Driven: Lotus Emira 420 Sport is lighter, faster, £105k track weapon

To be enjoyed at a more sedate pace is the new removable glass roof panel, which can be whipped out in a matter of seconds and stored behind the seats.

Yet it’s the changes under the skin that really define this car’s character. For starters, the familiar Mercedes-AMG 2.0-litre turbo four has been treated to a software tickle. The result is power and torque outputs of 416bhp and 369lb ft, increases of 16bhp and 15lb ft respectively over the Emira Turbo SE.

As standard, the suspension gets bespoke Bilstein dampers  and a ride height that’s been dropped by 5mm. However, all the test cars on the launch event were fitted with the optional Lightweight Handling Pack, which offers a 25kg saving over the standard Emira.

This drop in weight comes courtesy of a titanium exhaust, a lithium ion battery and a carbonfibre louvred engine cover. Crucially, this upgrade also adds Multimatic dampers complete with trick spool valving and 11 clicks of adjustment.

Climb aboard and you will spot bespoke trim materials smattered around the snug, richly finished cabin, but it’s the new, longer, carbonfibre gearshift paddles that you will appreciate most, especially for their more positive, click-clack action.

Pointing the Emira’s nose at the Hethel test track, I quickly discover a tireless, rapid and engaging circuit machine. With the dampers set to nine, it corners fast and flat but with enough body movement to help me build an accurate picture of the available grip. The hydraulically assisted steering remains fast without being flighty, plus it combines just the right amount of heft with a delicious tactility. 

The 420 Sport feels sharper than the standard Emira but not aggressively so, with the same delightful poise and ability to work up to and just over the limit of grip (even on this car’s optional sticky Michelin Cup 2 rubber).

Play it straight or get more expressive with your cornering angles: the car’s approachability means the choice is yours.

The brakes are strong and progressive when working hard but do require sensitivity in gentler use (limo stops are out of the question).

What’s really impressive is that the Emira feels equally biddable and adjustable on the road, flowing through corners with that effortless lack of inertia that’s an inimitable part of the Lotus DNA.

The ride is surprisingly firm (even with the dampers dialled back to five) but never harsh and has an ability to soak up bumps that would deflect equally track-biased machines off their line. 

So it’s a shame the powertrain isn’t quite up to the standards of the rest of the car.

Make no mistake, when the engine is on boost it’s a devastating performer (you really don’t need to go quicker on the road), while the new exhaust does its best to a little aural excitement, popping and cracking away on the overrun in Sport and Track modes. Yet in most situations it remains a fairly characterless companion, plus it still feels a little laggy at low revs, with a throttle response that's missing the instinctive precision of the rest of the controls.