Recent years have seen a plethora of new build classic cars. Whether they be recreations, or modern interpretations, they provide classic style but embrace modern technology to improve performance and safety.
These cars are made possible by new technologies such as 3D modelling and new materials that allow short production runs. But most important to the success of these vehicles has been the growth of wealthy individuals, too poor to go to space, too weathy to leave the money in the bank.
I love to see these vehicles, I love the designs, the technology, the engineering and the sheer audacity and commitment of the builders. But I do have a concern. We are custodians of our cars for future generations, just like art or a good quality watch. We are obligated to share our passion and to inspire and educate others. But what happens to these million pound cars. Do they just get locked away in a private garage never to be seen again. Do they only run on private track days where only a privileged few get to see and hear them.
I have tremendous respect for the classic and historic racing community who, despite the values of their cars, still get out on race and rally days so that enthusiasts can appreciate them and pass on our interest to future generations.
I have just added three new cars to my Hot Wheels car collection and I am particularly pleased with the Mazda Cosmo Sport. As I did this it occurred to me that many of these million pound plus cars are a rich persons equivalent of my HotWheels collection. Never taken out of the packaging, never played with, just sat in my office for me to enjoy. But having said that, the world would be a poorer place without the innovation and engineering of these specialist companies.
So the latest offering is from Lotus with the world premiere of the Type 66 who have confirmed the stunning track-only car will go into production. The Type 66 is a new, ultra-exclusive, low-volume car from Lotus. It brings to life a ‘lost Lotus’ drawing board programme from their motorsport heritage, combining it with today’s state-of-the-art racing technology and components.
With his eyes on the high-profile and commercially lucrative Can-Am Series, Lotus founder Colin Chapman tasked Team Lotus draughtsman Geoff Ferris to launch the Type 66 project to evaluate how Lotus design principles could be applied to this exciting category. Chapman’s primary focus on Formula 1 meant the innovative project never went beyond technical drawings and scale models. In a fitting tribute to their racing pedigree and heritage, Lotus fulfilled the original vision 53 years after the designer first put pen to paper.
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.
The Type 66 is one of the most exclusive projects Lotus has ever undertaken and each example will cost in excess of £1million.
The Lotus Type 66 has benefitted from more than half a century of technical progress since it was imagined to optimise its design, engineering and manufacture. Using state-of-the-art computer software, the team led by Russell Carr, Design Director, Lotus, digitised a series of 1/4 and 1/10th scale drawings supplied by Clive Chapman and created 3D renders to provide an entirely new perspective of the vehicle. The original sketches were true to Colin Chapman’s early designs, featuring a cockpit enclosure that would reduce drag and improve airflow to the rear wing.
In order to conform to modern safety standards and to ensure 21st century driver confidence, the original designs were delicately reinterpreted. 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.
The front wing was designed to channel air from the front of the car, through and underneath the rear wing, generating more downforce than the vehicle’s total weight at full speed. This sense of porosity, where air travels through a vehicle, rather than around it, remains a signature element of Lotus vehicle design today and is seen on the Emira sports car, Eletre SUV and Evija hypercar.
Optimised aerodynamics has been part of the Lotus DNA for all of its 75 years, and the Type 66 is no exception. 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. That’s far more than the original underbody design would have been able to manage, enhancing both driver safety and vehicle performance for quicker lap times.
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. On some circuits, such as Laguna Seca, simulator work suggests it could actually be quicker.
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. These not only smooth out the air intake to create laminar flow for smooth power delivery and better driveability.
To ensure drivers can unlock maximum performance when on track, 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.