2026 Lotus Emira I4

Sports Car · 2.0L I4 Turbo · RWD

75/100

AutoVault's overall score, weighted for what a sports car is actually for — performance, technology, comfort, reliability, safety and value.

Specifications

Engine	2.0L I4 Turbo
Horsepower	400 hp
Torque	310 lb-ft
0–60 mph	3.8 sec
Top speed	175 mph
Drivetrain	RWD
Seats	2
Combined MPG	21 mpg (18 city / 26 hwy)
Range	371 miles
MSRP	$99,900
Body style	Sports Car

The verdict

What's good

Steering feel rivals anything at any price
Exotic looks for the money
Beautifully balanced through corners
Mercedes-AMG turbo engine punches hard

What's not

Barely any room for bags
Low seats make entry a chore
Hard to see over your shoulder
Limited places to service it

The engine

M139

2.0L Turbo I4

A boosted four with hot-hatch ferocity, offering punchy turbocharged mid-range and quick response from its twin-scroll setup, paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox for the more accessible Emira.

This is Mercedes-AMG's M139, the four-cylinder from Affalterbach, adapted by Lotus as a bespoke mid-mounted version with revised intake, exhaust, and software for the Emira.

The M139 is regarded as one of the most powerful production turbocharged four-cylinder engines in the world.
Lotus had to re-engineer the unit's hardware to work mounted transversely amidships rather than in its original front-mounted AMG layout.
Its twin-scroll turbo feeds two cylinders per scroll, blending low-rpm response with high-end power.

See the rest in AutoVault

The six sub-scores behind the 75 — performance, tech, comfort, reliability, safety and value
Market value today and year-by-year value history
All 3 trims with pricing
Studio photography — exterior, rear and interior
Side-by-side comparison with up to four cars

Open in AutoVault