Paris Show: Lotus wants to Take on Aston Martin Rapide with New Eterne Sports Saloon

In an attempt to enter the 4-door coupe market, Lotus brought a sedan - you read that right - to the Paris Motor Show. The Eterne is the new Lotus 4-door (other Loti saloons include the 377HP twin-turbocharged Lotus Carlton / Omega of the early 1990s, and they sure are cool); it uses a Lotus-tuned new bad boy engine borrowed from Lexus.

This means that sitting under the hood is a high-output forced-induction 5.0-liter V8. As with the Esprit and Elite, the Eterne will offer optional hybrid power and KERS.

An added bonus is available AWD. The Eterne provides seating for four passengers in an 1,800-kilo package that will cost approximately £120,000 [~ US$190,500 at today's exchange rates] before options.

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2015 Lotus Elise Appears in Paris - With Live Pictures and Video

The new Lotus Elise jumps into entirely new styling territory, not so much evolving from the current model but fully reinventing itself as a baby Esprit. The only similarities are the mid-engine layout driving the rear wheels and 2-seats around corners.

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Paris: Lotus Shows off New Elan, Begs the Question: What will Happen to the Evora?

Next up on our Lotus debut circus is the Elan, a small 2-seater (with an optional 2+2 layout) sitting somewhere between the Evora and the Esprit. Looking very similar to the Esprit (and in the rest of the new Lotus coupes), the Elan gets its power from a high-output Toyota-sourced V6 and, also like its new big brother, optional KERS and hybrid systems. Scroll on down for all the Lotus-certified facts.

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Paris Show: New Lotus Esprit Flagship with 620HP Lexus V8 in the Flesh and on Video

[Updated gallery] Lotus pounced on Paris like a rabid hyena, debuting no less than 6 all-new models. With the new Esprit, a car everyone has been waiting for, Lotus answered some important questions regarding its future mid-engined 2-seat monster. Scroll on down for video, pics, and all the basic info necessary to make a very important decision: to buy an Esprit or not to buy an Esprit?

Using the same supercharged 620-horsepower 5.0-liter Lexus V8 found in the Elite GT we recently showed you, and coming in at 1,450 kg, the Esprit is going to be a bit on the fast side (even in optional hybrid form).

If you're interested in picking up the new Lotus performance flagship, the price of entry will start at a cool £110,000 (about US$175,00 at today's exchange rates) come spring 2013.

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James Bond Style Lotus Evora Captured Filming in the Alps

Courtesy of Carscoop reader Allison P. coming straight out of my home town are these pictures of a probably-rocket-equipped Lotus Evora captured during a ski trip in Chamonix in the French Alps.

Here's what Allison had to tell us about her encounter with the Evora and the film crew:

"I'm just on a skiing holiday now in Chamonix in the French Alps and have seen loads of commotion around a film set. I watched an action stunt scene being filmed with tons of crews and papparazzi swarming! I especially noticed a flashy new Lotus Evora being used in the filming. Is there any way that this could be for the new James Bond film?"

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