Why stop at one special edition when you can make five?
Lotus has just unveiled the new Emira Limited series. The exclusive model will be available in five different colourways, each of which is inspired by one of the automaker’s most beloved Formula 1 cars.
An F1 team hasn’t carried the automaker’s name in nearly a decade now, but it used to be a dominant force in the sport. Between 1963 and 1978, Team Lotus won seven constructors and six driver’s championships. Its success extends past this period and some of F1’s most noted drivers spent time on the company payroll, including Jim Clark, Mario Andretti, and Ayrton Senna.
It is five of the Team Lotus race cars that provide the inspiration for the exclusive Emiras. The first of the special editions is inspired by the Type 25 that Clark drove to the constructor’s and driver’s championship in 1963. It finished in Verdant Green with yellow striping. It’s followed by the Type 72, which has a Shadow grey and gold design that includes a half Union Jack pattern on the side, just like that of the race car that won seven grand prix between 1977 and 1978. There’s also a blue Emira with red and white stripes just like those of the Type 86, the one-off prototype that inspired the Type 88.
Rounding the Emira Limited series out are two special editions inspired by race cars Senna drove in the 1980s, Team Lotus’s final full decade of operation. These include the Type 97T, which was the race car that the Brazilian drove to his first Grand Prix win in 1985. This model is also finished in dark Shadow Grey, with gold graphics (including the number 12 on both sides) and wheels. Finally, there’s the Type 99T, which is finished in vibrant yellow with blue accents, just like the car that Senna drove in the 1988 season, in which he finished third in the driver’s championship standing.
Emira Limited series cars may all have different liveries, but their powertrains are the same. All five models are powered by the same Mercedes-AMG-sourced turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. The mill is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and makes 360 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. The Emira isn’t as fast as an F1 car, but it can still sprint from zero to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 275 km/h.
Lotus plans to sell just 12 examples of each Emira Limited model. They start at RM459,822. Unfortunately, as of now, the exclusive editions will only be available to buy in Europe, continuing Emira’s frustrating time in America.
Previously published on Robb Report USA
Photography by James Arbuckle/Lotus
