- Emira praised for high level of interior quality, dynamic performance and value for money
- Judges drawn from across the automotive media landscape
- Emira now goes forward for the overall UK Car of the Year title
Hethel, UK – 28 February 2023 The Lotus Emira has been named Best Performance Car at the ‘UK Car of the Year’ awards 2023.
Now into its sixth year, the UKCOTY is wholly independent and designed to advise UK customers about the best new cars on the market. It is judged by almost 30 professional journalists who cover the whole automotive industry, including some of the most respected names from national newspapers, magazines, TV and online.
Comments from the judges included:
– “It’s great to have Lotus back producing cars that put a big smile on your face – and with a huge step-up in interior quality.” – Paul Barker, Carwow
– “As Lotus’ last-ever petrol car, the Emira two-seater sports car had to visually ‘go out with a bang’. Inside, the Emira’s cabin is one of its most well-appointed and comfortable ever to wear a Lotus badge. All in all, big bang achieved.” – Guy Bird, freelance journalist
– “What a return to form! Rapid yet enjoyable at lower speeds, a ride/handling balance that defies belief and exotica looks despite being cheaper than its Italian rivals.” – Keith Jones, CAR magazine and Parkers Car Guide
Russell Carr, Director of Design, Lotus Cars, led the Emira design team and said: “It is a great honour for the whole team at Lotus to receive this award for the Emira, and from such respected and knowledgeable judges.”
He added: “This award is also an appreciation and acknowledgement for all at Lotus Cars, from the engineering and development teams, those in manufacturing and quality and in sales and marketing, who have worked to take this now multi-award-winning sports car from concept to production and record sales.”
The Emira now goes forward for the overall UK Car of the Year title, to be announced next month.
Powered by either a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder or a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine through a manual, automatic or Dual Clutch Transmission, the Emira delivers breath-taking performance and class-leading ride and handling. It is a junior supercar with everyday usability, beautifully balanced with excellent steering weight. Delivering a shift in practicality, comfort, functionality and technology, it is a true Lotus – nimble, mid-engined, exotic looking and competitively priced. It is the most accomplished Lotus road car ever to come out of the Hethel factory gates.
Ends
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact the Lotus Communications team:
Rob Borrett, Head of Media and Launch Programmes
+44 (0) 7718 560789
Richard Yarrow, Head of News and Technology Communications
+44 (0) 7471 994525
Alastair Florance, PR Manager
+ 44 (0) 7802 918662
Samantha Thomas, PR Officer, Product Press and Digital Media
+44 (0) 7909 813785
Ramzi Atat, Head of Marketing and PR (Asia Pacific and Middle East)
+971 50 5187778
Camille Landry, Head of Marketing (Americas)
+1 737 660 6787
Diederik Reitsma, PR Manager, European Markets
diederik.reitsma@eu.lotuscars.com
+ 31 651 939 185
Aurora Yang, PR Manager (China)
+86 186 09287181
The Lotus media site – https://media.lotuscars.com – contains news, images, specifications and full details of current models, as well as heritage cars and engineering technology.
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About Lotus
Lotus Cars is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, and is the global HQ for sports car and hypercar manufacturing operations, Lotus Advanced Performance and the iconic 2.2-mile test track. Lotus Cars builds world-class high-performance cars, born out of legendary success on the racetrack including 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles and many other championship honours. In July 2021 Lotus unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last petrol-powered sports car and best-of-breed, and in July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar. Customer deliveries of both cars will begin during 2022. In March 2022 Lotus revealed the Eletre, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV. Customer deliveries will begin in 2023. The Lotus Type 135, an all-electric sports car, is currently being designed and engineered at Hethel.
Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and innovative vehicle development. Its expertise extends beyond automotive; in August 2021 a Lotus Engineering-developed track bike helped Team GB’s cyclists win seven medals, including three golds, at the Tokyo Olympics. An international consultancy with offices around the world, Lotus Engineering is headquartered at the Lotus Advanced Technology Centre on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne Campus in the UK.
Lotus Tech is an affiliate company of Group Lotus, established as part of the Vision80 strategy established in 2018. With operational assets across China, the UK and Europe, Lotus Tech is dedicated to delivering smart lifestyle battery electric vehicles (BEVs) such as the Eletre. Lotus Tech is focused on R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. In addition to the Lotus Eletre, Lotus Tech plans to launch further BEV models including a sports sedan (Type 133) another SUV (Type 134) and more, as Vision80 reaches maturity in 2028.
Group Lotus is either the parent company of or affiliated with the above. In 2017, Geely Holding Group, one of the fastest growing automotive group in the world, acquired a 51% stake in Group Lotus. The other 49% is owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.