Turbo SE Returns to Lotus Line-Up

It’s a literal blast from the past, as Lotus brings back the Turbo SE badge that first appeared on the Esprit.

This time it’s the Emira that gets the boost, thanks to a gain of over 40 horsepower for the car’s two-liter, four-cylinder AMG engine. That means the Turbo SE now matches the 405 hp output of the Emira V-6, and it’s even-stevens for top speed at 180 mph as well.

However, the four-banger Turbo SE is now a swifter sprinter, cutting its 0-62 mph time down to exactly four seconds, which puts it 0.3 seconds ahead of the V-6.

The Turbo SE comes as standard with the Lotus Drivers Pack, which incorporates sports suspension settings, upgraded cross-drilled and vented two-pice disc brakes, and launch control. Extra touches include 20-inch V-spoke forged alloy wheels in Satin Grey, plus Zinc Grey paintwork, Alcantara trim, black badges, and red calipers.

Arguably, even though the new Turbo SE is faster off the mark, the V-6 remains the choice for Lotus purists as it can be optioned with a six-speed manual transmission and a limited slip differential, while the four-pot can only be had with an eight-speed DCT auto.

History buffs might still prefer the idea of an SE, though, with the ‘Special Equipment’ package dating back to the Type 14 Elite, and appearing on the Type 26 Elan, Elan SE Turbo, Lotus Cortina, Elan S3, S4 and Plus 2, along with the Europa and Excel. The Turbo SE name, meanwhile, made its debut on the Peter Stevens update of the Esprit in 1989.

The Emira Turbo SE is available to order now, with the British sports car maker also dropping its First Edition models and pricing at a fraction under $100,000.