The Eagle has landed – at last! After months of spy shots, Auto Express can finally bring you the first official picture of Lotus' new sports car, known as Project Eagle. The latest incarnation of the Elise, it's a 2+2 that's aimed squarely at Porsche's Cayman with a price tag of around £45,000 and power from a 276bhp 3.5-litre V6 engine.
Boasting a wheelbase around 280mm longer than the Elise, the Eagle has two rear seats – big enough for small children Lotus says – and enough boot space for a set of golf clubs. Up front, the cabin is more luxurious than the Elise or Europa with higher quality materials and a touchscreen satnav system that includes connectivity for MP3 players and Bluetooth.
Sourced from Toyota, the 276bhp 3.5-litre V6 engine has been modified by Lotus, getting variable valve timing. Although the project still has six months of development ahead of it, and no official performance figures are available, Lotus expects a sub-four second 0-60mph time and a top speed in excess of 160mph. Its handling has been tuned at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany.