Eterniti Motors, the London-based boutique luxury carmaker, today unveils the
engineering prototype of its first car at Beijing's Auto China 2012
international motor show.
The vehicles on display are in-use, running prototypes so do not represent the
final finish quality but do closely reflect the definitive interior and exterior
styling.
The car, named Artemis, is the world's first Super-SUV - a term created by
Eterniti for a new class of vehicle providing the higher levels of luxury,
performance and exclusivity demanded by today's wealthy car buyers but which
have not been available until now.
The car will be in production by summer 2012, beating Bentley, Lamborghini and
Maserati's luxury SUV offerings to market. Orders can be taken now through
Eterniti's sales operations in Europe (London) and Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong and
Taipei), for deliveries starting in autumn 2012.
The car has a limousine-like rear cabin featuring up to 100mm of additional
legroom, twin reclining rear seats with heating and cooling, iPad-ready holders
with electronic reveal, and a drinks chiller. This satisfies a specific need,
particularly in Asian markets, for a car suitable for both being chauffeured in
and driving for pleasure. Unlike a conventional limousine, an SUV can 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 completely impractical. The Artemis is the ultimate
crossover.
The interior is lavishly handcrafted, with a specification also including the
finest leathers, quilted undercarpets and boot trim, lambswool rugs, veneers
including natural woods, piano black and carbon fiber, a choice of sunroofs and
starlight roof lining, and a state-of-the-art audio system.
The body panels are carbon composite and hand-built, and finished in a large
choice of paint colors, complemented by different chrome trim styles. Ultra-low
profile 315/25 tires sit on dedicated 23-inch super-lightweight forged alloy
rims in a variety of styles.
The 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine produces over 600 hp (441 kW) and 553 lb-ft
(750 Nm) torque, can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.3 secs and can exceed
180 mph (290 km/h). Performance and handling have been developed by a race-bred
British engineering team led by Alastair Macqueen. Macqueen previously developed
to production the Jaguar XJ220, then the world's fastest road car, and has
engineered three outright Le Mans 24 Hour race wins for Jaguar and Bentley.
The car has been test-driven by F1 Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert, who will
play an ongoing role in product development as well as being an ambassador for
the brand.
With a similar specification to the Beijing show vehicles the Eterniti Artemis
is priced at the local currency equivalent of 210,000 GBP plus local taxes in
all markets except China, which will have a unique pricing strategy. A fully
bespoke service will also be offered for customers wanting complete
personalization.
Eterniti is establishing a network of wholly-owned showrooms in key centers. Its
London headquarters also has an atelier and a build facility where vehicles can
be created and hand-built on-site to any specification. The facilities will be
completed by July, followed later in the year by Eterniti-owned showrooms in
Taipei and Hong Kong, which will serve as the company's Asia-Pacific hub, with
Tokyo following next year. The company is actively looking for retail partners
to develop representation in China during 2013.
Cars will be covered by a full two-year, 100,000-mile warranty including
servicing, and UK customers will have access to finance and insurance.