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2021 Poppy Car Is a Lotus Exige Cup 430 Tasked With Safety Duties at Race of Remembrance

Meet the 2021 Poppy Car – an Exige Cup 430 model acting as a tribute by Lotus to the Armed Forces and all recovered, injured or sick service personnel and veterans. The vehicle features a bespoke livery courtesy of Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ Motorsport Charity, and will take center stage as the Safety Car of this year’s Race of Remembrance.
Lotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission Motorsport 9 photos
Photo: Lotus
Lotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission MotorsportLotus Exige Cup 430 by Mission Motorsport
The Poppy Car, unveiled on the site of a former RAF base (Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk), will also bring all competitors into the pits for a special pitlane remembrance service during the 12-hour endurance event, which is set to take place at the famous Anglesey Circuit.

Visually, the wrap is said to be stunning in both sunshine and moonlight. The dark reveals a hidden depth to the design amid the thousands of hand-placed poppies, reflecting a red glow in tribute to servicemen and women who lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“It is very fitting that Lotus is supporting Mission Motorsport this year. Lotus has a long connection with the armed services; our Sports Car facility in Hethel, Norfolk, for example, is a former RAF base, with some of the buildings from the Second World War being repurposed and still in use today. Our test track, in part, follows the old runways so we are constantly reminded of the sacrifices made over the years by our service personnel,” said Lotus Group exec Corinna Fletcher.

As for performance, the Exige Cup 430 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, fitted with an Edelbrock supercharger. It produces 424 hp (430 ps) and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) and will take you from zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in just 3.2 seconds, before maxing out at 180 mph (290 kph).

This track-focused sports car once lapped the Hethel circuit in 1 minute 24.8 seconds, which was quite an achievement.
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About the author: Sergiu Tudose
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Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration.
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