2022 Lotus Emira Gets Malaysian Preview - From RM1.13 Million

The last combustion-engined Lotus, the 2022 Lotus Emira gets a Malaysian preview. The price? A cool RM1,131,800.

British sports car specialists Lotus returns to familiar turf with the all-new 2022 Emira. Intended as the firm’s final production model to sport an internal combustion engine and perhaps the last ‘legacy’ model to roll out of Hethel.

You can slash the price of RM1,131,800 down by half if you’re willing to purchase and leave your Emira in Langkawi as the on-the-road duty-free prices are much more bearable at RM456,900. Makes you think how much foreign car ownership in Malaysia is a rigged game.

Last Of A Generation...

Back in July 2021, Lotus first revealed the Emira, a new mid-engine sports car that clearly was developed as a next-generation torchbearer for the ageing Evora. And now the car gets its first taste of Malaysian air in the form of this dark grey First Edition example.

The car you see here, technically a pre-production unit, also happens to be the same car that kicked off the Emira’s debut last year and was seen shortly after tearing up the hill climb course at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s also the one Jenson Button drove around Laguna Seca, now relegated to global tour duties. It’s had quite a life.

Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, commented: “The Emira is the most accomplished Lotus we've ever made, and to celebrate and reward our keenest early customers, we want to make the first cars extra special to own. The features have been carefully selected by our design team to make for a truly special and distinct First Edition.”

Lotus Emira First Edition

It’s not known how many of these First Edition cars will be offered, but estimates stand at around 1,000 to 2,000 examples of a production run that could hit well over 50,000 units. Sure, Lotus only managed to crank out a little over 6,100 Evoras during tenure as the brand’s mid-engine GT, but the 2022 Emira is bound to benefit from the production efficiencies learned from new benefactors Geely.

Lotus Emira Specifications 

In many ways, this car is a more realised version of the Evora’s original vision as a relatively lightweight, nimble grand touring thrill ride - a category first explored by the Esprit. It still uses essentially the same bonded aluminium underpinnings and inherits its 400hp/420Nm supercharged 2GR-FE 3.5-litre Toyota V6.

Mated to this is a 6-speed manual transmission as standard or an optional 6-speed automatic, both sourced from Aisin. With the supercharger blaring behind your skull, rowing through the gears should be pretty frantic, helping it achieve its claimed 4.3-second sprint to 100km/h and onward to its top speed of 290km/h.

Also incoming is an alternative engine option from Mercedes-AMG, specifically a bespoke version of its M139 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder from the A 45 S, tuned to deliver a different flavour of 400hp through a dual-clutch gearbox.

Despite being dimensionally larger than its predecessor (in its original 2009 guise) and weighing in at a slightly portlier 1,405kg, with the added refinement and power advantage, Lotus is pretty confident that the 2022 Emira will still be as telepathic behind the wheel.

The Emira First Edition launched here will boast 20-inch forged alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, titanium exhaust finishers, and a choice of six exterior colour options: Seneca Blue – which was seen at the car’s launch in July – plus Magma Red, Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey and Nimbus Grey. Buyers opting for the ‘Drivers Pack’ will also need to choose between the Tour or Sport suspension which also alters the tyre package between the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2.

2022 Lotus Emira Interior

Its interior is where the Emira takes a most pleasant turn as the questionable materials and slightly iffy construction of years past have given way to a fairly modern cabin that drips with minimal chic while still cocooning the driver like a Lotus should.

Any analogue gauges are now replaced by digital screens, one for the instrument cluster and the other for the 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia unit which looks awfully familiar to the one found in the Proton X50. There’s also ambient lighting and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with audio piped to a 340W, 10-speaker array from sonic specialists KEF. However, the Convenience Pack is needed to add on front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, and a reversing camera.

The upholstery can be specified in either black, red, grey, or tan Nappa leather as well as black Alcantara with red, yellow, or grey stitching while the semi-bucket seats themselves feature 12-way power-adjustability. Also included in the base price is climate control, keyless start, selectable drive modes, and cruise control.

Lotus Cars Malaysia say that 45 bookings have been made so far for the Emira. Full production on the First Edition units with the 3.5-litre V6 will commence in 2022 while the units fitted with the AMG powerplant are earmarked for 2023.