- The $237,000 Porsche fighter is based on...a Porsche?
- Etertini says it plans to tweak the Cayenne's twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8 to deliver 620 horsepower, enabling a top speed of 180 mph — while aiming the product at wealthy chauffeur-driven clients in Asia, among others.
- But wait, there's more: at least one more Hemera derivative in 2012, perhaps another SUV and maybe a high-performance car.
FRANKFURT, Germany — After weeks of teasing the public with sketches, photos and the occasional tidbit of news, London-based Eterniti Motors publicly unveiled its new — and oddly named — Hemera here at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Once the wraps were finally pulled away, two details became immediately apparently: The Hemera looks like a Porsche Cayenne (sort of). And it is most definitely based on a Cayenne. And not necessarily in a good way, despite Eterniti's hyperbolic claim that the Hemera is "the world's first super SUV" that will "create a new niche."
The company, which describes itself as "an independent, boutique British marque," says it is aiming the Hemera at wealthy car buyers, particularly in Asia, with prices starting from around $237,000. But the business premise seems a bit schizophrenic, to say the least.
Eterniti says it plans to tweak the Cayenne's twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8 to deliver 620 horsepower, enabling a top speed of 180 mph. But it's also pouring extra money into a "limousine-like" rear compartment to make it more suitable for affluent business people who prefer to be chauffeur-driven.
Incidentally, those performance claims are a shade better than those of the latest Cayenne Turbo, which makes only 500 hp and can reach just over 170 mph. But the uber-Porsche costs way less, at $107,000.
Eterniti says its production center in London is being set up to hand-build Hemeras to customer order. The first deliveries are expected next summer.
The company coyly says the Hemera is based on "the most dynamic version of VW Group's latest-generation large SUV platform (which will) undergo a complete chassis-up rebuild, including a new, re-packaged interior, and (a) light-weight carbon-composite re-skin."
The Frankfurt showcar was a late-stage prototype that "closely reflects the final production version," according to Eterniti. The interior wasn't finished, but is "in the final stages of prototype testing and will be revealed later in the year," it added.
In addition to its London showroom, Eterniti is planning to open additional facilities within the year in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei, with China on the radar for 2013.
Eterniti promises at least one more Hemera derivative next year, while hinting at perhaps another SUV and maybe a high-performance car "which could form the basis of a racing program."
Inside Line says: This all sounds wildly ambitious for a brand-new company that has yet to show off its ballyhooed backseat to prospective buyers. Eterniti says the Hemera is aimed at upcoming luxury SUVs from Bentley, Maserati and Aston Martin. A repurposed Cayenne with a fancier rear seat, at double the price of the Porsche, might not cut it among that rather choosy clientele.
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lolxd says:
09:29 AM, 09/18/2011
My first impression is Porsche Cayenne but better looking. The rear end of the new Cayenne looks too Audi-ish to me. I rather the old one.
What Eterniti should have done though is a 4 door fastback sedan. It would end up looking like a Panamera but hey, I think Eterniti could pull the rear end off better than Porsche.
If this is a proper off roader (which I think will not), I'd have a new SUV to ogle at other than the existing Cayenne and Range Rover. A good competition to the upcoming Maserati SUV they've recently revealed.
The problem is though, the Price is just too steep. Only an idiot would buy this thing for $200,00+. I'll say give Eterniti about 1.5 years until they disappear from the car world. By then, I'll have the Range Rover or Maserati SUV to choose.
isend2c says:
02:29 PM, 09/16/2011
Why would anybody buy this? I sincerely hope that retarded companies like this go bankrupt quickly... What a waste of everything.
pei_asdf says:
10:25 AM, 09/16/2011
dennerline says: "MORE scoops, MORE vents, MORE fins.......looks like a tweeking Cayenne with acne and bad teeth...."
That's call sophistication you unwashed American.
dennerline says:
10:05 AM, 09/16/2011
MORE scoops, MORE vents, MORE fins.......looks like a tweeking Cayenne with acne and bad teeth....
jscion says:
10:05 AM, 09/16/2011
Yeah, who thought this was a good idea is right!!! Launching a luxury brand with a rebadged variant of another product that's been already been over stretched between too many different brands is absolutely STUPID!!! How many versions of this VW luxo sport-ute do we really need. It competes in the same market the Cayenne does and looks very similar so what's the point!?!?!? Between this and poorly executed, cheap, flimsey new VW and Audi products I'd say VW better start get a clue.
rayzor says:
08:56 AM, 09/16/2011
Honestly, for the $$$ they are asking for, I could buy my own Porsche Cayenne, and after-market it to the Nth degree myself...Another after-market tuner turned car-manufacturer; I'll pass!
bengal3200 says:
08:47 AM, 09/16/2011
I think it's pretty cool looking, I mean, for what it is. But I wouldn't really compare it to a Cayenne, or any SUV. It looks more like a wagon to me, it's too low to be an SUV. I would compare it more to the CTS-V wagon, or RIP-ing Magnum SRT8. Doesn't M-B make some AMG wagon, also? Or maybe it could compete with the big sedan/coupes like the Panamera or the Rapide. I'd say that is more the competition than an SUV.
silverstang1 says:
08:46 AM, 09/16/2011
I know right?! fast car with a nice back seat.....why would you want to have your driver speeding while you are in the back seat? Or if your driving then the back seat shouldnt be too important.
richard_c0509 says:
08:41 AM, 09/16/2011
Boo! Who thought this was a good idea???