If the Lamborghini Urus tickled your fancy when it was unveiled yesterday, but wasn’t quite as expensive as you’d hoped it would be; don’t worry, as there’s another stupidly powerful SUV at the Beijing Motor Show that may fit the bill.
It’s the Eterniti Artemis, and it’s a production ready concept vehicle described as “the ultimate crossover” and the “world’s first super-SUV.” If you’ve not heard of the company making these bold claims before, don’t be that surprised, as they’re an independent luxury car manufacturer from the UK, and this is the first time the Artemis has gone on display.
While Eterniti may not have the same pull as the Lamborghini name, the Artemis has a fine pedigree. It’s based on a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, but has been reworked by an engineering team led by Alastair MacQueen, the same man behind several Le Mans wins for Jaguar and Bentley, plus the Jaguar XJ220 road car.
The Cayenne’s 4.8-liter, twin-turbo V8, already producing 493 horsepower, has been subtly tuned to produce 600 horsepower, and a new exhaust system has had the catalytic converters removed, which should make it sound exactly like it looks. A 0-60 time of 4.5-seconds and a 180 miles-per-hour top speed have both been given.
Although the Cayenne’s look is still visible, the Artemis’ body has all new, hand-finished panels made from carbon composite; resulting in a muscular, tough exterior with a gaping mouth influenced by Maserati and Aston Martin. You can’t call it pretty, but it’s certainly imposing.
The bespoke theme continues inside, with more room for passengers in the back, lambswool rugs over quilted carpet, a choice of veneers including piano black and carbon fiber, plus everything from a “starlight” roof to motorized iPad holders too.
If you’re considering taking the Artemis for a little spin off-road, you may want to do something with the rims first, as the 23-inch wheels are wrapped in 315/25 profile tires — which will hardly make for the best ride quality on-road, let alone off.
Amazingly, this little firm expects to start production of the Artemis in the summer, with deliveries beginning in the fall. This beats not only Lamborghini, but Bentley too.
The car is being aimed at Asian markets, but will be available all over the world, and the price will be a minimum of £252,000 after taxes. That’s $406,000. As a comparison, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, even if you go mad with the options, shouldn’t cost you more than $150,000.
You can see the Artemis in action below.
