Several Interesting Cars This Past Weekend

[rcollum]

I saw some cars & people of interest to this group this past Saturday, 08/29/15. Who can recognize the cars by owners?

Extra points for anyone who knows what the second vehicle is.

 

--Bob Collum

[yellowss7]

Lotus Bike? And I see Norm Beaver's Caterham with the wings on the front and back in the 5th picture. Tom

[scannon]

The second vehicle is the Lotus gravity race car developed for Goodwood. I believe it now belongs to the Barber Motorsports Museum.

[rcollum]

Tom, you had Norm's Seven correct. Skip, absolutely correct - that is the Barber Museum's Lotus Type 119 gravity racer.

 

The others - Michael D.'s BMW had to stand in for his Seven, which he's still working on. My wife and I drove up to the party from Virginia, she in the Elise, and I in the Seven. Michael came up the entrance ramp to 495, honking and waving. I thought it was some crazy man, but saw the 'Lotus' on the hood, and at least I knew where the crazy man was going. He helped us take a route to avoid most of the traffic.

 

The Prisoner Edition Seven is Kevin McGovern's.

 

The Fisher Fury I saw at Katie's Cars & Coffee in Great Falls VA, on Saturday morning. I chatted briefly with Kevin Kearney, the owner.

 

Below is Norm B's trailer and tow vehicle, and the view over our Seven's bonnet of our Elise.

 

--Bob Collum

[scannon]

that is the Barber Museum's Lotus Type 119 gravity racer.

 

Speaking of gravity racers, in the 80s I was involved in Gravity Formula 1 in California. Spec race cars with few modifications allowed. I still have my car although it hasn't been on the road for 20+ years. I have to wonder how it would do against the factory gravity cars like the Type 119 and others built for Goodwood.

 

[Paul Hill]

That looks like a modern Enduro kart, minus the engine and fuel tank.

Why is it that such neat ideas fail to maximize their potential? Or was it like the kart classes, where the racers priced themselves out of business?

[sevenup]

What is the car in picture #6?

[yellowss7]

Fisher Fury

[DeanG]

Bob; I didn't realize that you had your Se7en there. To me the Lotus 119B gravity racer was the coolest car there. Much more desirable than the the F40.

[rcollum]

That looks like a modern Enduro kart, minus the engine and fuel tank.

Why is it that such neat ideas fail to maximize their potential? Or was it like the kart classes, where the racers priced themselves out of business?

This is the 'Lotus kart', though I understand they are built by 'Wildkart', and I do not know how much Lotus engineering is in them.

 

http://lotuskarts.com/

 

--Bob Collum

[Paul Hill]

Sorry to confuse things Bob but I was referring to Skip's pics of the Gravity F1 cars (?). Or would they be referred to as karts?

[rcollum]

Sorry to confuse things Bob but I was referring to Skip's pics of the Gravity F1 cars (?). Or would they be referred to as karts?

My mistake, Paul. Those gravity F1 cars are beyond sleek!

[Paul Hill]

Yup...they so resemble the lay down Enduro karts. Hope they handled better!

[scannon]

Yup...they so resemble the lay down Enduro karts. Hope they handled better!

I've never driven an enduro kart so I can't really compare. The GF1 cars have optional 4 wheel steering. With it engaged you can make a U turn on a standard two lane road at 45+ mph. They were measured at just under 4 Gs lateral acceleration. Really hard on the neck.

 

Steering is with the single red lever on the right side, brakes are the two levers on the left, one for front and one for rear brakes. You can bias the brakes by rotating your hand a little on the two handles as you apply the brakes or just hit the rear one if you want to spin it.

 

They are so low that you can feel them hit the Botts Dots on the road. Coefficient of drag was said to be .17 and the frontal area is very small.