Lotus Emira steering wheel and digital dash teased

The second teaser of the all-new 2021 Lotus Emira has been released ahead of the Elise, Exige and Evora-replacing sports car's official debut on July 6.

The British car-maker has posted a short, sharp video clip of the Emira's steering wheel and dash on its social media channels, revealing an unusual hexagonal steering wheel that's wrapped in Alcantara and features a yellow 12 o'clock band that was once the preserve of rally drivers.

Look closer and you might be able to spot the steering wheel also sports a pair of paddles, confirming the Lotus that's being developed under the Type 131 codename will come with a two-pedal option.

It's not yet known if the Emira will feature a dual-clutch transmission or come with the six-speed torque-converter automatic that's available in models like the Lotus Evora GT410.

Despite the tease, it's thought a traditional six-speed manual will also be offered.

Ahead of the new tiller, Lotus has also given us our first glimpse of its next-generation digital instrument cluster that features customisable screens that places a G-meter dead centre of the display.

The dash also reveals the Lotus will get a Tour and Sport setting, plus lane keep assist, suggesting the Lotus will come equipped with advanced semi-autonomous driving aids for the first time.

Other take-aways include a redline that looks like it will begin at 7000rpm.

No other details were released, although Lotus did announce that the model has now entered a pre-production stage, with early prototypes already in production at the car-maker's Hethel plant that has recently benefited from a £100 million ($A180m) upgrade.

From the earlier teaser that also revealed the new nameplate, the Emira's design is clearly related to the new Lotus Evija, with similar vertical-stacked headlights that albeit feature two LED running lights each instead of the pure-electric hypercar’s three.

At the rear of the car, designers say they have incorporated a “shrink-wrapped” design for the Emira that tightly packages its powertrain to provide plenty of space for its advanced air-bending aids that draw on the knowledge accrued when developing the Evija.

Full details of the new engine have not been revealed, but the car-maker says the powertrain used for the Emira will be fresh for Lotus and the result of a “new partnership”, suggesting the deal with Toyota to supply its 3.5-litre V6 has ended.

It’s thought that Lotus could switch to powertrains sourced from its Geely parent and use a development of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that powers T6 Volvo models that use both a turbocharger and supercharger to make up for the small displacement.

Earlier rumours suggested that Lotus engineers hoped to use a V6 to help it rival cars like the Porsche Cayman and even the Porsche 911. 

If so, Lotus might be forced to forge a new alliance with another car-maker, such as Volkswagen, to gain access to its turbocharged 3.0-litre V6.

As part of the latest teaser, Lotus has confirmed it will reveal the Emira during an online event hosted at the car-maker's Hethel HQ on July 6.