MacKenzie

“THE EMIRA IS HUGELY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT’S BEEN DESIGNED TO BE A DAILY DRIVER. IT’S ALSO THE LAST LOTUS TO BE BUILT WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE”

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ANOTHER DECADE, ANOTHER new Lotus. But the new midengine Emira is a lot different from the cars that have trickled out from the tiny British sports car specialist over the past 20 years. For a start, it’s the first Lotus since 1989’s front-drive M100 Elan that is aimed at customers who believe that driving a good sports car shouldn’t be an act of automotive masochism.

Let’s be clear; I loved the Elise, the ultra-light mid-engine Lotus roadster that made its debut in 1996. Balanced and responsive, with a brilliant ride and delicate controls, the Elise was pure joy to drive. But only for short bursts, on a special road or a racetrack. Everywhere else, the spartan little Lotus, its canvas roof more difficult to erect than a Korean-war army tent, was a chore.