Lotus Emira Buyer’s Guide: V6 or Four-Cylinder, and What to Check

The last pure-combustion Lotus comes with two engines and two very different characters. How to choose, and what to verify before buying.

The Lotus Emira occupies a strange and appealing position: it is a brand-new-era sports car that is also an ending. Conceived as the marque’s final purely internal-combustion model, it replaced the Evora, Exige, and Elise all at once^[1]. For a buyer, that means one decision dominates everything else: which engine.

The engine decision

The Emira comes two ways. The V6 car uses a supercharged 3.5-liter Toyota engine making 406 PS (400 hp), paired with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic^[1]. The four-cylinder uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter Mercedes-AMG unit producing 365 PS (360 hp) through an 8-speed AMG dual-clutch^[1]. The V6 manual covers 0–100 km/h in about 4.2 seconds^[1], and the car’s kerb weight sits around 1,487 kg^[1].

The practical read: the V6 is the only route to a manual gearbox, and with the record noting that the Emira is set to adopt a hybrid Horse W30 powertrain after 2030 — ending its current engines and the manual option^[1] — the three-pedal V6 has an obvious long-term case. The i4 DCT is the more modern drivetrain; the V6 manual is the one collectors will likely remember.

Variants worth knowing

• First Edition — the launch specification^[1].
• GT4 — the racing version^[1], relevant mostly as proof the platform was built to compete.

Pre-purchase checks

Early-production cars from any manufacturer deserve extra scrutiny, and the Emira’s covered years of 2022–2023^[1] put every example in that window. Sensible steps:

• Full service history, with any recall or campaign work documented as complete.
• An independent PPI from a Lotus specialist, including a check of the mid-engine bay and underbody — the layout is transverse mid-engine, rear-wheel drive^[1], so lifts and inspections need someone who knows the car.
• Software and warranty status confirmed in writing, not assumed.
• A cold start and a proper test drive covering both low-speed manners and the gearbox’s behavior under load.

Start with the full Lotus Emira database page to compare the two drivetrains line by line, then see current Emira inventory to find out which engines and gearboxes are actually on the market. The right car is the one whose paperwork is as clean as its paint.