Eterniti Motors, a new luxury carmaker, makes its public debut today at the
Frankfurt IAA, the world's largest automotive motor show, and is previewing a
prototype of its first product, the Hemera.
Brand Launch and Hemera
Preview
When launched next year the Hemera will become the world's
first Super-SUV, providing new levels of luxury, exclusivity and performance in
an SUV to create a new niche. The body of the car shown at Frankfurt closely
reflects the final production version, although that will have bespoke Eterniti
LED headlamps and lenses. All panels are new and made of carbon composite. The
interior, which will be almost 100% unique to Eterniti, is in the final stages
of prototype testing and will be revealed later in the year.
Eterniti is
backed by a group of international investors and is an independent, boutique
British marque, uniquely based in London, where it is establishing a hub with
not only a showroom but an atelier and a build facility where bespoke vehicles
can be created and hand-built on-site to any specification required. The
facilities will be completed later this year, followed by further Eterniti-owned
showrooms from 2012 in key overseas markets.
The business aims to help
satisfy a growing demand for additional luxury and personalized specifications
among wealthy car buyers, particularly in major cities, global wealth centres
and emerging markets ranging from London to the Asia-Pacific region.
The
company's debut vehicle will be a first step towards becoming a fully-fledged
carmaker but will fully reflect the bespoke luxury objective. The Hemera will be
the first product in a space which Bentley, Maserati and Aston Martin, with the
Lagonda brand, have identified for future product. It will be based on the most
dynamic version of VW Group's latest-generation large SUV platform, the best in
the industry. At Eterniti it will undergo a complete chassis-up rebuild,
including a new, re-packaged interior, and the light-weight carbon-composite
re-skin. It will also have additional engine performance, with the 4.8-liter
twin-turbo V8 engine producing over 620 hp for a top speed in excess of 180 mph.
The Hemera will feature a limousine-like rear cabin, including twin
electrically-reclining rear seats with heating and cooling, twin iPads with
wireless keyboards, and a drinks chiller. This satisfies a specific - and
currently unmet - need, particularly in Asian markets, for a car suitable for
being chauffeured in as well as driving. Unlike a conventional limousine, an
SUV's relatively compact footprint and wheelbase allow it to offer excellent
handling and driver appeal, and the ride height and ruggedness are suitable for
poor road surfaces which can make limousines and conventional high-performance
cars impractical.
Production will start early in 2012, with deliveries by
the summer. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but will be around 150,000 GBP
($233,000) for the standard vehicle. Buyers will receive a full, three-year
warranty. Warranty and servicing work will be carried out on-site in London,
with collect-and-return and supplemented by a 'flying doctor' service. Customers
will have access to finance and insurance depending on the market.
People
Although Eterniti is basing its business case around meeting
market needs, its people have a passion for cars. The team has extensive
experience in retailing some of the most prestigious British and European luxury
and high-performance car brands, including Aston Martin, Porsche, Bentley and
Ferrari, in markets from the UK to Asia-Pacific. It has further experience in
motor sport.
The engineering team is led by Alastair Macqueen, who was
responsible for the development of the Jaguar XJ220 supercar to production and
has won the Le Mans 24-Hour race three times, with both Jaguar and Bentley.
Eterniti also has its own F1 driver, Johnny Herbert, like Macqueen victorious at
Le Mans but in addition a winner of three Grands Prix during a ten-year Formula
1 career, including one for the British Stewart team. Johnny will have an active
involvement in developing Eterniti vehicles as well as serving as an ambassador
for the brand. Alastair and Johnny have a long association, having both
graduated from the Eddie Jordan stable and then competed together at Bentley.
The trim operation is headed by one of the luxury car industry's leading
interior trim specialists, who has worked closely with marques including
Bentley.
Future
Eterniti has a long-term plan. It will be
opening an Asia-Pacific hub in Hong Kong in 2012, and showrooms in Tokyo and
Taipei are scheduled to open by the end of the year. Representation in China
will be established from 2013. The product plan includes a second Hemera
derivative for 2012. Plans for another SUV and a high-performance car which
could form the basis of a racing program are currently being developed.