Matt Prior: Mansory’s gaudy tune-ups are so bad they’re good

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And I love it. Not because ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, because if that was true and so there were no science or objectivity to aesthetics, you wouldn’t be able to study design at university. No, I love that, even if some of its output is a little squiffy proportionally, it puts huge energy into making cars for people who love them and who want to express themselves with them. It isn’t my form of art, but it is art.

Besides that, are they so bad? Do you really think the Coastline looks worse than the original Cullinan? There are cars that look a bit like Mansory’s in my virtual garage in Grand Theft Auto. And that aqua-blue interior in a Cullinan may make me feel slightly queasy, but I own a 1973 Baja Beetle in which it would look utterly fantastic.

Also, this particular Cullinan has been pictured with different wheels on each side of the car, which is probably for the marketing photos but actually a work of genius. Can’t decide which set of alloys you like? Pick one for each side; it’s not like you’ll ever see the two together.

Most of all, though, I like Mansory and others of its ilk because, while there are plenty of people in the world who would like to see the back of cars completely, they make cars for those who unashamedly champion them far and wide. I’m for anyone who celebrates anything automotive.

And if it’s not my cup of tea? Well, I don’t have to drink it.

Toyota 222D – the Group S Rally Car

This 560kW rallying MR2 could have seen Toyota conquer the stages, but instead fate intervened
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Further Reading

Xiaomi SU7: China’s Taycan rival offers more performance at half the price

It might not be quite as handsome as the Porsche it apes, but with a claimed driving range of 800km and a 3.0-second run to 100km/h, the Xiaomi SU7 should prove compelling