The next generation of lightweight Lotus sports cars is about to begin, starting with the Emira. Replacing the Evora, the Emira will be the brand's first all-new sports car in over a decade as well as the last combustion-powered Lotus. Since Lotus is now owned by China's Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar, and Smart, the sports car maker has full access to parts from other manufacturers, which will ultimately reduce costs and make its sports cars more affordable.

For example, the interior of the Emira will borrow parts from Volvo. "We've gone to Volvo to license parts," Lotus' Managing Director Matt Windle said in an interview with The Drive. "There are Volvo parts on the Emira, column stalks and things like that."

As well as interior parts, the Lotus Emira will share technology with automakers owned by Geely. Although Windle didn't go into specifics, we won't be surprised if the Emira is equipped with the same Android-powered infotainment system found in models like the Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge.

"There's the supermarket of parts that are out there on the shelf, if you like. Technologies across the group," Windle explained. "The most simple way of explaining it is if you went to another OEM, you would have to pay to go into that supermarket. With us, we're able to walk into the supermarket, have a look at the products that are on the shelf. Then if we want some, we buy them. We license it, we share that technology."

One thing that won't be sourced from Geely, however, is the powertrain. Like the outgoing Evora, the Emira can be configured with a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 engine from Toyota producing 400 horsepower 317 lb-ft. Alternatively, Lotus has also partnered with AMG to afford a more affordable version with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine from CLA 45 and GLA 45 tuned to produce 360 hp. As a result, the Emira will be just as fun to drive as its predecessors, but sharing parts with other manufacturers means it will be cheaper than the outgoing Evora.

"We did go and look at the group first, but we just felt there was nothing in the group that we wouldn't have to develop further to give it what we needed for the sporty engine that we're looking for," said Windle. "We were working in parallel, looking for engines that are out in the market. When AMG said they were willing to work with us on it, it's pretty hard to look past it. It's a fantastic engine."