Lotus Eagle - more details

Lotus will unveil the Eagle sportscar in July at the British Motor Show. The latest spy shots revealed that the front doors that are carefully crafted to ease access to the rear cabin.

Eagle is just a codename for the new 2+2 project. The finished car will carry a new ’E’ badge.

The future sportscar will be powered by 3458cc V6 engine from Toyota. That 24-valve V6 has variable valve timing and pumps out 262bhp at 6200rpm and 248lb ft at 4700rpm.

The Eagle will get a composite roof as a stressed structural member - helping to make the coupe unusually rigid. Boffins among you will be impressed by the claimed vehicle stiffness of 26,000Nm per degree.

The lightweight construction will keep mass low; Lotus claims the bare front module of the Eagle weighs a paltry 25kg. And the suspension - double wishbones at all four corners - features arms made of forged aluminium to cut unsprung mass, instead of the steel wishbones on the Elise, Exige and Europa. The dampers are supplied by Bilstein, the springs by Eibach.