- Lotus is celebrating its Formula 1 heritage with the Emira Clark Edition, which the brand revealed this past weekend at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.
- The special edition honors the legacy of Jim Clark with a green and yellow livery inspired by Clark’s legendary 1965 Lotus Type 38.
- It’s based on the 3.5-liter V-6 version of the Emira, with production limited to just 60 units worldwide.
There’s all sorts of hubbub in today’s racing climate about which professional racing drivers have the best all-around talent. As the active driver currently closest to achieving the Triple Crown of motorsports, Fernando Alonso puts himself in the conversation. Then there’s Scott McLaughlin, the three-time Supercars champion and seven-time IndyCar race winner. NASCAR’s Kyle Larson went as far as saying he “knows” that he is a better all-around driver than the then-three-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen. Historically, though, there’s really only one answer, and that’s Jim Clark. LotusLotusLotus certainly agrees, and the automaker is honoring six decades since the late driver won his second Formula 1 championship by producing a limited-edition version of its Emira sports car. In that 1965 season, Clark dominated the Formula 1 field, racking up six wins out of nine starts.
What happened to the 10th start? Clark was busy winning the Indianapolis 500 in a Lotus Type 38. In the same season, Clark secured the championship in Formula 2 and the Tasman Series that takes place in Australia and New Zealand, plus he spent his off weekends winning touring-car races in a Lotus Cortina. From the C/D ArchiveBack to that special edition: it’s called the Clark Edition, and it’s limited to just 60 units worldwide. Just like the Type 38 Clark that piloted to win the 1965 Indy 500, the Clark Edition sports green paint accented with a yellow racing stripe. The exhaust pipes around the back of the car are also finished in yellow, and the fuel cap is finished in anodized blue to match the original race car. A hand-painted yellow pinstripe finishes the exterior’s special touches.LotusLotusInside, the Emira sports an asymmetrical look with a driver’s seat in red leather and Alcantara to match the race car, and a passenger seat finished in black leather and Alcantara. The gear knob is made out of wood as another nod to the Type 38, with numbered doorsills adding to the air of exclusivity. The brand hasn’t disclosed U.S. pricing for the limited edition, though the U.K. versions will cost the equivalent of $152,651 at current exchange rates. That doesn’t take into account the current 25 percent tariff on imported cars, which has led to Lotus’s decision to pause imports of the model to the U.S. indefinitely. More on the Lotus EmiraJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
