Lotus Emira vs Maserati Granturismo

What's the difference?

Lotus - it’s one of the most iconic names in the history of automobiles and was once Great Britain’s answer to Ferrari - on the road and the Formula One circuit. 

But that was a long time ago, in the 1960s and ‘70s. Since then Lotus has been on a rollercoaster ride through various owners who put in various levels of investment, resulting in various degrees of success.

But through it all, Lotus has stayed true to the ethos of company founder, Colin Chapman - ‘simplify, then add lightness.’ It’s obviously a playful saying, but it spoke to the core elements of Lotus cars, agility and driving purity.

Lotus rarely worried about big, powerful engines and instead focused on creating the best-handling cars.

That was the past, though, because Lotus Cars is now owned by Geely, the Chinese automotive giant that also counts Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr and more under its control.

Geely’s vision for Lotus is very different to what has come before, with a future focused on building electric SUVs and sedans; such as the already released Eletre and Emeya.

All of which is a very long way to get us to the car we’re actually testing - the MY24 Lotus Emira.

This is the last petrol-powered sports car from Lotus, and while it has been available already with a V6 engine, it has recently arrived with a Mercedes-AMG four-cylinder turbo.

Given its place in the grand scheme of things, the Emira not only needs to live up to the legacy of the iconic models that came before it, but also needs to lay the foundations for the brand’s electric future. Which is a lot of pressure for one car to carry…

How much would you pay for an outstandingly beautiful grand touring coupe with supercar performance?

Costing as much as a one-bedroom inner-city flat, the new-from-the-ground-up Maserati GranTurismo possesses seductive styling. When you’re chasing the exquisite Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and Bentley Continental GT, you need every asset available, and then some.

Which brings us to the 2024 second-generation (M189) range.

Adding to a stunning back-catalogue of gorgeous Maseratis that stretches back even further than either of its opponents above, does the latest GranTurismo have the brains as well as the brawn to match its stunning beauty?

Let’s dive right in.