With a whole raft of new models in the pipeline, Lotus has some very big plans for the future. But what does that mean for its existing lineup – most notably the Evora, the newest among them? Earlier reports indicated that Lotus was working on a substantial facelift for the mid-engined 2+2 to bring it in line with its more aggressive new design language. And it very well might be still. But that’s not what Lotus has in store for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

@funkmasterflex

Instead, Lotus is asking the public, “Is it always wise to customize?” Well from our point of view, it’s certainly not always prudent, but it can be sometimes. From our perspective, precious few of those times, unfortunately, are realized when Mansory is involved, as the tuner dubiously improves on production vehicles as it typically does with outlandish paint jobs and garish interiors. But every once in a while, Mansory gives an existing car a re-skin – usually in carbon fiber – that makes us stop and take another look. Like the Aston Martin DB9 Cyrus and the Bugatti Veyron Vincero. And so it appears to have done with the Lotus Evora.

Commissioned by the factory, Mansory’s take on the Evora is meant to demonstrate what’s possible in the aftermarket. It looks kitted-out with enough carbon to make an F1 car jealous, but we’ll reserve final judgment for when we see it in person at the fast-approaching show.