Lotus unveils Type 66 track car at Monterey Car Week

[TomE]

Another special project from Lotus, only 10 of the Type 66 will be built and will cost over £1m each.

Type 66 - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

 

[Jack Stone]

The stillborn Lotus Type 66 has been ‘reimagined’ as a £1m track car, powered by an 830bhp “period-representative” V8, tuned by Lotus. Carbonfibre body and redesigned floor produces 800kg of downforce at 150mph. 0-60mph in under 3s and a top speed approaching 200mph.
Motorsport mag: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/...otus-can-am-monster-unveiled-as-1m-track-car/

Pics via Lotus

 

[dgrace]

 

[Eagle7]

Reminds me a lot of the old Can-Am McLarens of the 1960's, probably why they called it the Type 66.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Is today April 1st?

 

[Jack Stone]

1960s Team Lotus Can-Am design study. Artwork from 2016 Motorsport article contributed by Clive Chapman...

The forgotten Lotus 66 Can-Am car

McLaren and Lola were already there, so why shouldn’t Lotus join the Brits at the Can-Am party? Planned but never realised, this is what Colin Chapman envisaged writer Clive Chapman…

www.motorsportmagazine.com

 

[TXEMIRA]

Man… they did a layoff, #soon became a joke, “for the drivers” disappeared, and the Emira has been delayed repeatedly (in the US). BUT they put together 10 cars for fun… I can’t imagine being employed at Lotus and thinking good thoughts about these decisions…

 

[Porter]

Man… they did a layoff, #soon became a joke, “for the drivers” disappeared, and the Emira has been delayed repeatedly (in the US). BUT they put together 10 cars for fun… I can’t imagine being employed at Lotus and thinking good thoughts about these decisions…

Different team entirely.

 

[Lotustoronto]

it's cool, but not my cup of tea and for 1 Mil... I guess there's 10 ppl somewhere that will buy it.

 

[KusaKusa]

Guess Lotus has to cash out on their racing heritage nostalgia, before everyone who remembers it dies of old age.

 

[Jack Stone]

This has been a long-running project under the new Advanced Performance division (headed by Simon Lane) - basically Hethel’s version of AMG. And Classic Team Lotus is very much involved in the 66.
While the optics might not be great in the current environment of cutbacks, delays etc, I still think this is an exciting project linking Lotus Cars back to its Chapman-era heritage and I can’t wait to see a this fantastic-looking machine in the flesh!

Here’s some video from the unveiling, including some of the engine running:

lotus type 66 unveiling

www.youtube.com

 

[EspritGuy]

This has been a long-running project under the new Advanced Performance division (headed by Simon Lane) - basically Hethel’s version of AMG. And Classic Team Lotus is very much involved in the 66.
While the optics might not be great in the current environment of cutbacks, delays etc, I still think this is an exciting project linking Lotus Cars back to its Chapman-era heritage and I can’t wait to see a this fantastic-looking machine in the flesh!

Here’s some video from the unveiling, including some of the engine running:

lotus type 66 unveiling

www.youtube.com

If racing is Lotus heritage, nothing better than spotlighting the DNA.
If Colin were alive...... wait..... this is him speaking up.

 

[JimH]

This has been a long-running project under the new Advanced Performance division (headed by Simon Lane) - basically Hethel’s version of AMG. And Classic Team Lotus is very much involved in the 66.
While the optics might not be great in the current environment of cutbacks, delays etc, I still think this is an exciting project linking Lotus Cars back to its Chapman-era heritage and I can’t wait to see a this fantastic-looking machine in the flesh!

Here’s some video from the unveiling, including some of the engine running:

lotus type 66 unveiling

www.youtube.com

And it's been in the making since at least February 2022.... Teaser image here :

Lotus Advanced Performance: new bespoke design and experiential division announced - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

 

[TomE]

The heritage stuff is good, and LAP projects on bespoke cars are a great idea.

If they want to be serious about racing pedigree they need to do something more than keep harking back to the 1970s. Get the Emira GT4 into teams and races, develop something for E-racing, do a prototype for Le Mans etc.

 

[EspritGuy]

And it's been in the making since at least February 2022.... Teaser image here :

Lotus Advanced Performance: new bespoke design and experiential division announced - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

Sitting at Lotus of Dallas staring at the Type 66. Stunning.

 

[Superman]

They had one at the Hethel Factory when we picked up our Emira a couple of days ago - Absolutely stunning in the flesh...

 

[T6061]

Epic. I wonder if our aftermarket guys could make a walnut shift knob like the one peaking out in the interior shot? Seems it would get rid of the hot/cold issue of the standard knob as well as solve the sharp edges some notice on the shift pattern engraving. It might even be lighter? Just a thought...

 

[webfoot]

For our US drivers...

Wood Gear Lever Knobs

You're not going to throw any random knob on your shifter of your sporty classic Austin. This knob will be a natural fit for you and your Classic Austin. Our gearshift knob is just the right size and...

www.olphartz.com

 

[Eagle7]

Epic. I wonder if our aftermarket guys could make a walnut shift knob like the one peaking out in the interior shot? Seems it would get rid of the hot/cold issue of the standard knob as well as solve the sharp edges some notice on the shift pattern engraving. It might even be lighter? Just a thought...

I'm planning on getting a custom one made. I've been working on design ideas. From my experience, you might want a heavier shift knob. They seem to aid in making the shift movement slightly smoother, although if it's made out of wood that isn't going to be that heavy. Maybe if it's ebony or Brazilian Ironwood though, those are heavier than walnut. I'm going with either Brazilian or Bolivian Rosewood.

Bolivian has gorgeous tone and grain.

Brazilian Rosewood has a less busy grain, but still beautiful color tone.

Brazilian Ironwood is called ironwood for a reason. It's so dense it can literally destroy saw blades, but it also has a beautiful color tone and would be very durable.

 

[T6061]

Beautiful Eagle7, please share your end result when you get around to it.

Thx for the link Webfoot, clearly not an original idea. Is it safe to assume that the gear lever of the Evora and the Emara are the same? Would options available for the Evora (or the V6 Exige) be a direct fit?