LOTUS EMIRA TURBO SE

New name for four-cylinder model signifies V6-equalling power boost

- ILLYA VERPRAET

When a car offers both a four-cylinder and a six-cylinder engine, the four is the entry-level version and the six is the step up. That's the conventional thinking, at least - and this presented Lotus with a bit of an issue for the Emira.

As well as the tried-and-tested 400bhp supercharged Toyota V6, Hethel engineered its sports car to take the turbocharged 2.0-litre four from AMG's A45 S. Trouble is, in the Mercedes hot hatch that engine makes 416bhp, which would make the lesser Emira overshadow the flagship. Because of that, as well as reasons of cooling and emissions, the Emira I4 was pegged back to 360bhp, and all was well in the Kingdom of Lotus.

Of course, we know that all is not well in the Kingdom of Lotus, and a few years on from launch the Emira has been treated to some model-year updates, chief of which is the addition of a 400bhp version of the four-cylinder engine. The I4 has also been renamed the Turbo (360bhp) and Turbo SE (400bhp).

And yes, an equal output to the V6 but less weight and a faster gearbox (an eight-speed dual-clutch auto rather than the V6's manual or six-speed torque converter) makes the Turbo SE the fastest Emira. It takes 4.0sec to reach 62mph instead of the V6 manual's 4.3sec.