Chinese-owned British sports car maker, Lotus, has announced a new version of its mid-engined Emira with upgrades targeted at the brand’s more traditional customers.

The 2026 Lotus Emira 420 Sport will sit at the top of the Emira range as the lightest and most powerful version to date, the upgrades reportedly coming at the request of customers.

The 420 Sport is powered by a version of the Mercedes-AMG-sourced 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine from the Emira Turbo SE, with outputs boosted to 309kW/500Nm (or 420PS, hence the name), up 11kW and 20Nm over the Emira Turbo SE.

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As with other four-cylinder Emira models, the sole transmission available is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, with the manual option from the V6 off-limits for the Mercedes-derived powertrain. New carbon-fibre gearshift paddles have been added, with revised haptic feedback for a more clearly defined feel.

Acceleration from 0-100km/h drops to 3.9 seconds, 0.1-sec faster than the Turbo SE and 0.3-sec faster than the 298kW supercharged V6 auto.

An optional Lightweight Handling Pack is available, saving 25kg of weight over the standard Emira 420 Sport while increasing downforce by 25kg. Changes include a lighter lithium-ion starter battery, titanium exhaust, and multimatic two-way adjustable dampers.

Changes to the Sport 420 also see suspension lowered by 5mm, with tweaked suspension settings, and high-performance tyres for ‘enhanced control and feedback’. The Emira retains electro-hydraulic steering.

Aerodynamic and cooling have also been upgraded, with larger side air intakes, revised front vents, a new front splitter, a rear lip spoiler, and a louvred tailgate contributing a 10 per cent improvement to brake cooling, 15 per cent greater air flow to the outboard radiators and 14 per cent more to the central radiator. The changes have been made to ensure more consistent performance during track use.

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At the same time, Lotus has introduced a removable glass roof panel for all variants of the Emira lineup. The change required no alterations to the Emira’s bonded aluminium structure, and the removable panel can be stowed behind the seats in a protective bag.

An optional Exterior Carbon-Fibre Pack includes carbon finishes for the rear spoiler, rear diffuser, side sills, wheel arch vents, side pods and front splitter. An interior Carbon Pack with carbon elements for the steering wheel, instrument cluster surround and seatback logos is also available.

A new 20-inch satin grey 15-spoke alloy wheel design brings the number of available wheel options to nine, and Tangelo Orange paint exclusive to the 420 Sport is available, along with matching hand-painted Tangelo Orange highlights for the console, steering wheel, and air vent surrounds.

The Lotus Emira 420 Sport is slated for a launch during the European summer (June to August). UK pricing starts from £105,900 (A$198,720) with local pricing and availability yet to be revealed.