Emira - The Best Lotus Yet

The last ever Lotus with an internal combustion engine is a stunning mid-engine sports car that has all the credentials to be a future classic.

- SHREEJIT CHANGAROTH

Look at any motor vehicle price list today and you will observe a wide range of sports cars and supercars in number of categories and price brackets. There is a huge selection to choose from. Front-, rear- or mid-engine, 2- or 4-wheel drive, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 cylinders... and let us not even get into body styles.

Some six decades ago, there were few sports cars and fewer millionaires. Those days, there were Aston Martins, E-type Jaguars, Ferraris, Maseratis and Porsches, each with two or so variants to choose from. Lamborghini had just entered the market, McLarens did not exist (except for Formula One cars) and there was Lotus, a relatively small but specialised manufacturer of compact, sharp-handling sports cars.

Less expensive than the other sports cars of its era, Lotus cars were unique in concept and design. Its first real production sports car, the 1957 Elite, was a 2-seater with a body and chassis constructed in glass-fibre-reinforced plastic body powered by a relatively tiny 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder engine. This, compared to the 6-, 8- or 12-cylinder sport scars typical of the era. The Lotus was a genuine driver's car thanks to its light weight - a whisker over 500kg - and a fully independent suspension design.