Wednesday July 16, 06:50 PM
Lotus Gears Up For Milestone Launch
By Sky News
Lotus has finally allowed motorists to sneak a peek at a new roadster whose design has been cloaked in secrecy for years. Thousands of pounds have been offered for images and information on the car, but it is not until now that the British manufacturer
has publicly released a picture.
With no official name yet, the car has been dubbed 'Project Eagle' and looks set to go on sale in 2009.
The model will be the first to be released by the Norwich-based company since the iconic Elise in 1995.
Lotus chief executive Mike Kimberley said: "This is the biggest milestone Lotus has achieved since the Elise was born 13 years ago."
The Eagle comes with a price tag of £60,000 and, unlike a traditional two-seater sports car, has been designed to seat four.
It is capable of speeds of up to 160mph and can reach 0-60mph in less than five seconds.
Sky motoring expert Alistair Weaver said: "It's a terrific new car and we hope it's part of a bright new future for the brand.
"Lotus have not been too over ambitious with it and have kept it sensible. While it looks quite fussy in pictures, we should reserve judgement on it until it is out on the road in amongst traffic.
"The only slight disappointment I would express with it is that it is not as lightweight as we might expect but it has an excellent horsepower so we expect it to give a strong performance."
A number of celebrities are queuing up to test drive the new Lotus, including stars Patrick Dempsey and Jay Leno.
Jamiroquai singer and renowned car fanatic Jay Kay and rugby player Gavin Henson have also expressed an interest.
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