According to a friend Luca Rossetti is new works driver of Lotus and will drive it in ERC!
Printable View
According to a friend Luca Rossetti is new works driver of Lotus and will drive it in ERC!
That's great news! I hope it is true. ERC is of course great for GT cars with 10 out of 12 rounds on tarmac. I am really curious how they perform compared to the S2000.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
That sounds like a perfect combination !Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
How many ERC rounds has he got in his plan for season 2012? Lotus planned Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo rally, but this is not that plan of Rossetti.
And does this mean he will already do the Jaenner-Rallye in a Lotus?
Autoklub reported it too! Why aren't those WRC events not the plan of Luca?? If he's getting a factory drive he will not refuse it, last few years he had to search everywhere to get budget.
In the latest GPweek, the Monte Carlo clerk of the course, Christian Tornatore says:
"We also hope that there will be a return of sports car to rallying soon. The R-GT regulations are ready, but the cars have not arrived in time for Monte Carlo. "
GP Week (page 63).
Sound like there will be no GT cars for the 2012 Monte Carlo.... :(
Hope to see the team in Ypres with Luca!
Hope Luca will aim for his 3rd Croatian victory in a row :)
Has Rossetti started to test the Lotus yet, or has he not driven it at all yet?
What is the name of the team that is behind Rossettis R-GT campaign ?
Lotus Motorsport? :)
Yes :)Quote:
Originally Posted by PLuto
But here it is mentioned that it is another team doing the job for him:
So what team is this, Grifone ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
No, I never said that. I meant that some people in Lotus Motorsport are same as were in Abarth (like for example Lotus Motorsport boss Claudio Berro).
Ahh, so you ment the full project, and not Rossetti's project.
Sorry my mistake.
So Lotus Motorsport will do ERC as a team, cool !
Testing of the new Lotus Exige R-T will start next week in Sanremo, probably with Luca Rossetti. Homologation not before April 2012:
http://www.therallysite.com/joomla/i...0119&Itemid=89
With a 1 April homologation, the Exige could make its international debut at the Circuit of Ireland (6-7 April), and we will then see it most likely at the Rally 1000 Miglia (19-21 April).
Not sure, but maybe Lotus will keep this one updated, Lotus Cars - The Return of Lotus to Rally or is there another site for the project?
Hopefully we will see some video from the testing, when that starts!
There is a "mini site" with several articles and videos about the Exige S (and the R-GT), which is updated once in a while: Lotus Cars - The Exige S Development Story (most recently a video about the Exige S tests at Hethel).
So there is a chance that they will also post updates on the R-GT development/testing.
Bernardo Sousa has confirmed that he could become a Lotus driver in 2012.
Rally Mania: Bernardo Sousa perto da Lotus
A very interesting and detailed interview with Claudio Berro on the development of the Exige R-GT:
http://www.therallysite.com/joomla/i...0124&Itemid=89
He talks about the drafting of the R-GT rules, the connections to Abarth, the Exige development, other manufacurers (very few), their future plans, etc.
MH: Lotus Formula 1 has a rally driver now (Kimi Raikkonen)! Will you could get him to test the car?Quote:
Originally Posted by wildboar
CB: After following Kimis activities in the last couple of years, I think the teams would be a little bit worried about that! :D
Just adding the first filmed test here as well: www.AutoSport.CZ
Still some work to do I can see. Who was driving on the Micky Mouse track?
So according to martin Holmes Kimi is a rally driver...okQuote:
Originally Posted by OldF
who is Martin Holmes again ????
Here it looks like Lotus is trying to make it ready for Monte C. Lotus Shakes Down Its Rally-Spec Exige | Autopia | Wired.com
But will it then run as an 0 car or something, since as far as I know it is not homologated yet.
In my opinion it's just a mistake in the article which the author took from old news.
Sounds good!!!
Rallija "Lotus GT" veic pirmos metrus (VIDEO) - Go4speed
GT class is only for fun.
Do you think the speed of Lotus will be somewhere around S2000 cars? People from Lotus said the speed will be in the middle between R3T and S2000...but is there some kind of event, where they can win?
Against a S2000 with a good driver in it? I think nowhere. I think they're right about what predict about the speed will be probably something around that.
They have no chance at all. It's just for fun to see these cars around.
What does he say here?Quote:
Originally Posted by garais22
Well, this is just bizarre - it's the first I've heard of GT cars rallying.
tommeke: Donīt forget the old GT cars are more powerful but they canīt compete in IRC etc. This new lotus is build according to FIA 2012 regulations and it will be slower.
Not all, some Belgian GTs are more powerful but still most of them are close to stock machinery. That means for example 911 is much heavier than Lotus (some 150-200 kg). 911 should also have worse handling because of engine behind rear axle and overall worse weight balance etc. Nissans and BMWs have the problem of very bad traction due to frontal engine which in many Belgian events is big problem (lot of dirt, mud or even gravel on stages). Nissans from Dutch cup are not more powerful at all and they are moreover much heavier (these are almost stock cars).Quote:
Originally Posted by liposh
If You count 300 Hp and 1200 kg for Lotus which seems to be pretty much real, You get 0,25 Hp/kg. If You count approximately 380 Hp for 1350 kg for 911 with stock engine You get 0,28 Hp/kg. That's small difference which in my opinion can hardly make what Lotus must gain by smaller weight and better weight balance. Also the Lotus has paddle shifting and rally suited gear ratios (even if You use the shortest circuit supercup gearbox for 911, still the top speed is almost 250 km/h which seems to be a bit too much for rallying).
[FOOTNOTE][/FOOTNOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by Sulland
Now ''Lotus Exige R-GT" will start only on asphalt, but in the future there is plan to start Sweden (snow) and maybee some gravel rallies :D
Engine will be good only after 20 000 - 30 000 km of tests
Maybee some days in this class will start Porsche..
I think that this is wrong translation of interview of Claudio Berro with Martin Holmes. Berro said that he dreams about getting the car in Sweden, so it's more like a "maybe". The figure for engine was for an interval between rebuilds. He said the engine is completely stock, so it can be run by 20-30 thousand competitive kilometers without rebuild which means several complete seasons. He said they don't need some special testing for the engine when it must be stock.
Yeah, You are right..I just not correct translate it here... ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirek
Could someone that understand spanish give a short translation on what is said about the spanish Exige here: PlanetaRAS TV :: Campeonato Nacional :: Sergio Vallejo
I understand from numbers that it has 290 hp and weight of 850 kg, but the rest - no clue !
He is explaining the golden stick in the middle, and compare it to the Porsche, what is he saying here ?
He said that Lotus is cheaper then Porsche. From the Cup version, it as more 30bhp (290bhp), sequential gear box and bigger disck brakes. The big advantage is to have a low weight (850kg), least 300 than the Porsche.
It has little space inside but the controls are all at hand. The years spent in Porsche gave him much experience in this kind of cars. The lotus is not a car to fear.