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Lotus Esprit GT1

The Lotus Esprit GT1 (codenamed type 114) was a sports racing car produced by Lotus Engineering, a subsidiary of Lotus Cars formed to develop racing cars to compete in the GT1 class racing. It competed in the BPR Global GT Series in the mid-1990s.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Background and development

The early 1990s was particularly difficult for Group Lotus, as the repercussions of global recession were severe for all sports car manufacturers. During 1992 the Lotus dealer franchise network contracted from 29 to 19 outlets, as production of the long-running Excel and recently relaunched Elan M100 ended. Furthermore, by August 1993 General Motors had disposed of the company. In addition, although Team Lotus had remained independent from Group Lotus since 1954, its fortunes in Formula One would mirror those of the production side. With its bankruptcy in 1994, Lotus were left without any motorsport programme and production exclusively concentrated on the Esprit. It was apparent that single model production could not be sustained indefinitely. Coinciding with the decline in Lotus's fortunes were the performance of the Type 105 and 106 (X180R) cars in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Escort World Challenge between 1991 and 1992. These performances were an invaluable tool for Lotus's North American Marketing. The kudos of owning a proven race winner was important in securing increased sales against the established race brands of Porsche and Ferrari. Lotus’ reputation of being a manufacturer of fragile and unreliable cars had been improved with being successful in endurance racing. The exploits of the works team was replicated by privateers in both America and Europe. Doc Bundy won the 1992 Bridgestone Supercar Championship drivers title with the Esprit X180R whilst Tom Langeberg won the Koni Production Car Series in the Netherlands. Although it was never conceived as such, the Lotus Esprit (now in the twilight of its career) was proving itself to be a credible racing car. Having raced the Esprit in GT2 and GT3 classes, Lotus began to develop a new version of the car

Performance

The Lotus Esprit GT1 utilised the 3.5 L type 918 twin-turbo V8 engine of then newly launched Lotus Esprit V8. The engine was extensively reworked with the addition of one Garrett T4 turbocharger, a flat plane crankshaft, forged aluminium pistons, multipoint fuel injection and an air-to-air intercooler. All of these modifications increased the power to 550 hp (410 kW) at 5400 rpm and 535 lb⋅ft (726 N⋅m) of torque at 3600 rpm. The problematic Renault 5-speed gearbox was replaced by the new 6-speed Hewland sequential manual transmission resulting in better gear shifts. The car could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.8 seconds and had a top speed in excess of 190 mph (306 km/h). The front suspension now had upper and lower A-arms, while at the rear were upper and lower lateral links paired with upper and lower trailing links. Brakes were AP Racing carbon-ceramic discs with 6-piston callipers at the front and the rear, and Penske triple-adjustable gas-pressurised shock absorbers were used at all four wheels with the tires being provided by Michelin. The chassis was similar to the production Esprit but with a roll-cage that added stiffness. Weight was down to 900 kg (1,984.2 lb). The car faced reliability issues during its career and was eventually retired from racing.

Racing history

The success of the Type 114 in the GT2 category gave Lotus the confidence to compete in the prestigious GT1 series the following season. In 1995, Lotus Engineering was formed using core personnel from the recently closed Lotus Formula One team. The new team's sole purpose was to design and develop a dedicated GT1 version of the Lotus Esprit V8 and to compete with them in the 1996 BPR Global GT series, with a future view to competing at the 24 hours of LeMans race. The GT1 hardly shared any components with the road-going Esprit. The silhouette was very similar to the road car but aside from rear light lenses, exterior door handles and badges virtually all else was either purpose made or were dedicated race components. Aesthetically the production model had been refreshed by new head of design Julian Thompson and relaunched as the S4 in 1993. These design alternations were incorporated as part of a wider package of aerodynamic improvements that included a carbon fibre splitter, diffuser and revised floor. Lotus also took the opportunity to include its new 3,506 cc (214 cu in) V8 engine which combined with one Garrett intercooled turbocharger was able to produce 550bhp. These improvements allowed the Type 114 to compete in the prestigious GT1 category. The new car debuted for the 1996 GT Series at the Circuit Paul Ricard, however, its retirement with a fractured exhaust highlighted the fragility that would persist throughout the season. Unfortunately it soon became apparent that to be successful in the GT1 category required similar budgets and development schedule of the Porsche, McLaren and Mercedes teams. The improvements to the 114 did not match its stunning debut season, although its presence at international sportscar races helped to sell over 250 V8 Esprits in 1996.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name
Lotus Esprit GT1
Manufacturer
Lotus Engineering
Production
3 units produced
Model years
1996
Assembly
Hethel, Norfolk, England
Designer
Julian Thomson
Class
Sports car
Body style
2-door coupé
Related
Lotus Esprit V8
Engine
3.5 L type 918 twin-turbo V8
Transmission
6-speed Hewland sequential manual
Wheelbase
2440 mm
Length
4300 mm
Width
1950 mm
Height
1100 mm
Kerb weight
900 kg
sp
uk
Successor
Lotus Elise GT1

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

Sources

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