New Lotus Eterne revealed
Lotus makes an Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera rival, the Eterne sports saloon
A two ton Lotus? Well not quite, but at 1850kg the Eterne four-door is no lightweight. But then again a Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte both weigh within a whisker of two tons...
Unsurprisingly, the Eterne has much in common with the Elite coupe-cabrio. In fact up to the A-pillars there's little to choose between them. This means both share the same supercharged V8 with choices of either 542bhp or 612bhp, although being heavier, the Eterne's claimed acceleration figures are in the range of 4sec to 4.2sec. Hardly sluggish.
Five metres long and priced from £120,000, the Eterne (the only Lotus with an all-new name) is due in 2015 - the same year as the Elise and a year behind the Elite. A 50bhp hybrid motor will be optional, and as with the Elite, this will drive through the front wheels.
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