Lotus Emira gets new powertrain setup

Lotus announced that the Emira sports car is now offered with a new powertrain setup.

Prior, the Lotus Emira was only available with a supercharged 3.5-liter powerplant paired with either a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission. Now, the nameplate gets a new all-aluminum, turbocharged 2.0-liter unit mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The new setup can put out as much as 355 horsepower with a maximum torque of 430 Newton-meters. It gives the Lotus Emira a top speed of 290 kilometers per hour (kph) and a zero to 100kph time of 4.4 seconds.

“The Emira V6 has already proved incredibly successful, with many thousands of orders received from around the world. Now, with the four-cylinder Emira joining the range, we’re adding a new dimension to the car’s breadth of capability and appeal, offering new levels of efficiency and accessibility while continuing to offer all the performance and agility that our customers expect,” stated Lotus Group Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Mike Johnstone.

The 2.0-liter powerplant fitted on the Lotus Emira features a cylinder block produced using the advanced chill-casting process. Per the Hethel-headquartered carmaker, the engine block made using chill-casting creates a uniform, fine-grained structure that provides high strength and durability compared to conventional sand-casting methods used in high-volume applications.

Additionally, the engine block also has a closed-deck design for maximum stiffness, and instead of conventional cast iron liners, the cylinder bores use a patented low-friction coating to save weight.

Both the steel crankshaft and aluminum pistons are forged for the optimal balance of high strength and low weight.

The turbocharger has a twin-scroll design, meaning the turbine housing is split into two separate ducts, matched to corresponding ducts in the exhaust manifold. Lotus explained that the design minimizes exhaust gas pulsation interference, helping to improve the efficient exchange of gases in the cylinders.

Matching the quality of the engine is a Mercedes-AMG eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which is fitted exclusively to the Lotus Emira.

Compared to the six-speed manual and automatic transmissions offered on the Emira V6, the DCT offers even quicker gear changes with no torque interruption during shifting, enhancing efficiency and shift comfort.

Complementing the new transmission setup, the 2.0-liter engine-equipped Lotus Emira also has its suspension tuned and its drive modes refined.

“We’ve meticulously tuned the suspension settings for the 2.0-liter Emira to deliver the superb body control that’s a Lotus hallmark without the car ever feeling harsh. We’ve calibrated engine and transmission mapping, in tandem with the Drive Modes, to create a refined and relaxed character in Tour, and with incredible launch performance, superb driveability, even quicker throttle response, and kickdown in Sport and Track. We’ve also taken the opportunity to refine how the powertrain is linked to the traction and stability control systems to deliver the high-performance feel and connection that Lotus drivers expect,” Lotus Vehicle Attributes and Product Integrity Director Gavan Kershaw commented.

In the United Kingdom, the 2.0-liter engine-fitted Lotus Emira is priced at GBP £81,495 or approximately P5.802 million.

Photos from Lotus 

Also read: 

Lotus to only produce electric vehicles from 2023

Lotus reveals 75th-anniversary logo

Lotus unveils Eletre hyper SUV