Thanks to backing under Geely ownership, the future of Lotus is both secure and bright — but there’s a sea change on the horizon. The new Emira is officially the final gas-powered sports car from the boutique British brand, so if you’ve ever (and we mean that) wanted a new Lotus of your own, the time to buy is now. But is this thoroughly modernized Emira considered one of the greatest send-offs in motoring history? That’s exactly what West Coast Bureau Chief Conner Golden set out to discover on a desert road trip.

Immediately, the Emira impressed with apparent tight quality control, solid materials and an infotainment system that appeared sourced from a genuine automaker, not Autozone. That’s to say nothing of the fantastic powertrain: The Emira’s familiar Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 screams out 400 horsepower and 317 pounds-feet of torque, sent through your choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. As Golden discovered during his drive, the transmission is the easiest choice you’ll make when ordering your new sports car.

The most difficult will be picking the right suspension. At launch, the Emira is offered in either Touring or Sport configurations, with the latter oriented toward owners who plan to drive on the road more than the track. Golden found the Touring spec to be more than capable for weekend canyon cruises, but it all comes down to preference.

The big question remains: Is this a fitting send-off for Lotus’ long line of gas-powered sports cars? Find out by watching our video above.

Read our full review of the 2024 Lotus Emira: https://www.cars.com/articles/2024-lo...

See the Lotus Emira’s pricing, trims and specs: https://www.cars.com/research/lotus-e...
Read more about the Lotus Emeya: https://www.cars.com/articles/2025-lo...

And read about the all-new Lotus Eletre R: https://www.cars.com/articles/2024-lo...

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:26 Model background
0:53 Styling
1:21 Storage
2:45 Interior
3:30 Small annoyances
4:04 Infotainment and tech
4:28 Cool details
5:00 Engine and transmission
5:26 Driving impressions
5:57 Suspension choices
6:49 Automatic transmission
7:07 Final thoughts

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