Monocoque construction had been used in aeronautical engineering for over 50 years. Mid-engined cars were now standard and the Lotus 25 was not the first racing car with a monocoque chassis but its artistic simplicity and immense success in the hands of Jimmy Clark revolutionized Grand Prix racing car design. For 1962 Lotus would answer with the Lotus 25.
The first year of the new regulations found all of the British teams down on power compared to Ferrari with the expected results. Engines also need to run on 101.5 octane fuel instead of the 130 octane Avgas. In 1961 the engine capacity for Formula 1 was reduced to 1.5 liters. Based around two D-section tubes placed back to back and held in place with fabricated front and rear bulkheads, the chassis drew further strength from the instrument panel and seat back.
Although the Lotus 25 was not the first monocoque single-seater racing car, it was the first to prove the efficacy of monocoque design in Grand Prix racing. The unveiling of the 25 at Zandvoort in 1962 was a shock for the competition, and particularly for teams like Brabham and UDT/Laystall who had recently purchased 24s from Lotus, with the understanding that they would be 'mechanically identical' to the works cars - Chapman reserved the right to alter the bodywork of the cars. Shop diecast replica F1, Grand Prix, Rally and Le Mans Car models, available in a wide range of scales. The test of the little Lotus was very satisfying, the 4 cylinder is powerful and the body is very light, the performances are there! Recently the current owner did a few laps around the Val de Vienne for the Sport et Collection event.There are 45 classic Lotuses for sale today on. The BMC 1275 engine is powered by a large Weber carburettor and the gearbox is a 5 speed short ratio. In October 2019 a complete overhaul was undertaken with the best craftsmen in the Tours area specialising in vintage cars, including Eric Perou and Loic Rebet.
#Lotus 25 replica professional#
It was purchased by the current owner in June 2019 from a professional vintage car dealer and since then the car has been maintained with great care and attention to detail. Painted in the sublime colour typical of English racing cars, the interior is covered with red leather. The magnificent replica of Lotus XI presented in these pages was put into circulation on 14th March 1986. In 2004 a small production was relaunched and continues to this day. The English firm Westfield started manufacturing replicas of these mythical cars in 1982 and continued to do so until 1986. In the same year she also won in the 1,100 cc class at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Colin Chapman in the crew. In 1957, it also won the 750 cc class as well as the performance index with a small Coventry Climax FWC of 744 cm3. The XI will win the 1,100 cc class at Le Mans.
Climax FWA of 1,098 cm3 producing between 75 and 85 horses and FWB 1,460 cm3 developing around 100 horses for a total weight of around 450 kilos. Depending on the version, it will be equipped with a Coventry engine. True to the philosophy of Colin Chapman, the creator of the brand, who favoured lightness and aerodynamics, the XI has a latticework chassis of steel tubes covered with a thin aluminium body. Built by Lotus in 270 units between 19, the Eleven version was designed for endurance and sprint races for small cars.
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