Almost three years after its July, 2021 debut, Lotus can finally begin Emira deliveries in the US. As first spotted by a user on the Lotus Talk forum, and confirmed to Motor1 by a Lotus representative, the Emira just got certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This means dealers can finally deliver cars to customers.
As we previously reported, only 14 US states follow CARB rules, but Lotus didn’t want to begin sales in the 36 non-CARB states beforehand. This was ostensibly to prevent customers there from flipping cars to buyers in CARB states, where the Emira couldn’t be registered. Lotus submitted a new Emira V6 powertrain calibration for CARB approval back in January and it was approved on February 29th.
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The Emira V-6 uses a familiar engine, a 3.5-liter Toyota V-6 supercharged to produce 400 Horsepower and 310 Pound-Feet of torque. It’s the same basic unit that Lotus has used since the Evora S debuted in 2010, though in a slightly different state of tune than the last of the US-spec Evoras. Compared with the Evora GT, the rev limit is lower and output is down by 10 hp.
Given that customers placed reservations for Emiras back in 2021, it’s been a long wait. But it wasn’t just the emissions issue holding things up. Lotus had a tough time scaling up production due to COVID-19-related supply issues. Deliveries for European and Asian buyers began in 2022.
Soon, the Emira V-6 will be joined by a four-cylinder model sporting a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine from Mercedes-AMG. With 360 horsepower, it’s a bit down on power, but it does gain an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Eventually the Toyota V-6 will end production, and the Emira will be a purely four-cylinder affair.