Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar Released

Lotus has just unveiled the latest flavor of the well-known Evora, the so-called Type 124 Endurance Racecar. Just as its name suggests, the car is designed to compete in car races, with the debut projected for the ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hours. It comes with a mid-engine layout, aluminum chassis and lightweight forged aluminum wishbones, each of these parts contributing to the final performance of the car.

Specifically, the car is powered by a race-tuned mid-mounted Toyota V6 engine, with maximum power exceeding 400 PS (Lotus says the final power of the car depends on the race regulations). Thanks to its lightweight materials, the mass was reduced by 200 kilos to 1,200 kilos (once again depending on the requirements). Other changes include a six-speed sequential paddle shift racing gearbox, full FIA specification roll cage, FIA-compliant 120 litre ATL fuel system, FIA fire extinguisher system, competition carbon fibre rear wing, diffuser and front splitter.

It comes equipped with AP Racing 6 piston callipers front and rear, with a race-tuned Bosch ABS system, 4-way adjustable dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars. The 18-inch rims are shoed with Pirelli racing slicks.

"Motorsport has been in our blood ever since our founder, Colin Chapman, built the first Lotus back in 1948. We are proud of our motorsport history, which includes victories in Formula One, Le Mans, saloon car, rally car and sportscar racing around the world; more recently, we won the British GT3 Championship in 2006 with the Lotus Exige. The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar is from the same unique stable and we expect it to be a competitive racecar when we enter various endurance races next year," Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars Limited, said.

The events in which the newly-launched car is projected to take part are the following: the 2010 ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours (Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany) in May 2010, Merdeka Millennium 12 Hours (Sepang, Malaysia) in August 2010, BritCar 24 Hours (Silverstone, UK) in October 2010 and the Dubai 24 Hours (Dubai Autodrome, UAE) January 2011.

"Every Lotus car is designed to be at home on the race track as well as the road, and the Evora is no different. Designed primarily as an everyday road car, the Evora’s lightweight and stiff structure, its aerodynamics and performance means that it is perfectly suited to taming race tracks around the world, and we are looking forward to seeing the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar line up on the grid for the 2010 season," Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director for Group Lotus, stated.