LOS ANGELES: Lotus has brought history back to life with the world premiere of the Type 66 – and confirmed the stunning track-only car will go into production.
Each example will cost in excess of £1 million.
This unique project was unveiled at ‘The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering’ as part of Monterey Car Week in California, USA.
The Type 66 is a new, ultra-exclusive, low-volume car and was launched in Lotus’ 75th anniversary year.
Only 10 examples of this ‘rediscovered and reimagined’ Lotus V8 will be built.
It’s a total selected to commemorate the number of races the Type 66 would have competed in during the 1970 season.
The car made its public debut in a heritage-inspired livery – reflecting the red, white and gold colours Lotus raced in during the early Seventies – and which could have adorned the Type 66, alongside the all-conquering Lotus Type 72 F1 car.
At the heart of the Type 66 is a period-representative V8 push-rod engine.
It’s mid-mounted for optimised handling, tuned by Lotus to produce more than 830bhp at 8,800rpm.
Bespoke modern-day components include a forged crank, rod and pistons, which generate torque of more than 746 Nm at 7,400rpm.
The iconic Can-Am-inspired air intake ‘trumpets’ take centre stage at the top of the engine.
The Type 66 features modern comforts such as an EPASS motorsport power steering column, a sequential racing gearbox with reverse, a race ABS braking system, an anti-stall multi-plate clutch and a fixed rollover bar.
New features to the vehicle include a modernised driver compartment, inboard fuel cell, sequential transmission and anti-stall system. Everything is contained in a full carbon fibre bodyshell.
More than 1,000 hours of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) work has gone into the programme, resulting in downforce in excess of 800kg at 150mph.
Advanced ‘driver-in-the-loop’ technology has been used to test how the vehicle would perform on race tracks around the globe, such as Laguna Seca, Silverstone, Fuji and Spa.
Thanks to modern-day engineering and ingenuity, the Type 66 now matches the dynamic performance and lap times of a modern GT3 race car.
Simon Lane, executive director, Lotus Advanced Performance, said: “The Type 66 perfectly blends the past and present. It takes drivers back in time, to the iconic design, sound and pure theatre of motorsport more than 50 years ago, with added 21st century performance and safety. This is a truly unique project and in our 75th anniversary year it’s the perfect gift from Lotus, to fans worldwide and to a handful of customers.”
He continued: “While the visual expression is strikingly similar to what could have been – including the period-correct white, red and gold graphics – the technology and mechanical underpinnings of the Lotus Type 66 represent the very best in today’s advanced racing performance.”
Crucial to the development of the Type 66 programme has been Clive Chapman, managing director of Classic Team Lotus and son of Colin Chapman. It was documents held by Clive which allowed the Lotus Design team to bring the car to life.
He commented: “The car would have shared many innovative features with our most successful F1 chassis, the Lotus Type 72, which was developed during the same era. These include side-mounted radiators which helped reduce front drag, increase front downforce and channel airflow through and over the car. The rear of the car incorporates a distinctive tail section, resembling the Le Mans endurance cars of the period. These features would have boosted its downforce considerably, compared to rivals, aiding high-speed stability and ultimately its lap times. It would have been spectacular, as is the actual Type 66 we see today.”
