For the kind of person who makes an effort to rise before the sun to get an uninterrupted run on their favorite road, the V6-powered Lotus Emira flirts with perfection. As the sports car scene grows oversaturated with powerful giants masking as featherweights, the small Lotus reads like the product of a bygone era. A time when driver engagement, not boisterous performance stats, defined what a sports car should be.
This is nothing new. It’s this very philosophy that has defined Lotus from the start. However, today, what the British marque builds and, ultimately, its identity is changing.
I haven’t driven the Eletre SUV or the Emeya sedan because they’re not yet available for sale in the US, so I can’t get on a virtual soapbox and declare this pair of EVs to be the end of Lotus before promptly fainting and being whisked off-stage. Yet, given the disparity in powertrain choice, form factor, and sheer scale, you don’t need seat time to tell that these new cars take the brand in an entirely new direction. One that creates tension with its legacy.
It’s at this pivotal moment that the new Lotus Emira 2.0T begins to appear in showrooms across the country. In contrast to the EVs, which in the eyes of enthusiasts are nothing short of sacrilegious, this mid-engined four-cylinder sports car arrives like business as usual. It’s genuinely light, great to look at, and surprisingly practical.
While the idea of an auto-only Lotus would’ve brought out the pitchforks a decade ago, the threat of electrification has even the harshest critics trying an open mind for once. It’s a great thing, considering that the 2.0T isn’t just the new entry-level Emira. For all but diehard Lotus fans, it’s the one to get.
As devoted as the loyalists are, the past two decades of US sales show that catering purely to the crowd for whom Colin Chapman quotes are more sacred than bible verses isn’t a great way to sustain a car brand. And while the V6-powered Evora offered an automatic option to broaden its appeal, it was a torque-converter plucked from Toyota’s catalog, not exactly a formidable rival to the Porsche Cayman’s PDK. The V6 Emira follows a similar formula and butts up against the same limitations.
In contrast, the Lotus Emira 2.0T presents an opportunity to attract potential buyers with a car that oozes character but also feels purpose-built to move through gears independently. Lotus achieves this by pulling its hand out of Toyota’s parts bin and into Mercedes-AMG’s. After rummaging, it plucks the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four out of AMG’s 35 and 45 models and its dual-clutch automatic transmission, transplanting them into the Emira’s back.
The results are immediately promising. Despite incorporating a heavier transmission, the four-banger’s smaller footprint is lighter than the V6 combo. Thus, the entry-level Emira’s 3,187-pound curb weight clocks in at just under the V6 car’s 3,212 lb figure. Yet it still produces 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, surpassing the V6 car’s 400 hp and 310 lb-ft output.
As you first get moving in the Lotus Emira 2.0T, you quickly realize that it offers an almost opposite experience to the V6 car from a power delivery standpoint. Its peak torque output picks in at 3,000 rpm, lower in the tach than its sibling, making it feel far quicker when accelerating from lower revs. Its rapid-shifting DCT makes its modest torque figure feel generously underrated. It bursts off the line where its sibling needs time to build speed.
Simultaneously, its power delivery holds fairly steady as it charges towards its 7,200-rpm redline, dropping off only as you near the top. That’s a full 400 rpm beyond what the V6 can manage. Contrary to what one might expect, if you want the highest-revving version of this sports car, you’ll need to opt for the Lotus Emira 2.0T.
As potent as this inline-four is, its sound is fairly conventional. Although some turbo noises add to the experience, you still get a fairly muffled note, helped only by the subtlest hint of buzziness. That said, the 3.5-liter V6 isn’t particularly sonorous either. Regardless of your choice, you’re ultimately in it for the performance, lightness, and responsiveness, not sound. This is one area where the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 has the athletic Lotus beat.
However, regardless of which engine powers it, one of the Lotus’ greatest strengths is that it isn’t a Porsche. As good as the Cayman is, it’s become fairly ubiquitous, and the Emira offers a compelling counterargument for those who want something different. There’s a strong case to be made that the Lotus is the better looker of the two. It retains supercar proportions and simple yet elegant styling offered in a downsized package. There’s a hint of “Honey, I Shrunk the Ferrari” to this car, and its looks allow it to appeal to a broader audience than the firmly enthusiast-oriented Elise and Evora.
Its design draws people in, but its usability entices them to stay. If I told you that the Lotus Emira 2.0T isn’t just quick but light on its feet, agile on a back road, and delivers near-perfect handling, you’d say, “Duh, it’s a Lotus.” What you might not expect, however, is how this change in powertrain broadens its potential use case. The V6 Emira equipped with a manual is by no means challenging to drive. Still, it isn’t a compelling one-car solution for those in traffic-heavy areas. The 2.0T is.
AMG’s DCT isn’t just fast on a winding road. It settles nicely around town. When you’re just looking to get somewhere, you can slot it into drive and go about your day without thinking twice. The cabin is quiet at low revs, while the Emira’s interior build quality is leaps ahead of the Evora’s. This First Edition model I’m driving is beautifully damped, delivering a compliant ride over rough surfaces. There’s ample storage space spread across a decently sized trunk and a storage shelf behind its seats. This car is primed for weekend getaways or road rallies despite its size.
As are its seats. The pair is comfortable, and finding the proper seating position is easy, given that the wheel and pedals are aligned precisely as you’d want. This cabin’s excellent visibility makes it approachable for those looking to try out a mid-engined car for the first time.
There are some quirks, however. Operating its gear selector requires careful consideration, given it requires a double input as it defaults to a central position. Its shift paddles are tiny and feel flimsy for a touch point you’re constantly in contact with.
The Lotus Emira 2.0T is a great-looking mid-engined sports car that is still exciting despite sporting an automatic transmission. However, there’s still an elephant in the room, and that’s its price.
A 2024 Lotus Emira 2.0T like this one starts at $99,900, not including destination fees. A comparable 2024 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 starts at $95,200, not accounting fees, while the current 2025 model comes in at $99,700 following a recent price increase. Considering that the Porsche matches the Lotus from a usability perspective at a similar price point while offering a more compelling flat-six engine, the Emira has strong competition. Spend a little more, $113,795, to start, and you’re in Corvette Z06 territory.
Yet as the British carmaker navigates this strange era where it offers lightweight sportscars and full-size luxury EVs, Lotus Emira 2.0T feels more tied to its legacy than its future. However, unlike the Elise, Evora, or even the V6 manual Emira, its appeal extends beyond those willing to get up early for a perfect drive. Enjoying it doesn’t require ideal conditions. Its most significant achievement isn’t that it’s a thrilling sports car but an automatic Lotus you’d want to have over the manual. It’s finally capable of being a proper one-car solution.
