In a fitting tribute to one of the most successful racing drivers of all time, the Jim Clark Trust has launched a competition to win the 100,000th Lotus sports car built – a one-off Jim Clark special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport.
Commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 1968 and unveiled at the world-famous motoring event in the presence of the Duke of Richmond, Group Lotus’ Chief Executive Officer Mr. Feng Qingfeng and Trustees of the charity, the unique vehicle will be offered as the ultimate prize for enthusiasts in a competition organised by the Jim Clark Trust – the official charity of this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The charity competition, which can be entered at www.jimclarklotus.com, gives participants the chance to own a truly landmark Lotus while raising funds to help complete the new Jim Clark Museum.
Proudly supporting the Trust, the British sports car manufacturer has designated the Jim Clark special edition its 100,000th car, and production of the unique model coincided with Lotus’ 70th-anniversary celebrations at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The Jim Clark Trust is marking the 50th anniversary of Clark’s tragic death while competing at Hockenheim. Formula 1 World Champion in 1963 and 1965, and the winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 1965, Clark made 72 Grand Prix starts, took 25 wins and 33 pole positions – all behind the wheel of a Lotus. Today Clark is recognized as not only the greatest driver of his generation but also one of the sport’s true icons, and the Jim Clark Trust is currently working on the new and expanded museum in the racer’s home town of Duns, due to open in 2019.
Inspired by the red Lotus Elan S2 driven by Clark in the 1960s, registration number 997 NUR, the new Evora GT410 Sport has been hand built at Lotus’ Hethel site – the home of the company for the last 50 years. Echoing the original car’s color scheme, with red paintwork, a silver roof and silver wheels, plus tartan upholstery, it commemorates the legacy of one of motorsport’s most enduring figures. The car also carries Clark’s signature on each rear buttress.
Entrusted to the Formula 1 World Champion by Lotus founder Colin Chapman, the first production Lotus Elan S2 (type 26, Chassis 001) was Clark’s company car, and he regularly made the commute from the racing team’s then base in Cheshunt, just outside London, to his family home in Duns, in the Scottish Borders. A trip of roughly 350 miles each way, Clark clocked up around 15,500 miles in a year, leaving the car with the team when he was away racing.
His Grace the Duke of Richmond commented:
It’s fantastic to see the crowds here at Festival of Speed so engaged and excited to remember Jim Clark and celebrate his achievements in our Silver Jubilee year. The stunning Jim Clark special edition Evora is a fitting tribute to a legendary man and his iconic Elan. Clark’s exploits on the track were very special indeed and we are proud to launch this competition here at Goodwood.
Launched in Lotus’ 70th year, the Evora GT410 Sport is a winning blend of raw ability and style. Drawing from its more potent stablemate, the Evora GT430, it incorporates many high-performance elements yet retains a subtler, understated profile. The Evora GT410 Sport is powered by a specially calibrated and tuned higher-output version of Lotus’ supercharged, 3.5-litre 6-cylinder engine. With an integrated water-to-air charge cooler, it produces 410 hp at 7000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque from 3500 rpm, allowing the Evora GT410 Sport to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds.
Continuing a lineage of lightweight car design, that can trace its roots back to Clark’s 1960’s Elan S2 and beyond, the development of the Evora GT410 Sport allowed Lotus the opportunity to optimize mass, resulting in a lightest possible dry weight of just 1,256 kg. Standard carbon fiber composite components include the front access panel, roof panel and a one-piece louvered tailgate with integrated spoiler, as well as the elements within the front air blade system and rear wheel exit ports. In keeping with Lotus’ philosophy of maximizing aerodynamics to match the car’s personality, the GT-class coupe generates up to 96kg of downforce, providing better handling and stability at high speeds.
Note: Press release courtesy of Lotus Cars.
Hi:
Please advise how one can secure a ticket or so for the Jim Clark Special Addition Lotus 50th.
Thanks very much
If you click through to the Jim Clark Trust site, http://www.jimclarklotus.com/, you can get one from there.