We’ve driven hundreds of cars, and for this article, we’re defining exactly what makes the perfect sports car. Of course, the only thing better than telling you what the perfect sports car is is showing you what the perfect sports car is, so we got our hands on one of the best: the Lotus Emira.
Whether you’re talking about the engine, design, or driving characteristics, the features listed below are the most important things that we look for. We selected the Lotus Emira because it ticked all of the boxes during our week of testing. Here’s what makes the perfect sports car, according to us.
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1. Design
Sports cars must look the part and have plenty of attitude. That doesn’t mean they have to be the absolute definition of “sexy”—plenty of luxury cars conjure these emotions. However, they have to attract eyeballs, create lust from passersby, and look like they’re going fast even when parked.
Few cars attract as many eyeballs as the Lotus Emira. We’d struggle to call it a sports car in the traditional sense—it looks more like a supercar.
These cars evoke an emotional reaction from those who appreciate the owner’s taste and the vehicle they’ve selected. It’s the automotive equivalent of wearing a nice watch or a luxury item of clothing, and you can learn a lot about someone’s personality from the car they’re driving. Someone driving a sports car loves to drive, and they appreciate that every trip is not always about the destination but also the journey.
The Emira is exotic yet perfectly restrained, and we love how the brand has brought plenty of functional elements to the design. The air vents down the side of the vehicle are a highlight, while the slits in the bonnet and the large exhaust tips at the rear round out the design with plenty of attitude.
2. Size and Weight
We love a plush luxury SUV as much as the next person. However, when it comes to sports cars, we want a lightweight, fun-to-drive vehicle that feels as quick to manoeuvre as a ballerina on their toes.
Sports cars that are lighter weight simply feel quicker all the time. If you can’t have all the fun in a car at 50 per cent of its capability, then what’s the point? We’ve found some cars, particularly very expensive supercars, have this issue where they’re so fast that you must get deep into the uncomfortable zone to have fun. Meanwhile, brands such as Lotus have found this perfect sweet spot where their cars feel nimble, connected to the road, and perfectly proportioned to the point that they feel fast, even when they’re not being pushed to the extreme. Ultimately, it’s more impressive when you can have fun at six-tenths.
The Emira is Lotus’ latest example of finding this balance. It combines all the best elements from Elise, Exige, and Evora into a perfectly balanced sports car that weighs under the sweet spot of 1,500kg (1,446kg).
On our commute, we had plenty of fun driving the Emira around in ‘Tour’ mode. However, we preferred to use ‘Sport’ mode. This unleashes more of the vehicle’s capabilities with a louder exhaust and sharper steering response. Of course, when you’re on track, you’ll want to take advantage of ‘Track’ mode, which further increases the exhaust sound, steering response, and sharpness and even scales back some driver assistance features for more freedom to push the vehicle into its element on track.
3. Everything You Touch and Feel
Next to size and weight comes touch and feel — a definitive sports car can’t have one without the other. Thankfully, some brands, such as Lotus, still have both, and Emira is at the top of that list.
The first thing you’ll notice when driving the Emira is the feel through the hydraulic steering rack, which provides more feedback and feel than an equivalent electronic (EPAS) system. It’s as if your hands are connected to the front wheels, and it’s simply more enjoyable to drive the car because of it. Our test car was fitted with an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, further amplifying this race-car feel.
Next is the transmission, and the Lotus Emira happens to offer all three popular options:
- Lotus Emira Turbo (360HP) and Turbo SE (400HP): 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT)
- Lotus Emira V6 (400HP): 6-speed manual
- Lotus Emira V6 (400HP): 6-speed automatic
Of course, the purist’s choice is the manual transmission. Lotus is one of the few brands that still offers this choice, which tells you much about the company’s love for the art of driving. Still, our Emira Turbo test car was fitted with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) gearbox, and it keeps the engagement alive with paddle shifters that allow you to move through the gears smoothly and quickly.
The brake and accelerator pedals must have accurate feedback so you know exactly how much pressure to apply, and Lotus has nailed this with the Emira. The brakes are perfectly spaced, provide ample feedback, and are face-melting when you need to jump on the anchors.
