2025 Lotus Emira I4 First Edition First Drive Review: Lotus And AMG Are Like Oil And Water

The Lotus Emira is the highly anticipated successor to the Evora, a rather hardcore mid-engine mini supercar powered by a naturally aspirated or supercharged version of the most reliable Toyota V6 ever made. It competed directly with the Porsche Cayman, Alfa Romeo 4C, and the Alpine A110, all of which shared the same mid-engine layout. Every iteration of the Evora, from the original 2009 model to the 2020 GT, had one mission statement: To engage the driver as much as possible.

But as a result, the rest of the package suffered. The infotainment was garbage, and the materials used to adorn the interior were only marginally better made than a napkin in a dodgy strip club that serves chicken strips. This made the Evora extremely dfficult to live with on a daily basis. But if you’re the kind of automotive enthusiast who actually makes time to go to track days, nothing else did the job quite as well.

Lotus’ uncompromising approach made the Evora a sublime driving tool, but it suffered in the real world. Getting your phone to connect to the aftermarket sound system was impossible, so the only aural pleasure was Toyota’s V6 – perfect if you’re in the mood, but less than ideal if you just want some peace and quiet on a leisurely drive home. Because of the Evora’s flaws, most people simply purchased a Porsche 718 Cayman, which is, let’s be honest, the default car in this segment. It’s the Golf GTI of the sports car segment because it does everything well. It’s all things to all people, while the Evora was a hardcore alternative to wannabe racers who wore douchey photochromatic sunglasses.

If Lotus wanted to make more money, it would need to add a decent helping of sensibility to the Evora successor, which brings us neatly to the doorstep of the Emira I4 and its automatic gearbox – and we had the pleasure of driving it recently at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

What Is The Emira I4?

The Emira I4 is a cheaper, less powerful alternative to the halo model in the range. The latter is still powered by a supercharged Toyota V6 that produces 400 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Lotus chose to make a six-speed manual standard for the V6 model, but a six-speed automatic is also available.

The Emira I4 is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, not sourced from Lotus’ traditional engine partner. The Geely mothership that owns Lotus also owns a piece of Mercedes-Benz, so a deal was struck to use the same engine as used in the “35” and “45” badged AMG models. In the Emira, it produces 360 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. That means it’s only 40 hp down on the V6 but boasts more torque than its bigger brother, which only produces 310-lb-ft when mated to a six-speed manual.

When Lotus first announced that it would be using four-cylinder AMG power, we were quite excited. The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is quite spirited in a straight line, and fewer cylinders would inevitably lead to a reduction in weight. What a way to stick with the Lotus philosophy of simplifying and adding lightness, especially now that the company is building the kinds of cars its founder would have hated. Colin Chapman is spinning so fast in his grave that you could use his remains to power a small town.

Despite the smaller engine, the weight saving is not as drastic as you might think. The V6 weighs around 30 pounds more, which the average person isn’t going to notice in a 3,188-pound car. The Emira I4 isn’t a fatty, but it’s also not as lightweight as a Lotus should be. The Porsche 718 Cayman GTS (the one with the 4.0-liter NA flat-six) weighs 3,166 lbs.

That being said, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Emira is not the Evora. Lotus knew that it needed to make the Emira more user-friendly, so we can forgive those few extra pounds if it means one can drive it for extended periods without wanting to get out and drive over yourself to end the misery.

Exterior: It Looks Like A Mini Evija

The Emira is a sports car, but its design was obviously inspired by the all-electric Evija hypercar. The shared DNA is clear from the front and rear. Although the Emira doesn’t have the same aerodynamic tunnels, the vents have been styled to give the same sort of appearance. At the front, it has the same hood slats and similar headlights. The lower bumper also isn’t as aggressive, but we are talking about 360 horses compared to an EV with nearly 2,000 ponies.

Our test car was painted Hethel Yellow, which also helped it look like a mini Ferrari. In fact, many folks in the British countryside mistook it for either a McLaren or a Ferrari. This was most likely because Lotus had a hard time getting the Emira out, and even the English weren’t all that familiar with the new car yet.

Oddly, only one wheel style is available, but you can get the Ultra-Lightweight V-spoke Forged alloys in Silver, Diamond Cut, or Gloss Black. Our tester boasted the latter, which worked well with the optional Black Pack, which adds black-painted roof panels, badges, and side mirror caps. It’s safe to say that it’s a stunning design, but there are annoying downsides you should know about.

First, there isn’t a frunk. The impressive front suspension takes up all the space where your luggage should have gone, but you do get a half-trunk at the rear. We call it that because it’s only big enough for one carry-on and one backpack. Rather annoyingly, it’s also a mini oven. The engine is located right next to this space, and the heat from it is dissipated around the sides. Let’s just say that we purchased a big bag of Cadbury’s Buttons and ended up with a massive chocolate button after a 40-mile drive.

To be fair, there is enough storage for another carry-on and backpack behind the seats, but this storage also has a problem. You pull a lever on the side of the seat upward, and it folds down, but there’s still not enough space to pull the bag out. So you have to move the power-adjustable seat forward, which takes ages, especially if you’re standing in the rain.

The rain also highlighted another problem. If the car is wet, and you open the trunk, most of that water spills down the sides like intended, but a large portion also splashes into the trunk. It’s not a massive issue if you’re a poor automotive writer with cheap luggage, but this is a $100k car, and wealthy customers with tailor-made Louis Vuitton bags might not find it as funny.

