Last-ever Lotus Exige LF1 for sale

There was a strange controversy in Method 1 back again in 2011 relating to the use of the Lotus name. Crew Lotus, which experienced returned to the sport a year prior as 1 of the new spending budget squads, argued that it owned the legal rights to the authentic title and could as a result use the Lotus badge. In the meantime, the team formerly acknowledged as Renault had entered into a partnership with Lotus Cars and trucks for the time, and understandably chose to plaster its car or truck with Lotus badges and a retro black and gold livery.

Despite sharing the same title, their fortunes in F1 ended up entirely different. Workforce Lotus rebranded as Caterham F1 the next 12 months in advance of dropping out of the activity entirely in 2014 because of to generally garbage effects. The Renault-backed Lotus F1 squad, having said that, would go on to get a pair of races with Kimi Raikkonen over the upcoming two a long time and even problem for the title (sort of). 

To rejoice its return to successful, Lotus Automobiles released 81 illustrations of the minimal edition Exige LF1 to mark its wins (and all those of the initial Group Lotus) in between 1960 and 2013. This distinct example is the 81^st and remaining car or truck to roll off the line and, consequently, was constructed to commemorate Raikkonen’s victory at the 2013 Australian GP. Back again then we imagined it could possibly flip into a title obstacle…

In any case, the massive giveaway that this is a person of the LF1 vehicles is the paintwork. Nevertheless Lotus F1 cars have worn several liveries around the past 70 years – not the very least the brilliant crimson and gold liveries from the late ‘60s and bold yellow plan from the Camel days – each example of the LF1 was finished in black and gold. Let’s deal with it, it’s probably the finest motorsport livery of all time – even though we’re delighted to be proved improper in the comments.

It appears to be fantastic on the Exige, with purple accents on the entrance splitter, wing mirrors and brakes, as effectively as a modest stripe that stops shy of the bonnet vent. If the paintwork was not shouty more than enough, there are a handful of LF1 badges dotted close to the exterior as perfectly as a black and gold version of the Lotus badge.

Granted, there’s not a whole good deal the manufacturer could do to jazz up the interior of the Exige offered how spartan the foundation car is, but you do get black and gold sports seats with the Lotus F1 group name embroidered into the backrest and the LF1 logo stitched into the floor mats. Gold stitching in the doorways inserts is a surprising contact of luxury from Lotus and you could even spec a radio – an alternative the earlier owner ticked on this auto.

Mechanically, the LF1 is similar to the Exige S, with electric power coming from a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 that churns out 350hp and 295lb ft of torque. You do, however, get the optional Race Pack thrown in for totally free, which involves a Dynamic Efficiency Management, two-piece brakes and stickier Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres.

Luckily, the earlier proprietor went to city on the possibilities listing. This automobile arrives with air conditioning, heated seats and parking sensors. Furthermore, when you take into account that this is a restricted-run vehicle with an F1 connection and the past of its sort, it appears like a substantial amount of money of car for its £47,995 asking cost. The prior proprietor has even thrown in Corgi and Scalextric models of Raikkonen’s race-successful auto, additionally a 1:2 scale replica of… Romain Grosjean’s helmet. Nevertheless fairly temping, nevertheless.