We’re getting another glimpse of the Lotus Emira ahead of its full reveal next month. This time, we’re treated to the steering wheel and digital instrument display of Hethel’s new sports car, which will replace the soon-to-be-discontinued Elise, Exige and Evora.
The video shows that Lotus has come a long way from the barebones interiors of the Emira’s forebears. The multi-function steering wheel is bang up to date, with a flat top (and presumably bottom) section, a yellow 12 o’clock marker and several buttons that include two four-way controllers, a volume rocker, a voice control switch and even what appear to be distance controls for an adaptive cruise control system.
Impressive stuff, and that’s before we get to the gauge cluster, which has a very sci-fi look. The hexagonal theme on this example has a bar-style rev counter at the top and large digital speed and gear position (this one’s an automatic) readouts. We think this is just one of a number of themes that will be offered, with analogue gauges likely available to please Lotus’ purist clientele.
This teaser comes as the Emira enters the pre-production phase, with investments in the company’s facilities in the United Kingdom now exceeding the £100 million (RM584 million) mark. This includes the construction of two new production halls in the revitalised Hethel plant – one for the Emira, the other earmarked for the insane 2,000 PS Evija electric hypercar due to enter production at the end of the year.
The Emira will be Lotus’ last pure petrol-powered sports car, built on a new extruded aluminium structure and motivated by a “highly efficient” and “cutting edge” engine from a new partner. We’re expecting the 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder from Volvo, another Geely subsidiary, with the Toyota-sourced 2GR-FE 3.5 litre supercharged V6 from the Exige and Evora also reportedly on the cards, per Autocar.
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