Powertrain: At Odds With The Rest Of The Package

A lightweight Lotus with a turbocharged four-pot AMG engine sounds like the perfect combination, but in reality, it’s an odd mix. We may have grown too accustomed to the raw sound of Toyota’s four-pot engines that used to power lesser Lotus models. The AMG gives you nice turbocharger noises, but the drone from the engine itself isn’t a patch on the V6 model. Thankfully, the power is more than enough to provide decent performance. The I4 gets you to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 180 mph. With those figures in mind, we can forgive the AMG engine’s lack of charm.

What we can’t forgive is the dimwitted gearbox. The first issue is the time it takes for the gearbox to switch between neutral, reverse, and drive. It takes a good second, which is annoying in a world where most cars do it within a nanosecond.

Secondly, the paddles have an odd habit of either responding gloriously fast or hesitating. You never quite know what you’re going to get. The paddles behind the wheel are metal and feel great, but there’s no satisfying click that lets your fingers know that a gear is on its way. The actual gear lever (borrowed from a Volvo) is another fail.

We’ve made the argument before that some sports cars are better with an automatic gearbox. The Porsche 911 GT3 is a prime example, though it’s sadly no longer available. In that car, it allows you to concentrate on everything else that’s happening around you. But the Emira is not on the same level, and the performance isn’t especially intimidating. It also doesn’t help that the I4 is only $5,500 less than the V6. That’s not a giant leap, especially as the lesser model already retails for $100,000.

Ride And Handling: Death To All EPAS Systems

You can order the Emira with either a Touring or Sport chassis. Our car was equipped with the former, but in the USA, you can opt for the firmer suspension without worrying about breaking your back every time you run over a pebble. The ride is firm but not overly so. It feels exactly like a sports car should, and Lotus even tuned in a bit of lean so you know when you’re approaching the limit. Thanks to adaptive suspension, it has become easier for automakers to produce cars that corner flat. We like a bit of lean, mostly thanks to the Mazda Miata. It’s a very old-school approach to handling, and we applaud Lotus for it.

Another old-school feature is hydraulic steering, which is exceedingly rare these days. McLaren uses the same electrohydraulic steering system in the Artura. Oh, how lovely it feels in one’s hands! The communication is sublime, and the feedback from the pointy front end is even better. So, this is what Gen-X is talking about when they say they miss hydraulic steering?

It’s not just the steering, however. The entire car feels neutral, and the driver’s seat is perfectly located. You feel the entire car rotating around you, and the Emira has multiple tricks to inspire confidence. The most important is the e-diff and a stability control system coded by an actual gearhead. You can lean on the car hard, and it will do nothing more than shuffle its rear a bit before hurling itself in the direction you were intending to go.

The final part of the recipe is the brakes, and they are brilliant. The brake pedal doesn’t move down like it’s set in mashed potatoes. It’s a firm pedal with a lot of feel, and the braking power is impressive. You can haul ass down a British B-road without worrying about a blind corner. You can brake late and hard without upsetting the car, make sure nothing is coming the other way, and continue your journey.

Interior: Better Than Any Old Lotus

In a bid to make the Emira more of a Cayman rival, Lotus made the interior more luxurious. You now get a touchscreen interface, a digital instrument cluster, and high-end materials on the dashboard. So far, so good. We like the instrument cluster that changes depending on whether you’re in Touring, Sport, or Track mode. Each display gives you all the relevant information you need. In the sportier modes, you get tire pressure, oil and water temperature, and the tachometer in the middle, as it should be.

Less good is the laggy touchscreen interface – it feels about five years behind in its response. The wireless Apple CarPlay has a tendency to hang. We struggled a few times with the connection between the phone and the touchscreen while using Waze, which is a problem.

Lotus would certainly benefit from Google built-in, and it’s odd that it doesn’t have it yet. Volvo, which is also owned by Geely, has it in some of its cars, so why not use it in this particular Lotus? Another huge disappointment is the plastic cover over the starter button. It looks cool, and you expect it to be made of metal, but it’s a flimsy piece of plastic, and it doesn’t feel like it will last long. It’s a massive oversight, as you have to interact with it every single time you get in the car. If I just paid $100k for a car, I’d be fuming.

It’s these kinds of flaws that mean there’s still a gap between the Emira and the Cayman. The Lotus feels like a good product that just needs a good polish. All the issues we’ve highlighted are things that can be fixed with a facelift, but this is Lotus’ final gas-powered car. After the Emira, all Lotus’ will be electric.

Price And Conclusion: Has Lotus Done Enough?

The turbocharged four-cylinder Lotus has a big problem. It costs $100k, which is the same as Porsche charges for a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. With Porsche’s magnificent PDK gearbox, the naturally aspirated four-cylinder produces 394 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. And as we mentioned before, the 718 is the default in this segment, and the GTS is the best model in the standard range.

The Cayman S is a closer rival, offering 350 hp. The biggest difference between the S and the GTS is the engine. With the 718 S, you get a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine. It has more character than the AMG engine in the Lotus and is 0.2 seconds faster to 60 mph with the PDK gearbox. If only the Porsche’s positive attributes stopped there, but there’s more. The 718 has a larger trunk and a small frunk. The interior quality is exceptional, and let’s not forget that Porsche’s mid-engine sports car is in many ways as good or better than the best sports car of them all, the 911. You really have to be a proper Lotus fan to say no to the 718 Cayman and yes to the Emira.