The concept of a luxury supercar has become a bit humdrum, which must be why Maserati, Bentley and Lamborghini have recently announced their ‘super SUV’ plans and the reason behind the Eterniti Artemis.
The difference with Eterniti though is that, unlike the aforementioned manufacturers who have production plans for the future, the British firm’s Porsche Cayenne-based SUV is ready to roll now. The British firm says that the vehicle exhibited in Beijing is a ‘running prototype’ and is very close to the final production model that will go sale this summer.
Known previously as the Hemera, the renamed Artemis will have the power to keep up with its Bentley and Lamborghini rivals. Compared to the Hemera concept displayed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Artemis features a completely new front end with a very Jaguar-like grille and reshaped headlamps, while the SUV also sports different wheels and a decorative emblem on the sides. The body panels of the Artemis are made out of carbon composite materials and are hand-built.
The 4.8-litre twin-turbocharged Porsche-sourced V8 engine produces in excess of 441 kW of power and 750 Nm of torque, helping it storm from 0 – 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and push on all the way to 290 km/h. The car’s performance and handling have been developed by a race-bred British engineering team led by Alastair Macqueen – the man behind the Jaguar XJ220, which was the fastest road car at the time. The SUV rides on 23-inch wheels shod in high-performance tyres sized 315/25.
Inside, the Artemis sports a lavish interior to match its rivals and includes top-notch materials such as fine leathers, quilted undercarpets and boot trim, lambswool rugs, as well as wood veneers or carbon fibre trimings. In addition, Eterniti has made changes to the Porsche’s rear passenger compartment adding up to 100 mm of additional legroom by pushing back the twin reclining rear seats that come with heating and cooling, iPad-ready holders, as well as a drinks cooler.
The Eterniti Artemis is priced from £210 000 in the UK.
