Lotus delivered our first look Tuesday at the brand's new sports car, which replaces three vehicles in the process: the Elise, Evora and Exige. This is the Emira, which is the feminine form of "commander" or "leader" in Arabic -- a name Lotus says this car will live up to in a big way.
The British brand didn't share too many details on the new car, though it did confirm this will not be a hybrid vehicle, as had been rumored. Instead, the Emira will debut at least one new powertrain partnership. Modern Lotus cars have long used Toyota engines on loan with some engineering tweaks, and typically some forced induction for good measure. It's possible we'll see Lotus plop Volvo engines in the Emira -- China's Geely owns both Volvo Cars and Lotus these days.
But the new sports car will be the last to feature an internal-combustion engine. As the brand seeks to become totally electric by 2028, the Emira will serve as the last new Lotus to take a sip of fossil fuels, according to the announcement. That's not to say the company will continue on with a slim lineup of cars. It's the opposite, actually, as Lotus prepares to introduce numerous new vehicles, and potentially an SUV.
From the single photo Lotus shared, the design looks refreshingly simplistic, at least from the front clip. The brand noted it takes inspiration from the Evija electric supercar, and I can see that, but this looks more tame. It's also hard to gauge the car's dimensions from the front, so it's not clear if the Emira will take on the same footprint as a tiny Elise, or something larger.
Nevertheless, it's good to see a new Lotus at any rate. The brand plans for a formal debut on July 6, so stay tuned.
