2022 Lotus Emira: British brand’s final petrol-powered sports car revealed

British sports car specialist Lotus has unveiled the long-awaited successor to its outgoing Elise, Exige and Evora models: the 2022 Lotus Emira.

It's Lotus' last vehicle fitted with a combustion engine, with all new models to follow set to use electric propulsion only.

Drive comes from the existing Toyota-derived 3.5-litre supercharged V6 previously fitted to the Exige and Evora, or the option of a smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder borrowed from the Mercedes-AMG A45, CLA45 and GLA45.

The former will be offered with a manual or traditional torque-converter automatic, while the latter will be exclusively paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Exact engine specifications are not yet known, however outputs between 269kW and 298kW are promised. A sub-4.5 second 0-100km/h sprint time is claimed, on the way to a top speed in excess of 290km/h.

Underpinned by a new aluminium ‘Elemental' platform, the Emira tips the scales at a not-insignificant 1405kg when fitted the smaller engine. This makes it one of the heaviest production cars the Hethel-based brand has ever built.

Slim-spoked 20-inch alloy wheels reside at each corner of the car, fitted with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres as standard. An optional 'Lotus Drivers Pack' adds stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, launch control, and sports suspension.

The all-new car draws strong styling cues from Lotus's flagship all-electric Evija hypercar, with a tapering nose, wide air intakes behind the doors, and triangular vents below the tail-lights.

Inside the Alcantara-cladded cabin, sport bucket seats sit on either side of a floating centre console.

Rear '2+2' seats – as seen in the Evora – were omitted in favour of increased storage, with 208 litres of space now on offer behind the passengers.

Infotainment comes via a 10.25-inch touchscreen compatible with with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits behind the steering wheel.

Active safety – including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, driver fatigue detection, and a speed limiter – are available for the first time in a Lotus, though not all features are fitted as standard.

European deliveries of the 2022 Lotus Emira are promised between March and May this year. Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed, however in the UK an entry-level figure of approximately £60,000 (AU$110,000) is expected.