Trading one Greek mythology name for another, London-based boutique luxury carmaker Eterniti has renamed the Hemera to Artemis, but that’s not the only change for the coachbuilt Porsche Cayenne, which was presented at the Auto China 2012 in Beijing.
The British firm says that the vehicle exhibited in Beijing is a ‘running prototype’ and is very close to the final production model that will go sale this summer.
Compared to the Hemera concept displayed at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Artemis features a completely new front end with a very Jaguar-like grille and reshaped headlamps, while the SUV also sports different wheels and a decorative emblem on the sides.
Eterniti makes a point to note that the body panels of the Artemis are made out of carbon composite materials and are hand-built.
The Beijing model also affords us our first view of the interior that has been overly luxed-up with top-notch materials including fine leathers, quilted undercarpets and boot trim, lambswool rugs, and wood veneers or real carbon fiber trims.
In addition, Eterniti has made changes to the Porsche’s rear passenger compartment adding up to 100mm of additional legroom by pushing back the twin reclining rear seats that come with heating and cooling, iPad-ready holders with electronic reveal, and a drinks chiller.
The Artemis is powered by a Porsche Cayenne-sourced 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 engine spitting out 591hp (600PS) and 750Nm (553 lb ft) torque, good enough for a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 290km/h (180mph +).
The SUV rides on 23-inch wheels shod in high-performance tires size 315/25.
Eterniti claims that the Artemis will compete against the top offerings in the luxury SUV segment including the future Bentley SUV and Maserati Kubang.
The company said that the model displayed at the Beijing show is priced at the local currency equivalent of £210,000 (US$335,000 or €255,000) plus local taxes in all markets except China.
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