, you know where to look for those already registered – sadly none on PH are purple…