please log in to view this image Lotus F1 Team @Lotus_F1Team · 12m12 minutes ago Here she is! Pleased To Meet You - First look at the E23 Hybrid: http://bit.ly/15KOlfY #GottaKissMyselfImSoPretty please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
That's more like it - look at that airbox!!! Cmon Ferrari and Mclaren let's see what you've got. --Surprised of no Mercedes logo on the car, seen as though they are supplying the power.
The williams doesnt have the Merc on it either nor does the Force India. The lotus team like experimenting with the overhead air box. and Im glad the team is still 'Lotus'. and the the car is less red but the sponsors have been stripped down after most of them defected to Williams
please log in to view this image Formula 1 technical insight: 2015 Lotus E23 - Scarbs @ Autosport The digital renders released by Lotus of its 2015 E23 Formula 1 car allow us to already make some observations about the new challenger. Every new car this year will be assessed on its nose shape due to the new nose tip rules. Lotus has evolved the 2015-style nose it tested late last year to create a short narrow nose. This shapes the two mandatory cross sections into the narrowest and highest possible shape to allow the maximum airflow around and under the nose. Rather than creating a thumb-like tip to the nose, instead there is a step under it, which is similar to Lotus (then Renault) nose cones from 2009-2010. This should work in c-ordination with the front wing section to create some downforce. Although further rules for the area around the front end were designed to create a sloping front to the chassis, Lotus appears to have faired this in and created a high flat top to the chassis. This height is visually exacerbated by the low-mounted front suspension, where the top wishbone and push-rod are not mounted as high as we have seen on the Williams, for example, which could be an effort to create more mechanical grip at the front of the car. Aside from the novelty of the new nose, it's the roll-hoop inlets that catch the eye: the usual airbox inlet is flanked by two additional inlets. The bulbous shape of the engine cover behind suggests they are ducts to feed an oil cooler mounted beside the engine, a solution adopted by Toro Rosso last year and planned by Marussia for this year. Indeed, Lotus had the base plates for these inlets fitted to its car late last year but the inlets were never affixed to them. Having coolers mounted this way means the sidepods can be smaller, although the bodywork looks bulkier on the new Lotus as it features two large exits in a similar style to McLaren's 2014 car. Allied to the roll-hoop inlets this creates a narrower sidepod low down, which frees up airflow over the diffuser for more downforce. Inside this engine cover is the Mercedes power unit, a first for the team, having always had strong links with Renault, dating back to the Benetton days. Running this power unit already gives the team a huge performance step from 2014, which was a year to forget for the Enstone team. please log in to view this image
Ooh, it's a sexy thing (as long as you don't look at the nose too long). Has to translate into performance though - and quickly.
Pretty thing... Looks far better with fewer red blobs. Gold lines are much more rakish, which enhance the sleeker chassis. Fewer sponsor logos also help this car look like a real Lotus - perhaps the first time they've got close to recapturing some of the romaticised visuals since resurrecting the name. In terms of the chassis itself, it's difficult not to see this as likely to be a significant improvement. The only thing I'm not keen on is theheight of the chassis ahead of the cockpit, but as Scarbs suggests, this is likely associated with the lower front wishbones, which should help balance what I think will be a significant improvement in mechanical grip at the rear. At the same time, there should be a gain in aero efficiency as well as more downforce. This looks a quantum leap ahead of recent Lotus incarnations. As EMSC sys, it'll be interesting to see what others come up with.
The Lotus 'gains' are one of the real interesting things to look out for come Australia. Difficult in my head to see them really do well with James Allison having left, but their ambition and risk last year in their innovative design has obviously given them plenty of lessons in building the 2015 car. I hope they make a quantum leap and can challenge the top end but I doubt it. Roll on the McLaren launch on Thursday- what livery are we expecting- white and red??
It looks clunky to me like it was designed by Meccano and, as Bando says, kind of odd; maybe it's the excess of photoshopping which gives the impression that it doesn't actually exist yet. Maybe it doesn't...
No longer a render! please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
I like it a lot, those promo pictures did it no justice. It's fairly voluptuous and, as Cosi said, it is reminiscent of the classic Lotus look. There's a definite retro vibe to the best-looking of this year's cars.
