New London-based sports car brand Eterniti will have a showroom, atelier and build facility in the capital when it launches with its first model the Hemera next year.

More Eterniti-owned showrooms will be launched in overseas markets next year too.

The Hermera “super-SUV” is based on a Porsche Cayenne platform and the brand believes it can compete with Bentley, Maserati and Aston Martin’s Lagonda brand.

Eterniti will re-package the Cayenne with a new interior and light-weight carbon-composite re-skin. It will also have additional engine performance, with the 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine producing over 620bhp for a top speed in excess of 180mph.

 

Standard equipment includes twin electrically-reclining rear seats with heating and cooling, twin iPads with wireless keyboards, and a drinks chiller.

Eterniti says the specification satisfies what it believes is a currently unmet need, particularly in Asian markets, suitable for being chauffeured as well as driving.

Production will start early in 2012, with deliveries by the summer. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but will be around £150,000 for the standard vehicle.

Buyers will receive a three-year warranty. Warranty and servicing work will be carried out on-site in London, with collect-and-return and supplemented by a ‘flying doctor’ service. Customers will have access to finance and insurance depending on the market.

The engineering team for Eterniti is led by Alastair Macqueen, who was responsible for the development of the Jaguar XJ220 supercar to production and has won the Le Mans 24-Hour race three times, with both Jaguar and Bentley.

Eterniti also has ex-F1 and Le Mans driver Johnny Herbert as an ambassador for the brand. Herbert will have an “active role in developing Eterniti vehicles”.

The new brand plans to debut in the Asia-Pacific hun in Hong Kong in 2012 and will launch showrooms in Tokyo and Taipei before the end of next year.

Representation in China will be established from 2013. The product plan includes a second Hemera derivative for 2012. Plans for another SUV and a high-performance car which could form the basis of a racing programme are currently being developed.