Used Lotus Emira (2021-date) buyer’s guide: one of the very best sports cars
A full used buyer's guide on the Lotus Emira sports car that has been on sale since 2021
Verdict
Lotus has had a turbulent few years and while the company’s attempt to go electric-only has backfired, the Lotus Emira is one of the best sports cars that you can buy. It looks great and is really good to drive, even if there’s room for a few incremental improvements. The limited practicality means the Emira isn’t cut out for touring unless you pack really light. Plus it hasn’t shaken off Lotus’s image for poor build quality and reliability. If anything, it has reinforced this reputation, although there are owners who have had a trouble-free ride. So if you want a thrilling drive, consider an Emira, but be sure to check everything carefully before you buy.
Britain used to lead the world when it came to producing sports cars, especially affordable ones, thanks to firms like Lotus and models such as the Seven, Esprit and Elise. The last of those arrived in 1996 and set a new bar for driving thrills, but you didn’t need deep pockets to buy or run one.
Since then Lotus has made huge strides in quality and the feel-good factor of ownership, but its asking prices have climbed up and up, putting its products up against some very desirable sports cars.
Used - available now
2024 Lotus
Emira
5,600 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £64,950
2024 Lotus
Emira
17,014 milesManualPetrol3.5L
Cash £59,950
2024 Lotus
Emira
5,400 milesManualPetrol3.5L
Cash £69,490In 2017 Chinese company Geely bought Lotus, and the drive for better quality continued, while the British firm also decided to fully embrace an electric future. In 2021 Lotus unveiled the Emira, touted as its last petrol-engined car before a new generation of electric cars took over.
History
The Emira was unveiled in July 2021 and went on sale two months later; the first cars were delivered in November 2022. Priced from £75,995, only a supercharged 400bhp 3.5-litre mid-mounted Toyota-sourced V6 petrol engine was available. All Emiras had a six-speed gearbox; buyers could choose between manual or auto, the latter with paddle shifts.
From July 2023 there was a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine option too. This all-alloy 360bhp engine was supplied by Mercedes-AMG and came only with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
As with the V6 edition, initially all four-cylinder Emiras came in generously equipped First Edition form, but from March 2025 the 2.0-litre edition became the Turbo SE, while the 3.5-litre model was renamed the V6. At the same time the 2.0-litre engine was upgraded to 400bhp. In June 2025 the high-spec V6 SE joined the range; a year later the Emira 420 Sport arrived, with a 414bhp 2.0-litre engine.
Which one should I buy?
The V6 might have much the same power as the four-cylinder engine, but it’s significantly better in terms of the noise it makes as well as the low-down torque it produces, which is why it’s the one we’d go for. Plus the V6 is also the only powerplant available with a manual gearbox, although it’s not the slickest transmission around, so make sure you wouldn’t prefer an auto before committing.
Equipment levels are good and include powered folding door mirrors, rear parking sensor, heated seats, climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cruise control, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen.
An array of option packs was available – but standard on the First Edition. The Driver’s Pack offered a choice of tyres (Goodyear or Michelin) and suspension settings, the Design Pack included privacy glass, aluminium pedals, painted brake calipers and a black Alcantara headlining, while the Convenience Pack added front parking sensors, a rear camera and automatic wipers.
Prices
More than half of the Emiras on the second-hand market are fitted with a V6 engine, and most of these have a manual gearbox. The majority of the cars for sale are First Editions, and while you won’t struggle to find the later models, many are new and unregistered at dealers.
You can buy a used Lotus Emira for just under £60,000 through our Buy a Car service.
Check the price of a used Lotus Emira with our free car valuation tool...
On the road
A scintillating drive has been the raison d’être of every Lotus, even if that hasn’t always been achieved. But Lotus has hit the target here, because the Emira is fabulously engaging thanks to sharp steering and electrifying performance. There’s lots of grip, stability is superb and mid-range punch is incredible, as is standing-start acceleration, with 0-62mph possible in around four seconds.
