Lotus Emira Turbo SE Review: Sharpening the Offer
Despite having a new trim name, the Emira Turbo SE remains largely similar to drive as before, albeit with a more frenetic top end.
The Emira has had a few trim names in the past, and not all the time easy to understand. All you need to know now is that the 2.0-litre version offered in Singapore is known as the Turbo SE. The ‘Turbo’ name is a nod to Turbo Esprit, one of the first production sports cars to utilise turbocharging. ‘SE’ simply stands for ‘Special Equipment’, again a designation used widely in a number of Lotus cars, including the Elan SE and Europa SE.
Of course, the SE name wasn’t given in vain. The Turbo SE now comes with more features as standard, like the Lotus Drivers Pack which includes sport suspension settings, uprated cross-drilled and ventilated two-piece brake discs and launch control.
Cosmetics wise, the Turbo SE gets new 20-inch forged wheels, an Alcantara headliner and red brake calipers, among others.
Compared to the outgoing Emira Turbo, there is now an additional 40 bhp and 50 Nm, reducing the 0-100 km/h time to 4.0 seconds. Frankly, in the typical speeds we travel in Singapore, it was difficult to experience the additional power, although the top end of the rev range was noticeably more urgent.
For all intents and purposes, the Emira Turbo SE doesn’t change the formula too much versus its predecessors. And there’s really no need. The car is still absolutely scintillating to drive, a perfect partner for the twisty corners. There’s so much feel and rawness that’s sorely lacking in the majority of new sports cars on sale today. It still captures the essence of the Lotus spirit perfectly, honouring the traditions of its forebears.
But, and it’s a big but, the price still remains a fly in the ointment. There’s little to fault the driving experience, but the asking price of $549k without COE feels stiff, especially when you can access similar thrills in an older Lotus for much less.
Perhaps you are paying the premium for the nicer interior or better creature comforts? But then you would start to look at the Porsche 718 Cayman, which starts at $302k without COE. Even nostalgia has its limits, don’t you think?
Photos by James Wong
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