Lotus unveils commemorative car as brand returns to F1
December 24, 2009 by SJ Skid
Filed under Prime & Option, SJ Skid
In a move that’s being spun as a celebration of Lotus’ return to Formula 1, the car maker has released a commemorative version of its hot little Exige: the Exige S Type 72.
Those with good memories will recall the winning Type 72 F1 car from the early 1970s, which was driven by names such as Emerson Fittipaldi and Jackie Ickx.
Here’s a link to where the release is from Lotus:
The Lotus Exige S Type 72 celebrates the most successful F1 car of all time, the Lotus Type 72 Formula One car, which achieved 20 Grand Prix victories between 1970 and 1975.
The Lotus Type 72 was driven by such Lotus greats as Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson and Jacky Ickx and won three Formula One Constructors’ Championships (1970, 1972 and 1973) and two Drivers’ World Championships (the first being won by Jochen Rindt in 1970 and the second by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1972).
The colour scheme of the Exige S Type 72 commemorates the famous and easily recognisable black and gold Lotus Type 72 livery and is finished by the same sign writer who painted racing cars for Team Lotus.
Performance through light weight has long been a Lotus philosophy. The 935kg Exige S Type 72 sprints to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds and to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 145 mph, 233 km/h. The Exige S Type 72 also offers class leading fuel economy and emissions, with fuel economy of 6.5 litres/100 km (43.5 mpg) on the Extra Urban Cycle and CO2 emissions of 199 g/km.
For photos of the new car, you can travel here.
I got a chance to sit in — but not drive — a Lotus at the LA Auto show a few weeks back and there is no doubt that they are about as close to a race car as you can get and still legally pull out of your driveway. I was shocked by how racey it was — I mean “track” racey. Porsches and BMW M3s [and Minis!] all go, but you still are in a car you can recognize as an automobile. That Lotus felt like something else.
I bet this one feels even more like something else.
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There’s a Lotus dealership about 2 miles from my home. I always ride my bicycle by that shop on my afternoon rides, just to check out these beauties. The guy over there told me prices are coming down due to some tariffs being cut. That’s just wonderful I think. And to have Ferrari and Lotus back in F1 is really good. I hope Koenigseggggggg comes in as well.