The Lotus Wins on Value, the Porsche Wins on Soul

Here is the uncomfortable truth: on pure numbers, the Emira V6 First Edition is the smarter purchase. At roughly £135 per horsepower on today's used market versus the GT4's £153, it delivers nearly equivalent power-to-weight — 285 bhp per tonne against 292 — for meaningfully less money. The depreciation picture is murky for both cars; we have only single model-wide data points and no trim-specific auction results, so treat any percentage figures as rough orientation rather than gospel. What we can say is that the Emira arrived at a lower new price and appears to be tracking ahead on value retention relative to that baseline. But value for money is not only about spreadsheets, and this is where the GT4 fights back hard. That 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six is one of the finest engines fitted to any road car of the last decade — it screams, it rewards, and it makes the supercharged Emira feel slightly processed by comparison. The GT4's chassis precision is in a different category to almost anything at the price. If you are buying a sports car to feel something, the Porsche charges a premium and largely justifies it. Our verdict: buy the Emira if your budget is tight or you want a more complete, liveable sports car with genuine character and rarity as the last analogue Lotus. Buy the GT4 if the driving experience is the only currency that matters and you can absorb the higher cost per horsepower. We lean Emira — but we understand anyone who does not.