This model is the start of a new dawn for Lotus. You’ll also get a change to see the Eletre close up. The Eletre is the first Lotus SUV – and one of the first all-electric cars from the brand. Mario Andretti took three victories – at the Spanish Grand Prix, and in France and Germany later in 1978, helping to bag the Driver’s Championship for the American. The following year, after the new Lotus 80 failed to live up to the pre-season hopes, 79/3 was pressed back into service by Andretti and Carlos Reutemann. It was the most successful of the five Lotus 79s built. The example on show will be chassis 79/3, otherwise known as JPS21.
This would, in turn, mean less drag. Its 480bhp came from a Ford Cosworth DFV engine, and the 79 was constructed from sheet-aluminium honeycomb. Changes included refinements to the underside, such as venturi tunnels that allowed the low-pressure area to be evenly spaced down the length of the car. To aid this, the rear bodywork and suspension were designed in a way that would allow the air to exit in a cleaner fashion, thus meaning a smaller rear wing could be fitted. The Lotus 79 was one of the first Formula 1 machines to use ground effects, following on from the pioneering developments on the Lotus 78. Mario Andretti took the Lotus 79/3 to the Formula 1 World Championship in 1978. Although the cars on show will be very different, both hold true to the British brand’s ethos. Lotus is bringing an example of its glorious motor-racing past and it bright electric future to London’s Concours on Savile Row (May 24-25, 2023), in association with The Deck. This was the dream - somebody pinch me! It was like getting a personal (but violent) tour of the moon with the late Neil Armstrong.Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: Lotus/Classic Team Lotus After exiting turn 4 a foot from the wall, we flashed down the front straight and across the famous yard of bricks at 202 mph! Teeth chattering, my helmet felt like it was about to fly off in the open-cockpit car as we dove down and hugged the white line at the inside of the track.
On the back straight we accelerated to over 180 mph in top gear, and I braced for turns 3 and 4 where many accidents, some fatal, have occurred at Indy. As our speed increased, I began to feel the G-forces crush my body against the right side of the car. By the time we were in the short chute between turns 1 and 2, the car was above 140 mph.
The Go Pros were turned on and off we went.Īfter a slow warm-up lap zig-zagging to heat the tires, Andretti gunned the engine and accelerated into turn 1, banked at nine degrees. When my name was called - I was first of the 33 - I belted snugly into the claustrophobic seat with a five-point harness. Upon meeting my fellow ridealongs, I was fitted with a fireproof driving suit and crash helmet, signed waivers and posed for photos.
0 kommentar(er)
