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StarLight Garage presents another racing gem from Lotus, the Lotus Mark VIII from 1954. White, the color who represents the LIGHT!
This car was suggested by my close friend, CostasDrifter.
In late 1953 the founder of Lotus Colin Chapman worked with aerodynamicist Frank Costin (brother of Mike Costin, who later launched together with Keith Duckworth legendary nowadays story engine Cosworth) to form the body of a separate race car. The aim of the two ambitious artists were present in British car racing a construction excessively slight, which would win comfortably their opponents in very popular then smaller displacement categories.
For this purpose collaborated with Peter Ross and Gilbert McIntosh, people with considerable experience in aviation technology. The two engineers fully capitalize on their experience from the aircraft and resulted in a complex tubular space frame, which in its final form consisted of only 19 parts and weighed only 17 pounds. Extremely lightweight and highly durable, the spaceframe of the Mark VIII was characterized later as' the most perfect chassis for a sport car. " In practical terms there were certainly limitations, particularly in the area of work to be done to engine maintenance as needed to unravel ... half car for interference in mechanical parts.
Successful features
Life in Mark VIII gave the 4-cylinder in-line engine of 1.5 liters of Morris Garage (MG), configured and lighter depending on the circumstances. The front suspension was independent of the car, while the rear had adopted the classic solution of axis De Dion. At the back of the brake drums were placed inside as the Mercedes-Benz of F1, which a few months later they would start their victorious march to the Grand Prix of the season.
All this resulted in only 500 kg British racing can achieve a maximum speed of over 200 kilometers per hour. In the first match at Oulton Park, the Mark VIII with driver himself Colin Chapman set the fastest lap of the day, before forced to retire betrayed by a flange. But in the next match, the Silverstone circuit and the founder of Lotus back on the wheel, easily won the class of 1500 cubic centimeters. In 1954 he completed several more victories in the highly competitive class of 1.5 liters, but often and in the overall standings, which proved to Chapman and his colleagues that the car was on the right track in terms of design and technology.
Early retirement
However, the strong tubular chassis, proved the biggest weakness. The framework built very close around the engine for ensuring rigidity, required 12 hours for extract when there was a problem, and further 24 to be repositioned. These times were prohibitive for the races, so that the Mark VIII to withdraw from the car racing earlier than estimated, but not unhappily: The competition of 1955, which replaced it, followed the same technological path and seemed too .
In any case, it was the harbinger of what is revolutionary for its time foreground later brought the world of Automotive charismatic Colin Chapman.
Specifications
Season: 1954
Production Units: 7
Designer: Frank Costin
Engine: 4-cylinder in-line
Displacement: 1,467 ml
Carburetor: 2 SU H6
Power: 85 hp
Drive: rear-wheel drive
Gearbox: manual 4-speed
Supreme speed: 201 km/h
Length: 3.962 mm.
Width: 1,397 mm.
Height: 812 mm.
Wheelbase: 2,222 mm.
Track front: 1,226 mm.
Track back: 1,206 mm.
Weight: 227 kilogram (500 pounds)
OTHER LOTUS CARS CAN BE FOUND HERE
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It has only position lights 