However, the four-cylinder powerplant is short of low-rev urge and its soundtrack doesn’t quite hit the spot. The standard suspension is too firm, but the Touring option is better.
Alternatives to the Lotus Emira
Sports cars are fewer and further between than they used to be, but the Emira is still up against some very talented and desirable rivals.
If a two-seat mid-engined thriller is what you’re after, then look no further than the Porsche 718 Cayman or its predecessor, which came in six-cylinder form. The Porsche is fabulous in every way that really matters, and that’s also the case for the Alpine A110 which (like the Porsche) has now gone out of production.
The BMW M2 is more practical thanks to its engine being in the front, and that’s also true of the Toyota GR Supra, plus the BMW Z4, which is closely related. But they don’t offer the same engagement.
What to look for
Blowing bubbles
Bubbling paintwork is the most common problem. The initial paint warranty was five years, but it was later cut to three. The issue is most likely on the composite doors and repairs aren’t always successful.
Other issues
There’s a long list of niggles that have struck but aren’t necessarily common, including loose undertrays, trim creaks and rattles, glitchy tyre-pressure monitoring and the alarm going off for no reason.
Peace of mind
The Emira came with a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty when new; there’s no option to extend it, but you can get an aftermarket warranty. There are just 13 service centres to cover the whole of the UK.
A bit special
The 2025 Clark Edition was limited to 60 units and cost £115k. The green paint and exterior/interior details were inspired by Jim Clark’s Lotus 38. All changes were cosmetic only.
Interior
Streets ahead of earlier Lotuses, the cabin is roomy with lots of steering wheel and seat adjustment. The quality is generally excellent, as is the tech, but practicality is poor. This is a two-seater and boot space is limited to a 151-litre bin behind the engine, although there’s a 211-litre space behind the seats, and decent cubbyholes in the cabin.
Running costs
All Emiras need to be serviced every 12 months or 10,000 miles, with no real difference in cost between four and six-cylinder models. There are three levels of service (A, B, C), and these are priced at £480, £700 and £1,525. The sequence in which the services run is A, B, A, C, with the cost of each one including fresh brake fluid every other year, but there’s no cambelt replacement to factor in, since both engines are chain-driven.
Service plans are available (for three, four or five years) when buying a new Emira, and these are transferable, so it’s worth seeing if any maintenance has been paid for in advance.
All Emiras are subject to the £440 expensive car supplement for road tax until their sixth birthday (on top of the annual £200 payable), and you can expect insurance to be steep, given that all models sit in group 50.
Recalls
Lotus has recalled the Emira twice, both times in June 2023. The first recall was because the tethers for the A-pillar trim hadn’t been attached, which meant that if the curtain airbags went off in a crash, the trim panels could hit the car’s occupants at speed. Emiras made between May 2022 and May 2023 were affected; the fix was to tether the trim panels.
Ten days later came recall two, because of faulty wiper motors. Cars produced between May 2022 and March 2023 were included, and the wiper motor had to be replaced because the fastest setting didn’t work correctly, although the lower-speed settings were fine.
Those are the only recalls, but there have been dealer campaigns for items such as oil leaks and driveshafts working loose as well.
Driver Power owner satisfaction
Lotus sold just 1,098 cars in the UK last year, and according to howmanyleft.com, there are just 1,800 or so Emiras registered in the UK, which represents more than three years of sales. So it’ll come as no surprise that Lotus, and the Emira specifically, have never appeared in Driver Power.
But a look at forums (such as emiraforum.com) suggests that owners love the driving experience, exterior design and cabin, but regular glitches and poor dealer support quickly grate.
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Used Lotus Emiras for sale
2024 Lotus
Emira
5,600 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £64,9502024 Lotus
Emira
17,014 milesManualPetrol3.5L
Cash £59,9502024 Lotus
Emira
5,400 milesManualPetrol3.5L
Cash £69,490
