Lotus Emira: range, price, specs and where it is sold
Facts checked
The Emira is the exception in this group: a Chinese-owned, British-built car. It is assembled at Lotus's historic factory at Hethel in Norfolk, England, where production began in 2022 after the model was introduced in July 2021, and Lotus describes it as the last of its combustion-engined sports cars.
Two engines are offered. The Turbo and Turbo SE use a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder bought from Mercedes-AMG (the M139), rated at 365 PS (268 kW) and driving through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox; the V6 SE uses a 3.5-litre supercharged Toyota V6 rated at 406 PS (299 kW) with a six-speed manual. Lotus announced the Emira 420 Sport on 26 May 2026 as the lightest and most powerful Emira, with carbon-fibre parts, a titanium exhaust and revised dampers, arriving in summer 2026. The on-the-road price shown in Lotus's UK finance example for the Turbo SE is GBP 93,955.
Ownership changed shape in 2026. Lotus Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: LOT), the Geely-controlled company behind the Chinese-built Eletre and Emeya, completed its acquisition of 100 per cent of Lotus Advance Technologies Sdn Bhd - the Hethel-based sportscar manufacturing and Lotus Engineering business - on 25 August 2026, after Geely HK and Etika exercised put options. Lotus said Hethel manufacturing and Lotus Engineering remain central to the group.
Key facts
| Name in Chinese | 路特斯 EMIRA “LOO-tuh-suh eh-MEER-ah” 路特斯 is a phonetic transliteration of "Lotus" with no literal meaning; the model name is not translated in China |
|---|---|
| Brand | Lotus |
| Body | Coupé |
| Powertrain | Petrol or diesel |
| Launched | China 2022; export 2022 |
| Platform | Lotus bonded-aluminium sports car architecture (Hethel) |
| Headline output | 299 kW |
| Dimensions | 4,412 × 1,895 × 1,224 mm, wheelbase 2,573 mm |
What it is called where
The same car carries different names in different markets. This is the crosswalk, so a reader who knows one name can find the other.
| Market | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Export markets | Lotus Emira | |
| China | 路特斯 EMIRA (Lùtèsī EMIRA) | |
| Export markets | Lotus Emira 420 Sport | lightest and most powerful version, announced 26 May 2026 for delivery from summer 2026 |
Range
No range figure is published for this model in the data set.
Price
| Where | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom on-the-road price for the Emira Turbo SE shown in the finance representative example on lotuscars.com | GBP 93,955 as of |
Where the Emira is sold
| Market | Status | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sold | 2022 | |
| United States | Sold | 2022 | |
| Germany | Sold | 2022 | |
| China | Sold | 2022 | Wikipedia records Chinese sales of 577 cars in 2023, 499 in 2024 and 199 through 2025 |
| Malaysia | Sold | Wikipedia lists Malaysia among the Emira's markets |
Crash-test results
No NCAP result is recorded for the Emira. That means no published result was found on a testing body's own site — not that the car was tested and failed, and not that it was never tested.
Lotus Emira: questions people ask
- Where is the Lotus Emira built?
- At Lotus's factory at Hethel in Norfolk, England, where production started in 2022. It is a British-built car under Chinese ownership.
- Who owns Lotus?
- Lotus Technology Inc., listed on Nasdaq as LOT and controlled by China's Geely. On 25 August 2026 Lotus Tech completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of Lotus UK - the Hethel sportscar business and Lotus Engineering - after Geely HK and Etika exercised put options.
- What engines does the Lotus Emira have?
- A 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder supplied by Mercedes-AMG with an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and a 3.5-litre supercharged Toyota V6 with a six-speed manual. An Emira 420 Sport was announced in May 2026 as the most powerful version.
- Is the Lotus Emira sold in China?
- Yes. Wikipedia records Chinese sales of 577 cars in 2023, 499 in 2024 and 199 through 2025.
- How much does the Lotus Emira cost in the UK?
- Lotus's UK finance example shows an on-the-road price of GBP 93,955 for the Emira Turbo SE (checked 4 September 2026).
Related
Sources for the Lotus Emira
- Lotus Technology Inc., Lotus Becomes One Global Company Following Completion of Lotus UK Acquisition. Read . 25 August 2026; Lotus UK is based at Hethel, Norfolk and includes sportscar manufacturing and Lotus Engineering; acquisition follows put options exercised by Geely HK and Etika
- Lotus Cars UK, Lotus Emira. Read . UK on-the-road price for the Turbo SE, engine and gearbox line-up, and the Emira 420 Sport arriving summer 2026
- Lotus Cars, Emira 420 Sport: the lightest and most powerful Emira yet. Read . press release dated 26 May 2026
- Wikipedia, Lotus Emira. Read . finding aid; cited here for the Hethel assembly and 2022 production start, engine outputs, dimensions and Chinese sales figures