![]() ![]() In total, the Lotus 78 achieved 7 Grand Prix victories, 5 in 1977 and 2 in 1978, before the Lotus 79, its natural evolution, eventually helped Mario Andretti, and Lotus itself, become Drivers' and Manufacturers' World Champions respectively. The first Formula 1 Lotus with “wings” had its first basic test drive in August 1976, and on December 21 of the same year the new John Player Special Mark III, or Lotus 78, was presented to the public at the Royal Garden Hotel in London. On the very first lap of the 1978 F1 Italian GP, former world champion James Hunt and Ronnie Peterson were both involved in a dreadful crash. The invention worked, and the plans materialized with the construction of a monocoque chassis with Mosquito-type wing sections attached to both sides. So in the Lotus wind tunnel an inverted wing section was built, and the result of the report was clear: "The Mosquito flies". Since the location of the radiators is vital in racing cars, the designers were reminded of the lower wing section of de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, with its radiators hidden in the leading edge. ![]() ![]() ![]() The basic philosophy was simple: use the underside of the car's body to generate downward momentum as it moved through the air, much like the wings being added to single-seaters at the time. As he put it, “I sat down and really thought about what we needed, and decided a car with wings was the answer.” In the end, Colin compiled a 27-page concept paper, specifying all the requirements, which he handed over to Engineering Director Tony Rudd to form a new research and development group within Lotus. Limited Edition of 199 hand-made models showing the car exactly as it raced in the Dutch GP at Zandvoort on August the 27th 1978. Honoring his great powers, Colin Chapman projected one of his greatest achievements. Its Type 72 cars were outdated and no longer competitive, and the production of its replacement, the Lotus 76, had failed. In the 1975 season, the Lotus Formula 1 team was in serious trouble. Colin Chapman's sensational breakthrough into the field of aerodynamics completely baffled his competitors by creating the revolutionary Lotus 78/79. ![]()
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