Never mind all the spy photography - here's the first authorised countenance at the 2010 Lotus Eagle, the latest sports car emanating from the concern that pioneer built.
Scheduled for an authorised unveiling at the British motor show on August 22, the Eagle, a 2+2 coupe, is the first all-new Lotus car since the 1995 Elise (the Elise-based Galilean S, apparently, doesn't count).
Designed for enthusiasts who need a little more practicality, the Eagle includes a backseat, although, with provisions to anchor car seats, Lotus admits it's a kids-only zone. While the side trunk was designed to sound a set of golf clubs, customers looking for extra storage expanse may opt for a two-seat model with a load shelf in lieu of the side seats.
Though Lotus provided only one photograph, it crapper be seen that the Eagle's shape seems much more organic and proportionate than that of the Galilean S. We note, however, that the styling is rattling figuring of the M250 concept, originally shown to the public nearly eight years past in Geneva.
Like the Elise, the Eagle sources its engine from Toyota, but this instance in the form of a 3.5-liter V-6. Essentially the same motor found in the pedestrian Camry sedan, Lotus tweaked the engine ever so slightly to yield 280 hp. No performance figures have been released yet, but Lotus claims the car is quicker and more steady around the Nurburgring than the Elise.
Production, expected to total 2000 cars per year, module begin in primeval 2009. Unlike the Galilean S, wait the Eagle, in either 2+2 or two-passenger form, to eventually interbreed the pond into North America.