Lotus Emira 420 Sport – missing the Porsche Cayman GT4? Try this instead
More power, less weight is the perfect recipe for Lotus’s hot new sports cars. We hope.
Lotus hasn’t taken any time to implement its Focus 2030 announced in the middle of May, confirming a new model to the Emira family: the £105,900 420 Sport, the lightest and most powerful Emira to leave Hethel since its 2020 launch. Featuring a modest engine upgrade and plenty of aerodynamic and chassis upgrades, this new Emira is aiming at the gap vacated by Porsche’s Cayman GT4 and soon to depart Alpine A110 R.
Based on the AMG-engined 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Emira Turbo SE, a revised map for the ECU coupled to improved cooling to the radiators (a 15 per cent increase in airflow to the out rads, 14 per cent to the central) and a 30 per cent improvement to the exhaust valve airflow sees power lifted by 20bhp to 420bhp, dropping the 0-60mph time by a tenth to 3.9-seconds. Top speed remains 181mph. Torque remains the same at 369lb ft.
> Lotus axes Emira EV for new 536bhp petrol engine
A lightweight handling pack includes two-way adjustable Multimatic dampers that support a 5mm ride highest drop, a titanium exhaust, a lithium-ion battery and carbon fibre liberally applied to most of the bodywork. There’s also a handful of aero dynamic updates including a new front splitter, extended side sills, rear lip spoiler and a louvered tailgate.
An optional carbon fibre pack is available inside and out and there’s a choice of nine wheel designs including a new 20-inch 15-spoke forged design. For the first time a removable glass roof panel is available across all Emira variants. In its lightest trim - that’s with the Lightweight Handling Pack - the 420 Sport weighs 1430kg, 25kg less than a Turbo SE.
Despite its track aspirations, 12-way adjustable seats are standard but new carbon fibre gearshift paddles are also standard.
'The Emira has been tuned to absorb, settle and communicate, working in harmony with a steering system that remains pure.' explained Gavan Kershaw, Director of Attributes at Lotus Cars. “With the 420 Sport we’ve taken that foundation and pushed it further. Adjustable dampers, increased downforce, sharper response, reduced roll - every detail has been obsessively engineered to put the driver more in control” he added.
The Emira originally launched in 2020 with the venerable Toyota 3.5-litre V6 as found in the last of the Exige models. It was later joined by the AMG sourced 2-litre four-cylinder from the A35 and A45 hot hatches. Looking further ahead Lotus has confirmed the next generation Emira model will feature a new hybrid powertrain, thought to be the new Horse Powertrain’s 3-litre V6 that revs to 8000rpm and produces more than 500bhp before an electric motor is bolted to it.
