Currently reading: Paris motor show 2010: Lotus Eterne super-saloon
New super-saloon will be the flagship of the new Lotus range, taking on the Aston Martin Rapide

The crowning glory of Lotus’s incredible future expansion plans will be this four-door flagship called Eterne.

Set for launch in 2015, it is a £120k-plus saloon designed to rival the Aston Martin Rapide, using mechanicals identical to those of the Elite on a lengthened version of the same chassis.

See the official pics of the new Lotus Eterne - now updated with Paris show picsRead more on Lotus's amazing expansion plans, including full details and pics of the other five new cars

That means it will use a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 with either 550 or 620bhp, believed to be the unit used in the Lexus LS600h, linked to a hybrid transmission comprising two electric motors and an epicyclic gearbox from the same source. There are no details on how the front-mounted KERS stores energy, or how much it can deploy.

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar admits that giving away so much detail about Lotus’s future plans puts the company under considerable pressure.

He admits changes are likely; the market will be the true decider about how quickly the new Lotus models appear. But Bahar insists the reveal-all strategy is the right way forward.

“You can’t compare our situation with others who are more established in the premium market and can reveal their plans slowly,” he says.

“Our aim is to show that the whole brand is going in a new direction now. Sure, there’s a risk. But we have plans and a brand we believe in, and we are only interested in success.”

See all the latest Lotus reviews, news and video

Join the debate

Comments
3
Add a comment…
Peter Cavellini 1 October 2010

Re: Paris show: Lotus Eterne super-saloon

A bit ho-hum really, i mean it looks like Mazda's latest concept car, and the front, well it could be any manufacturer, dare i say it looks a bit Asian!(and NO, i'm not being racist!)

RobotBoogie 1 October 2010

Re: Paris show: Lotus Eterne super-saloon

Another earnestly competent but seriously uninspiring design from among the 528 unveiled by Lotus since last Thursday.

bendubs 1 October 2010

Re: Paris show: Lotus Eterne super-saloon

Lotus now have too many flagships....

Paris motor show: Lotus Esprit

Stunning new Lotus Esprit will be the flagship of Lotus's new five-strong sports car and GT range

Paris show: Lotus Eterne super-saloon

New super-saloon will be the flagship of the new Lotus range, taking on the Aston Martin Rapide