Lotus reveals the Emira 420 Sport: The lightest Emira yet

"Simplify and add lightness". Lotus may now be in the business of making large electric SUVs and grand tourers, but the words of the company's founder seem to have rung through the halls of Hethel for just one more time.

The firm has launched its new Emira 420 Sport - and no, we're not talking about smoke here - this new car is said to be the firm's most powerful, lightest, and most aerodynamically capable Emira yet.

This special Emira continues to make use of that famous Mercedes-AMG-sourced 2.0-litre engine, but in here it's now tuned to deliver a total of 414bhp (that is, 420PS), allowing it to reach 100km/h from a standstill in 3.9 seconds. For some context, the 360bhp Lotus Emira First Edition we drove a while back, for comparison, will do this sprint in 4.3 seconds.

On the outside, this Lotus Emira 420 Sport comes with a new front splitter, revised front vents, extended side sills, larger air intakes, a lip spoiler and a louvred tailgate, all said to allow increased airflow into its outboard radiators, central radiator, and brakes.

The car also gets a five-millimetre reduction in ride height alongside revised suspension settings and high-performance tyres for greater control and feedback. Inside, 12-way adjustable seats and new carbon fibre gearshift paddles feature.

Also on offer with this Lotus Emira 420 Sport is an optional Lightweight Handling Pack, which adds two-way adjustable Multimatic dampers, a titanium exhaust, a lithium-ion battery, and carbon fibre components for improved agility and responsiveness. This pack will also come with a dedicated Lotus Track Performance app so you can measure and record your lap times.

Customer deliveries of the new Emira 420 Sport are set to start from August 2026.