In this age of diminished resources and lowered expectations, it's nice to know there are a few old-school conspicuous consumers.
[I]nitiated and operated by Lotus Motorsport, The Exos Experience [a reference to the earth’s outer atmosphere - the exosphere - where space begins and G-forces lessen where atoms are on ballistic trajectories and the lightest gases including atomic oxygen reside] is an elite club. A club in which the limited number of Lotus 125 owner drivers can refine their driving skills and challenge themselves in Formula 1™ inspired technology combined with expert one-to-one advice from former Grand Prix drivers and trainers…Just as Formula 1™ drivers must prove themselves from week-to-week on Grand Prix tracks around the world, the ‘Exos Experience by Lotus’ will be held at European circuits with first class facilities, like the famous Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France, and the Autódromo do Algarve, Portimao in Portugal. Owners will learn to drive in conditions similar to the most demanding race proven circuits in motorsport. With Lotus’ sophisticated data-gathering systems they’ll also be able to compare lap times with past and present heroes of the sport and debate braking distances - with braking zones of less than 100m, one of the difficult aspects to master - and overlay racing lines, entry and exit speeds and terminal velocity.
So in the end, what Lotus is selling here is less the car than the experience of being a Formula 1 driver. Too bad they couldn't rent out Monte Carlo for a weekend.
Anyway, it's nice to know that Lotus is planning to pull in at least $25 million in revenue with this yet-to-be released product (only slightly less than what GM got for the whole company in 1993). Though Lotus is now wholly owned by the Malaysian consortium, Proton, let's hope some of that money filters into the economy of Hertfordshire, England, where the cars are put together. Those people could probably use it a lot more than Type 125 owners could use their ersatz F1 lifestyle.
Page Excerpt
Like to drive really fast and have a spare $1 million? Lotus wants to meet your needs by offering the first series production F1 car for sale to private owners.
The Lotus Type 125 is a full-fledged F1 car, with a few modifications for general usability. But no, it is not street legal.
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Seriously though, that is one cool looking car. Problem with formula cars is there's a huge gap between them and your average sports car, or even supercar in terms of the driving skill needed. You can't just take it slow in the corners (slow being a relative term) till you get used to driving it because you will be on your brakes so much that they will heat up and fail. You HAVE to carry a lot of speed into the corner in order to get enough downforce to make it through without getting loose and getting into the wall. If your average muscle car nut drove this thing odds are you'd end up with a million bucks of scrap in less than three corners....assuming they can get the thing off the line at all without stalling it.
As a student, your job is to maintain exactly 2 car lengths while following the instructor in another race car. This way, the instructor can bring students up to speed safely for their skills. And so you also learn racing lines and strategy.
This do this with a range of students - some good at this and many not.