2023 LOTUS Emira

The Emira V6 First Edition with the six-speed manual gearbox is the purist's configuration in Lotus's current lineup. Where the AMG-sourced four-cylinder variants lean into turbocharged immediacy, the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 — a direct descendant of the unit that powered the Evora — delivers its 400 bhp with a more progressive, linear character that suits the manual 'box well. This pairing was only offered during the First Edition launch window, making it the more distinctive and arguably more analogue of the two powertrains available.

At 25,500 miles on a 2023 car, this has been used properly rather than hoarded, which is as it should be. First Edition specification represented the fully-loaded launch grade, bringing the complete interior and exterior package before the range was rationalised into standard production trim. The mid-engined, rear-drive layout is carried over from Lotus's long lineage of lightweight sports cars, though the Emira is substantially more refined and usable than its predecessors — a deliberate broadening of appeal.

The Emira is notable as the last Lotus built on a combustion-only platform, with the brand now committed to electrification. The First Edition V6 manual is, in that context, a definitive endpoint — the clearest expression of what Hethel's engineering philosophy produced over half a century of lightweight sports cars.