The four-cylinder Lotus Emira makes its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, where it showcases its Mercedes-AMG-sourced four-pot. It is scheduled to go on sale around Europe later this year and the automaker now confirms it will arrive at its US showrooms as a First Edition model in the first quarter of next year. There’s already an online configurator for the Emira 2.0 in the United States and it reveals the model’s starting price is $99,900 before destination and handling fees.
The configurator also confirms the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine will have an identical output on both sides of the big pond. As a reminder, Lotus rates the mill at 360 horsepower (265 kilowatts) and 317 pound-feet (430 Newton-meters) of torque. The unit that’s developed by Mercedes-AMG but “tuned in-house by the hugely experience Hethel engineers” is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, sending power to the rear wheels exclusively. Acting as a replacement for the Elise, Exige, and Evora, the Emira with the four-cylinder engine accelerates to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 180 mph (290 kph).
Gallery: Lotus Emira (US-spec)
The model’s US online configurator (click the source link below) also shows two chassis options. These include the standard Touring chassis, which is tuned for everyday road use with the optimum balance of performance handling and a more comfortable ride. If you plan to use the car on track more often, the Sports chassis provides a slightly stiffer setup for improved handling and performance. There are also 3 wheel designs, 13 exterior colors, and 7 upholstery options. Further customization options are probably going to be added with the model’s US market launch.
As an alternative to the four-cylinder model, there’s also the Emira V6 with a 3.5-liter Toyota-sourced six-cylinder unit. It produces 400 hp (294 kW) and is offered with either a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic. In the three-pedal configuration, the sports car sprints to 60 mph (97 kph) in 4.2 seconds, while the automatic limits that time to 4.6 seconds. The starting price for the Emira V6 in the United States is $105,400 before the destination charge.
