Lotus Emira 420 Sport: AMG four-pot, 3.9sec to 100, and the Emira finally bites
Lotus has pulled the covers off the Emira 420 Sport, now the most powerful and lightest Emira on sale. Based on the four-cylinder Emira Turbo, it uses a Mercedes-AMG 2.0-litre engine pushed to 420hp, gets an optional 25kg weight-saving pack, fresh aero, cooling tweaks and a removable glass roof.
What was announced
The Lotus Emira 420 Sport is built on the four-cylinder Emira Turbo platform and uses the Mercedes-AMG 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, here tuned to 420hp and 500Nm. Drive goes to the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. Lotus claims 0-100kph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 299kph, making this the quickest and fastest Emira to date.
The AMG four-pot finally gives the Emira numbers worthy of the badge, but in India this stays a CBU curiosity, not a serious purchase.
The 420 Sport gets revised aerodynamics over the standard Turbo, with new bodywork that improves cooling at the front and adds downforce at the rear. A removable glass roof panel, previously not offered, is now available across the wider Emira range. Buyers can also tick the optional Lightweight Handling Pack, which Lotus says cuts 25kg versus the standard Emira Turbo.
That pack bundles two-way adjustable Multimatic dampers, a titanium exhaust system, carbon-fibre components and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The result is a car aimed squarely at owners who plan to run track days alongside road use. Lotus has not confirmed India pricing or availability, and the brand does not operate an official dealer network in the country, so any cars that land here will arrive as private CBU imports. Globally, the 420 Sport sits at the top of the Emira range.
The Car Jury verdict
The 420 Sport is the Emira the four-cylinder car always should have been. The AMG-sourced 2.0-litre is a known, willing unit, and Lotus has finally given it numbers that match the V6 sibling on paper while shaving weight where it counts. The Multimatic dampers, titanium exhaust and Cup 2 tyres in the Lightweight Handling Pack are not garnish, they are the recipe for a serious track-day toy.
India context is harder. Lotus has no formal network here, so this is a CBU import play for a handful of buyers who already own a Porsche or two. Faisal Khan of FasBeam has admitted the current Emira's design does not land as cleanly as the older Lotus shapes, and we agree, the face still looks busy. But at 3.9 seconds to 100kph in a properly sorted chassis, the 420 Sport earns its badge.
