The Story
Lotus’s sports car gets added focus and is all the better for it. As it needs to be with such a lofty target… Here’s what’s happening:
RRPfrom £105,900Much of the Emira’s potential realisedGearbox not PDK-quality, slightly aloof nose, Handling Pack essential but expensiveThe Lotus Emira 420 Sport is nothing short of the UK’s answer to the Porsche Cayman GT4 and yes, Gavan Kershaw, Lotus’s Director of Attributes and Product Integrity is happy to namecheck Stuttgart’s…
In other words, what about the Cayman GTS? That’ll be the new 420 on its standard fixed-rate suspension set-up. The Cayman GT4 rival is the Emira 420 Sport with the Handling Pack, which among a number of lightweight features, includes the fitment of manually adjustable Multimatic dampers.
That is — the Emira hasn’t had an easy first few years. It took too long to be fully finished, let alone properly go into production. When we did eventually get hold of a proper production car – a supercharged V6 manual on ‘Tour’ suspension – it fell mid-pack in a test of its sports car rivals, behind Alpine’s A110 and Porsche’s Boxster…
To put it simply, it’s not such an emotionally rousing start for the 420, as even from a medium distance the changes from the standard car aren’t immediately obvious but move closer, circle it a few times, and they start stacking up. A McLaren-esque inlet trim (more obvious when in carbon) on the side is most visible from farthest away…
Breaking this down, closer-up the extra splitter, opened-up front vents, more aggressive skirts, arch vents, clear rear lights, boot lip spoiler, carbon slatted deck lid (with herringbone symmetrical weave), titanium exhausts and new wheels, on which the 420 Sport sits 5mm lower, complete a comprehensive package. Unless you have the…
Now, unlike the GT4, there’s no more aggressive seat option. Kershaw and design boss Russell Carr say this is because the 420 is first and foremost a road car – that, and the harsh economic realities of homologation and the volumes needed to justify that kind of investment.
Why It Matters
This story resonates because it puts Porsche squarely in the conversation. Industry watchers often read such moves as signals — for Porsche this could mean re-engagement with younger, digitised audiences.
CarMotion Daily’s Take
Our read: This great British sports car is better than ever, but is it worth Porsche 91… is more than a headline — it indicates a deliberate move from Porsche’s playbook. Watch the next 60 days for follow-through.
📝 Source & Copyright Notice
This story was first reported by Evo-GN. For the full article with original photography and complete coverage, visit the source: Read the full story at Evo-GN →