Even if the Eagle GT is hidden under this old Esprit body panels, trust us, deep under is indeed Lotus’ new £45,000 GT model. The four-seat mid-sized coupe, codenamed "Eagle" is the company’s most important model since the original Elise. The new Gt will go on sale in 2009.

The 2009 Eagle GT is powered by a mid-mounted Toyota V6 engine that develops around 300 hp. The body structure is based on a stretched version of the Elise’s aluminum monocoque, with an extra row of seats squeezed into the rear. The engine will be matted with a semi automatic paddle-shift gearbox.

Autocar reports that there will be seven versions of the Eagle, including a convertible.

After Eagle, Lotus will launch a successor for the Esprit, due in 2010. The new Esprit is rumored to share similar styling with the 2000 M250 concept.