Lotus has announced a new service that will offer buyers the chance to customise their cars to a far greater extent than was previously possible, up to and including the creation of ‘their own unique Lotus’. Dubbed ‘Lotus Chapman Bespoke’ and clearly intended to compete with similar programmes offered by rival carmakers, the new facility will launch in China next month and then roll out globally.
Named after Colin and Hazel Chapman, the personalisation service is available in three tiers: Tailor-made, Collection and One-off. Tailor-made, the simplest, offers a choice of colours and unspecified ‘exclusive personal touches and details’. Collection moves onto ‘limited-edition designs, brought to life in partnership with partners, artists and likeminded luxury brands’, while One-off, as the name suggests, permits the personalisation of an entire car.
“Many of our customers are looking for a bespoke experience; be that colour, texture, fabric, detail – and we are excited to see their individuality stamped on our cars around the world,” noted Ben Payne, VP Design at the Lotus Group. For now there is no additional detail on precisely how far the customisation process extends or which models it will apply to, although the pictures accompanying the release confirm that Lotus Chapman Bespoke certainly comes with its own unique black and gold badge. So there’s that.
If this all sounds like the sort of thing that would have its namesake spinning in his grave, then Lotus begs to differ. Qingfeng Feng, Lotus Group CEO reckons: “The story of Lotus is the story of a bespoke carmaker. The first cars were hand-drawn and hand-built at home by Colin Chapman, and that spirit lives on in us today.” Naming the service after its founder is apparently meant as the highest accolade.
Clive Chapman, son of Colin and Director of Classic Team Lotus, added: “Together my parents shared an extraordinary adventure. Their dynamic personalities created innovative designs for the drivers to enjoy. Now the drivers can enjoy creating their own innovations with Lotus Chapman Bespoke.”
Expect to hear more about the ‘almost unlimited combinations’ the manufacturer has in store when the service arrives in the UK, presumably in time for Emeya buyers to take full advantage.
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