Unnamed Lotus revealed at last

With less than a week to go before unveiling its all new sportscar at the British Motor Show, Lotus has released a single photograph and preliminary specifications.

The new car, codenamed Project Eagle, draws heavily on the current Lotus models for design inspiration, though it is intended to be more of an all-rounder than the mostly track-biased cars Lotus currently produces.

Despite appearances, the new car accommodates four, with two rear seats designed for short trips or for kids. Buyers may opt to remove the rear seats altogether in return for more luggage space.

Lotus has managed to squeeze the engine into a mid-mounted position too, which should help retain the company's legendary handling balance.

The engine is a 3.5-litre V6, sourced from Toyota, producing 276bhp. Though official performance figures have yet to be finalised, Lotus expects its new car to accelerate from 0-60mph in less than five seconds on the way to a 160mph top speed.

Further derivatives of the new car will be launched in time, including an open-topped variant and a more extreme, high-performance version.

Lotus will take the wraps off Project Eagle early on July 22nd at the British Motor Show, when we will finally be told its name.

Shane O' Donoghue