Lotus to Grace Goodwood 2019 with Plethora of Amazing Rides
From the new Evora GT4 Concept to the legendary Type 25 F1 25/R6, Lotus is going full bore for this year’s Festival of Speed.
Among the many prestigious automakers headed to the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking place July 4-7, Lotus has a few extra reasons to celebrate this year’s iconic event. After all, the brand still holds the “unbreakable” Goodwood lap record of 1:20.4, set back in 1965 by Jim Clark. So this year, the very car that set that very record, Clark’s Type 25 F1 25/R6, will be on display at Goodwood, along with a host of other noteworthy machines.
That includes the current Lotus range of Elise, Exige and Evora, of course. Plus the recently unveiled Lotus Evora GT4 Concept race car, which will be campaigning in the global GT series in 2020. But there will actually be two Evora GT4 Concept race cars at Goodwood this year. Both in identical color schemes mimicking the Lotus Type 25 livery. One will be on the Lotus stand. The other will be driven up the Goodwood Hill Climb course by Lotus’ Director of Vehicle Attributes, Gavan Kershaw, a former winner of the British GT Championships.
It’s a proper tribute to Clark’s legendary performance back in ’65. One that will likely never be replicated or topped due to changes in the original configuration of the Goodwood circuit. Clark also still holds the Grand Slam record with eight in total. This consists of securing the pole position, fastest lap, leading every lap, and winning the same race. Clark achieved two of those Grand Slams in his 25/R6 at the 1964 British GP and the 1965 French GP.
Clark fans will also have the unique opportunity to win a Clark Evora special edition at Goodwood. The car will be raffled off at the event, with all proceeds going to benefit the Jim Clark Trust. That car is painted to match Clark’s 1960’s red and silver Elan. And it’s also the 100,000th Lotus road car ever built.
A grand total of eight Lotus machines will also climb the famous hill at Goodwood this year. Aside from the aforementioned Evora GT4 Concept, that list includes Lotus 18 – Chassis 912, 38 – Chassis R7, 49 – Chassis R10, 72 – Chassis 5, 79/2, and Exige Sport 410 and Evora GT410 Sport, all legendary racing machines in their own right.
Over the years, the Goodwood Festival of Speed has become one of the greatest automotive events in the world. And by the looks of things, 2019 is shaping up to be the best one yet for Lotus fans.
Photos: Lotus
