純内燃機関搭載！ロータス・エミーラが最後に残った男のスーパーカーだった件

Inline-four or V6? The difference in their characteristics is a major dilemma. As a kid, a supercar enthusiast, the Lotus Europa driven by the protagonist in the car manga "Circuit Wolf," which I devoured night after night, was truly a beacon of hope. As I climbed the ladder to adulthood, one day I suddenly realized: While I couldn't afford a prancing horse or a raging bull, perhaps I could somehow afford a Lotus Europa. The era has shifted from Showa to Reiwa. Now, supercars cost around 30 million yen. Even if you think, "I don't need top-of-the-line performance, but I want to experience the feeling of owning a supercar," the 718 Cayman and Boxster are out of production. Even in its home country, only the GT4 RS and Spyder RS ​​remain. Even a basic 911, with minimal default options, costs around 25 million yen. Hope seems elusive. However, even with the current weak yen, the Lotus Emira can still be purchased for around 20 million yen. What's even better is that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of operations at the new factory, causing a chain reaction of delivery delays. This means that vehicles contracted at previous rates are arriving in Japan later than usual. Fortunately, there's still a small amount of stock available domestically. However, this good fortune won't last long. It's what's known as a "while supplies last" situation. For example, the 'Emira V6 First Edition' equipped with a 3.5L supercharged engine is roughly 5 million yen cheaper than the latest price announced in 2026. What's even more surprising is that it's cheaper than the 'Turbo SE' equipped with a 2L engine. This time, we were fortunate enough to test drive four models: the 'Emira First Edition' (16.61 million yen) equipped with a Mercedes-AMG M139 engine and 8-speed DCT, the 'Emira Turbo SE' Sport and Touring models (with different suspension settings but the same price of 18.2314 million yen), and the 'Emira V6 First Edition' (15.73 million yen), the only model with a manual transmission. For detailed impressions of each model, please watch the video. To put the differences in their driving characteristics simply, using a drum analogy, it's like the difference between an 8-beat and a 16-beat rhythm played at a tempo of 100. The 2L turbo offers a pleasant driving experience at slightly higher engine speeds, while the V6 supercharger provides a subtle GT-like driving feel at low RPMs, revealing its true supercar potential in the mid-to-high RPM range. Even the slowest Emira Turbo boasts a top speed of 275 km/h and a 0-400m acceleration time of 4.4 seconds. Incidentally, comparing the wheelbases of past Lotus family models, the Elise has 2300mm, the Exige 2370mm, the Evora 2575mm, and the Emira also uses a 2575mm wheelbase, but the chassis is newly developed and not a carryover from the Evora. Lotus plans to continue production of the Emira for as long as possible, but it will likely reach its social limit around 2030. Therefore, this is very likely the last remaining mid-engine supercar for men. If you're interested, please take this opportunity to test drive it. See you again! Text: Seiichi Norishige Lotus https://www.lotuscars.com/ja-JP/ [For all the fashion-loving old guys] LINE https://lin.ee/8mP1PP1 Instagram   / forzastylecom