Eterniti Motors, the London-based boutique luxury carmaker, officially launched its production-specification version of its first model, the Artemis Super-SUV. (The Artemis was previously shown as an engineering prototype at Beijing’s Auto China 2012 international motor show in April.)
The 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. It comes to the market ahead of projected luxury SUVs from Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati.
The Super-SUV has a limousine-like rear cabin featuring standard-setting legroom, twin reclining rear seats with heating and cooling, iPad-ready holders with electronic reveal, and a drinks chiller with crystal glasses. This satisfies a specific and growing demand, particularly in Asian markets, for a car suitable for chauffeured transport and also for 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. With all these attributes in one package, the Artemis is projected as the ultimate crossover.
Eterniti is now!
The interior is lavishly handcrafted in Britain, with a specification also including the finest leathers, quilted floor coverings and boot trim, lambs wool rugs, veneers including natural woods, piano black and carbon fiber, and the no-cost option of starlight roof lining. Thousands of combinations of exterior and interior trims mean that every car can be made unique.
The body panels are carbon composite and also hand-built, and finished in a large choice of paint colors, complemented by different chrome trim styles. Ultra-low profile 315/25 tyres sit on dedicated 23″ super-lightweight forged alloy rims in a variety of styles.
The 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine comes from Porsche and produces at least 600 bhp (441 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb ft) torque, can accelerate from 0-100 kph in 4.5 secs and can exceed 290 kph, making it the fastest large SUV available. Performance and handling have been developed by a race-bred British engineering team led by Alastair Macqueen. Macqueen previously developed the Jaguar XJ220 to production, then the world’s fastest road car, and has engineered three outright Le Mans 24 Hour race wins for Jaguar and Bentley.
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, Rolls Royce, Bentley and Ferrari, in markets from the UK to Asia-Pacific.
