Lotus Emira Tuning Guide — Best A/S1 Setup

Class Range: A - S1 | Base Horsepower: 400 | Drivetrain: RWD | Weight: 1,405 kg | Best Class: A / S1

The Emira is Lotus's last pure-combustion car — that fact alone is worth adding one to your collection. A 3.5-liter supercharged V6 — a reworked Toyota 2GR-FE with an Edelbrock supercharger bolted on by Lotus — 400 horsepower, 430 Nm, pushing 1,405 kg. The power-to-weight ratio isn't staggering, but the Emira's chassis is the final crystallization of Lotus's 70 years of lightweight philosophy: an extruded aluminum chassis, double-wishbone suspension front and rear, and hydraulic power steering (not electric — Lotus held onto the hydraulic system to the very end).

In FH6 the Emira has two comfortable homes: A-class and S1. In A-class (800 PI), 400hp puts it in the mid-upper power range but with handling as its calling card — its class rivals are the Porsche Cayman GTS, Alpine A110, and BMW M2. In S1 (900 PI) you'll need more horsepower, but the Emira's chassis can absolutely take it — Lotus's double-wishbone suspension has enormous upgrade headroom by nature. Unlike many mid-engine RWD cars, the Emira isn't scary — its limit is approached progressively, not the kind that goes from "gripping" to "looking at the sky" in 0.1 seconds.

Best Tuning Setup by Class

The stock 400hp A-class build is the Emira's most comfortable state — the double-wishbone suspension's talent is fully expressed in A-class. The S1 480hp build extracts more power through a supercharger pulley upgrade and an ECU reflash. The third-row 430hp build is best for chasing lap times — it keeps most of the stock handling while adding 30hp for the straights.

Tuning Parameters — Every Setting Explained

Tire Pressure

Front: 29.5 PSI, Rear: 29.0 PSI. Mid-engine RWD + 1,405 kg = you don't need high tire pressures. A 0.5 PSI gap front to rear. The supercharger's corner-exit torque arrives quickly, so the rear wheels need maximum contact patch to digest it.

Final Drive Ratio

Final Drive Ratio: 3.90 (A-Class) / 3.70 (S1-Class). Manual pairs with the 3.90 final drive, automatic with 3.70. The supercharged V6's torque is plentiful from 2,500 rpm. Shift timing: manual at 6,500 rpm, automatic at 6,800 rpm.

Alignment

Camber: Front -2.0, Rear -2.2. Standard for mid-engine RWD + light weight. Toe: Front 0.0, Rear 0.2. Zero front toe keeps the steering pure — the hydraulic power steering gives incredibly rich feedback. Caster: 6.5.

Anti-Roll Bars

Front: 24.0, Rear: 26.0. Light weight means the anti-roll bars don't need to be as high as a heavy car. Drop the rear bar to 25.0 for high-speed circuits; keep stock settings for mountain roads.

Springs

Front: 450 lb/in, Rear: 500 lb/in. The Emira's lightweight construction + double wishbones + extruded aluminum chassis means it doesn't need huge spring rates. Ride height: lower 1.0 inch. The hydraulic power steering needs some suspension travel to work.

Damping

Rebound: Front 7.5, Rear 8.0. Bump: Front 5.0, Rear 5.5. Rebound is slightly higher than a typical lightweight car — because the hydraulic steering system transmits road information. Conservative bump — the supercharger needs the tires to stay continuously planted over bumpy pavement.

Aero

The A-class build doesn't recommend a wing — 400hp under 290 km/h doesn't need aero help. The S1 build can fit a Forza wing (downforce at 45%). Don't go above 50%.

Brakes

Balance: 52% Front, Pressure: 100%. A mid-engine RWD car's brake balance is close to even. Upgrading brake discs and pads is better value than upgrading calipers. The hydraulic steering gives exceptionally fine feedback when braking into corners.

Differential

Accel Lock: 55%, Decel Lock: 30%. Light weight and the supercharger's linear torque delivery make 55% just enough. Decel lock at 30% keeps turn-in flexible. Raise accel lock to 60% when battling a Cayman in A-class.

Best Race Types

Mountain roads — the Emira's spiritual home. The hydraulic steering through a mountain-pass hairpin is a near-sacred experience. Road racing — high-speed circuits are usable, but the straights will see you pulled in. Low-speed technical circuits — where the Emira's true talent lives. Street racing — the compact body can squeeze into all sorts of gaps. Rain — usable but not perfect. Drifting — you can, but the chassis isn't optimized for it.

Tuning Share Codes

The Emira's tuning community is still growing — it's a new car. Share your A-class and S1 codes, and tag whether they're manual or automatic. I'd especially love to see head-to-head data between an A-class Emira and a Cayman GTS.

Common Tuning Mistakes

Tuning it like a Cayman. The Emira is hydraulic steering + supercharger; the Cayman is electric assist + turbo/NA — completely different chassis languages.

Over-upgrading power and ignoring the chassis. Keep it under 500hp and let a lifetime of Lotus engineers' chassis knowledge do the work for you.

Over-upgrading tire specs. Wide tires have insignificant marginal returns on a lightweight car.

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