Sadly, Lotus wasn't present at last year's Geneva Motor Show. The money just wasn't there to fund an exhibit. That's just one example of the storied UK sports carmaker's recent rough finances. Fortunately, over the past year things have been looking up and the right man with the right experience has taken the reigns at Hethel. And yes, Lotus will return to Geneva this year with "an exciting new car." Well, it's almost new. As we've previously reported, a heavily facelifted Evora has been in the works over the past several months.

It appears to be ready to go. This is what Lotus is referring to as "new." But you know what? We'll take it. Anything "new" coming out of Lotus these days is good news. We've been told to expect significant Evora styling changes and various technical improvements. It'll also reportedly lose some weight. So where did Lotus find the money to fund this upgraded Evora? Global sales are up by 54 percent in the past nine months alone, thanks partly to the addition of 25 new dealers. Word also has it that the Exige is undergoing major enhancements. If all goes to plan, it'll debut later this year.