Lotus 23

Infobox Automobile


name = Lotus 23
manufacturer = Lotus Cars
production = 1962
class = Sports Racer
platform =
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predecessor = Lotus 19
successor = Lotus 30
related =
similar = Elfin Mallala
designer = Colin Chapman

The Lotus 23 was designed by Colin Chapman as a small-displacement sports racing car. Nominally a two-seater (to comply with formula rules), it was a purpose-built for racing with a driver alone. The 23 used a wider version of the Lotus 20 [Setright, L.J.K. "Lotus: The Golden Mean", in Northey, Tom, ed. "The World of Automobiles" (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 11, p.1230.] space frame, with the same suspension, clothed in a fibreglass body. Originally intended for engines of 750 cc to 1300 cc (45-80ci), the revised 23B had stronger chassis tubes to take the torque of Ford-based 1.5/1.6 litre Lotus Twincam power plants.

Debut at the Nürburgring

The debut of the 23 was at the "Nordschleife" in May, 1962. The tiny Auto bhp|100|-1Fact|date=September 2007 Lotus 23 shot away from the field of Porsches, Aston Martins and Ferraris with Jim Clark at the wheel. Even though some cars had four times the power of the Lotus, after the first lap, in the wet, Clark was 27 seconds ahead of Dan Gurney's Porsche. Extending his lead on each lap until the track dried, Clark was overcome by exhaust fumes from a damaged exhaust manifold on lap 12 and was forced to retire.

Banned from Le Mans

In June 1962, two 23s were entered at Le Mans, a 750 cc and a one liter (45ci & 61ci). Due to political pressure brought to bear by French teamsFact|date=February 2008, the 23s were disallowed on technical grounds. [cite web |url=http://utahlotusmuseum.com/id105.htm |title=The Le Mans Lotus 23 Debacle |accessdate=2007-04-10] [Setright, p.1230-1, says Chapman refused to have the 23 carry two different spares, and after producing the four-bolt rear hubs, scrutineers proclaimed the cars dangerous.] A furious Chapman vowed, "We will never race again at Le Mans!" - and no Team Lotus entry has ever been made again.

In spite of these early problems, the Lotus 23 proved a competitive, durable, and popular race car. Over 130 were produced in three versions: the standard 23, 23B, 23C. Today these cars are a mainstay of vintage racing in Europe and the United States.

Restoration and replication of the Lotus 23

Beginning in the early 1980s a small group of enthusiasts began to make it possible to restore original Lotus 23 by remanufacturing parts. These parts are now easily available. It was at about this time that a Register was established for the Lotus 23. That Register is now part of the Historic Lotus Register of the UK. Enthusiasts for the car can join the Yahoo Group, "L23Registry". It should be noted that some race organizers and the Historic Motor Sports Association began in 2007 to take steps to restrict race participation by replica cars.

There are several sources of replicas of Lotus 23 cars.

Xanthos 23

The Xanthos 23 is the most accurate reproduction of the original car using the same design and materials as the 1960s original. Powered by Lotus twincam, it is still built by Xanthos Sports Cars [http://www.XanthosCars.co.uk] in the traditional way near Bristol, UK.

Noble 23

Following the success of his Ultima GTR project, Lee Noble created a Lotus 23 replica with a wider track than the original to allow for true two seater use. It proved very successful in racing, with over 60 cars produced using either Lotus twincam or Renault V6 engines. Noble's version continued in production, first by Auriga Design using an Alfa Romeo engine and transaxle, and now by Mamba Motorsport near Oxford, UK using Ford Duratec Engines.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.utahlotusmuseum.com/id101.htm Utah Lotus Museum - Lotus 23]
* [http://www.xanthoscars.co.uk/ Xanthos]
* [http://members.toast.net/joerger/noble/index.html History of Lee Noble Component Cars]
* [http://www.mambamotorsport.co.uk/ Mamba Motorsport]
* [http://www.at-speed.com/galleries/saab/lotus23/index.html Lotus 23 with a SAAB V4 engine]