You’ll need £71,995 to land a Lotus Emira First Edition

By now you’ll have read TG’s early verdict on the new Lotus Emira. You might also have caught our separate (but no less encouraging) track drive. And you’ve almost definitely spent an unwise amount of time on the Lotus configurator.

Unfortunately you’re going to have to start over, because the Lotus Emira First Edition is now available in 2.0-litre 4cyl form, with its own catalogue of options and colour choices. What rotten luck.

While the 400bhp V6 First Edition is priced from £75,995, its 360bhp 2.0-litre sibling (the most powerful of its kind ever homologated for road use, claims Lotus) is pitched at £71,995.

So what’s included with your £5k saving? You get 20in forged alloy wheels (ultra-lightweight, of course) with a two-tone finish, although you can have silver or black gloss if you prefer. The brake calipers come in a choice of four colours, while the body can be had in one of these six: Seneca Blue, Magma Red, Hethel Yellow, Dark Verdant, Shadow Grey and Nimbus Grey.

You can get colour happy with the interior too, with tan Nappa leather, black Alcantara, satin chrome and interior mood lighting among the options. LED lights, a titanium exhaust finisher, heated, power-folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors are all included too.

And the list keeps going. Climate and cruise control, keyless entry, voice control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, a 340W sound system with DAB radio, a 10.25in touchscreen and 12.3in TFT driver display also make the cut. All that convenience… in a Lotus. This is the new normal.

Then there are four option packs included as standard. The Lower Black Pack, er, finishes lots of low-done bits in gloss black; bumper air blades, front splitter, side sills, rear diffuser and the like.

The Drivers Pack gives you the choice of Tour or Sport suspension, with either Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Design Pack adds privacy glass, sports pedals, a black Alcantara headliner and branded footwell mats. Finally the Convenience Pack introduces front parking sensors, a rear reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, auto dimming mirrors and luggage storage net.

The engine bay cover is unique too, with c-pillar badging that leaves passers-by in no doubt about your Emira’s credentials.

Reservations for the 2.0-litre model open on 8 April, with deliveries expected before the year is out. An entry-level Emira V6 and 4cyl will arrive in 2023, priced at £64,995 and £59,995 respectively. More info to come in the summer, says Lotus.

Remember, this is the last petrol-powered car the British firm will ever launch. Next up is the electric Type 132 SUV…