Lotus Emira review - Reliability and safety

Small-volume cars like those built by Lotus don’t tend to appear in the Driver Power survey, and you won’t find the brand itself in the manufacturer category either. But while the overused “Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious” acronym might once have been relevant in the brand’s darker days, the simplicity of most Lotus models, and its well-proven Japanese powertrains, mean things are far better than they used to be, and that should continue with the Lotus Emira.

That the sports car also feels better-built from the outset may not hurt it either, though as with any new model, particularly from a relatively small company, there may be some teething troubles with the earliest cars.

The car has not been tested by Euro NCAP, but the car’s strong structure and good active safety features, including LED headlights and traction control, should provide some reassurance.

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Warranty

The Emira is offered with a 3-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which can also be transferred to subsequent owners. Lotus does note, however, that the warranty can be invalidated by competitive use, which includes timed runs like hillclimbs as well as more obvious racing use. “Responsible use” on track days remains covered.

The 3-year warranty period matches what you’ll find on the Porsche Cayman, though Porsche does offer significant warranty extensions too. Alpine, meanwhile, offers a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty on the A110.

Servicing

Emira service intervals are scheduled every 12 months or 10,000 miles. The company offers fixed price servicing, though doesn’t have single-price service plans like those available elsewhere. A first-year service comes in at £430, £710 in year two, and £430 in year three, before a £1,360 service in year four (£1,290 for automatics), with subsequent services starting again at £430.