The new Lotus Emira doesn’t just best the previous four-cylinder and V6 variants of the tiny-but-mighty British marque’s final ICE model—it takes a production car world record. Replacing the Elise/Exige/Evora, the Emira debuted in 2022 as a mid-engine sports car, first with a supercharged, Toyota-sourced V6 and then with a turbocharged AMG-sourced four-cylinder.
Somewhat surprisingly, it’s the latter four-banger that serves as the power plant for the new Emira 420 Sport—so named for the metric horsepower on tap (that’s 416 hp stateside). Equipped with the 55-pound-shedding Lotus Lightweight Handling Pack featuring a titanium exhaust and a louvred carbon fiber rear deck, it’s the quickest and fastest Emira ever.
It jumps from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds, 0-99 mph in 8.4 seconds, and 0-124 mph in 12.47 seconds, with an 11.91-second quarter mile and a class-leading 2.1-second 49-74 mph sprint. Most notably, it’s also the “world’s fastest four-cylinder production car” with a top speed of 186 mph. That’s supercar-verging speed from an ICE car in 2026 with the same cylinder count as your son’s Honda Civic—no electric motors needed.
Without actually driving it, it can be surmised that this car also doesn’t feel like any other four-cylinder on the market. The Emira 420 Sport tips the scales at a feathery 3,152 pounds (with its aforementioned weight-saving package) and features an almost anachronistic hydraulic steering setup that guarantees more direct feedback than the nearly ubiquitous electric steering systems.
The somehow both unassuming and strikingly beautiful design language featuring a combo of Lambo-style edges and Ferrari-like flowing lines has been accentuated to perfection in the Emira with a redesigned front splitter, front bumper inserts, wheel-arch vents, extended side sills, enlarged air intakes, and extended lip spoiler, alongside the louvred tailgate.
For the first time, an exterior carbon fiber package is available on an Emira—also very supercar-esque. The sporty upgrade extends lightweight composite finishes to the front splitter, wheel-arch vents, side sills, side intakes, rear lip spoiler and rear diffuser surround, with carbon mirror caps and the carbon fiber louvred tailgate available as additional options when specified with the Lightweight Handling Pack.
The interior stays quintessentially Lotus with simple quality. Black Nappa leather is paired with black perforated Alcantara and a gray backing layer, while an optional Tangelo Orange theme introduces contrasting leather and stitching inspired by the exterior launch color. Carbon fiber gearshift paddles and bespoke 420 Sport treadplates are now standard, and an additional carbon fiber interior upgrade extends the composite finishes to the driver display surround and seat-back plinths, along with the steering wheel spokes.
Priced from $122,900, the Lotus Emira 420 Sport is available now upon inquiry.