The British magazine CAR had apparently got its hands on first images of the upcoming 2010 Lotus “Eagle” earlier. Powered by, of all things, a 3.5-litre Toyota V6 mounted behind the seats, it is supposed to a luxury cruiser alternative to the strippo Elise and barely-known Europa. “Eagle” was the codename for the car that eventually debuted as the new Lotus Evora at the British Auto Show.

The Toyota V6 is good 276 hp and 339 Nm of torque, which is unsurprisingly similar to the Aurion powerplant. The 2+2 seater should manage a 0-100 kph time of less than five seconds, with a top speed of 255 kph.

The leather cabin will include storage bins, cup-holders, LED mood-lighting, a/c, traction control, tyre pressure monitor and a CD stereo with 7-inch screen, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity.

Around 2000 units per year will be offered, starting in the first half of 2009, at a price beyond Dhs 300,000. It is not expected to come to the GCC.