Finally, the cabin ergonomics have to be spot on and comfortable. You have to be able to sit ‘in’ the car, low-down, so that you can feel the road. The touchscreen should be within arm’s reach, cupholders shouldn’t get in the way of your elbow, and your body should be kept snug in the seat. Lotus knows this and has introduced the latest technology to the Emira without sacrificing anything for cabin ergonomics.
The 10.25-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay is centrally mounted without impeding the view through the windscreen, and every element of the 12.3-inch TFT driver’s display is visible through the steering wheel.
4. Characterful Engine and Drivetrain
The heart of a sports car is the engine. It doesn’t have to have 1,000 HP to have character, and we’ve had as much fun in a car with 100 HP as we have in a car with 600 HP. You want to find a sports car with a good balance, which means you want the engine to have a soul. Traditionally, this means a good sound and how the power is delivered. Lotus has nailed both with the two engine choices available for the Emira.
- Lotus Emira Turbo: 360HP from 4-cylinder variable geometry turbocharged engine
- Lotus Emira Turbo SE: 400HP from 4-cylinder variable geometry turbocharged engine
- Lotus Emira V6: 400HP from supercharged 3.5-litre engine
The brand has found the sweet spot with the Turbo SE and Supercharged V6 versions of the Emira, both of which deliver 400HP. Our test car was an Emira Turbo with 360HP, which is good for a 0-100km/h time of just 4.4 seconds, which is very quick. However, what surprised us most about this Mercedes-AMG-sourced engine was the character and the sound.
What stood out most was the induction noise from the turbocharger. Every time you accelerate and let your foot off the pedal, you’re met by this addictive turbo noise that reminds us of a Group B rally car. It makes driving the car more exciting and defines what a sports car should feel and, more importantly, sound like. Of course, you get plenty of sound from the exhaust when you flick the Emira into ‘Track’ mode, too.
5. Mid-Engine Layout
You haven’t driven a ‘perfect sports car’ until you’ve sat behind the wheel of a mid-engine vehicle like the Lotus Emira. This driving experience is levels above that of any similarly-priced vehicle with a front-engine layout, and that’s for three main reasons:
- Perfect balance by having the engine’s weight in the middle of the car, acting like a pivot point
- Lighter front end that’s more precise and eager to turn
- Having the sound of the engine behind your head is just cooler
The driver also benefits on the inside, with an improved view through the windscreen that lets you place the car perfectly on the road. The Lotus Emira has raised front wheel arches that give you an even better perspective of where the car is on the road.
Conclusion: What is the Perfect Sports Car?
We’ve driven hundreds of sports cars over the last decade, and when we think about what car defines ‘the perfect sports car’, the conversation always comes back to Lotus. The brand’s latest offering, the Lotus Emira, is the most well-rounded vehicle the company has ever produced, and we believe it’s the definition of the perfect sports car.
You have a gorgeous design, a well-proportioned body with an ideal weight, and a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with multiple exciting engine options. For the purists, you still get a manual. Unlike Lotus sports cars of the past, there’s all the technology and creature comforts you could ask for in a sports car when you jump inside, with a large touchscreen, digital driver’s display, and perfect driver ergonomics.
Maybe the most attractive feature of all is the price. Here’s a complete list of pricing for the Lotus Emira:
- Lotus Emira Turbo – from $199,990 plus on-road costs (as tested)
- Lotus Emira Turbo SE – from $209,990 plus on-road costs (NEW)
- Lotus Emira V6 – from $209,990 plus on-road costs
The new Lotus Emira Turbo SE offers many standard features, including an uprated 400HP engine tune that reduces the 0-100km/h time to 4.0 seconds.
You also get the Lotus Drivers Pack as standard with Sports suspension settings, uprated cross-drilled and ventilated two-piece brake discs and launch control. Newly finished 20-inch V-spoke forged Satin Grey wheels also come as standard, as well as Zinc Grey paint, Alcantara headliner, red brake callipers, new ‘Emira Turbo SE’ badging, new black Lotus branding, black Lotus badging and tailpipes.
More information about the entire Lotus Emira line-up can be found at the brand’s website linked below.