- Super saloon will be called the Eterne - £120,000 price tag - Will rival the Aston Martin Rapide
As part of its planned future expansion, Lotus has revealed an epic £120,000 super saloon - the Eterne. It will use the same engine as the Esprit that was also unveiled in Paris, but with the addition of a hybrid element - and it will go head-to-head with the Aston Martin Rapide when it appears in showrooms.
What's all the fuss about?
The Eterne will be powered by a 5.0-litre, supercharged Lexus V8 engine pumping out 550- or 620bhp. This will be linked to a pair of electric motors to keep emissions down and add performance. An energy recovery system will also feature, but the exact details of this are being kept quiet for now.
Any new technology?
A hybrid is a first for Lotus - and it's hardly known for its saloon cars, either. Apart from that, the big news is the company's huge expansion plans and its efforts to bring down big players in the performance car market like Porsche and Aston Martin. We won't see the Eterne in showrooms for another five years, so the firm admits that changes are likely in the interim.
Estimated release date: 2015
Estimated cost: £120,000 or more
