JPS livery
The Lotus Evija has been given a special jacket, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the world title that Lotus took with driver Emerson Fittipaldi. Enthusiasts will undoubtedly recognize the color scheme immediately and it will certainly lead to the necessary mouth watering.
Formula 1 enthusiasts (possibly of a somewhat older age) do not have to look twice at this Lotus Evija to see which iconic color scheme adorns it. It is, of course, the black and gold of the John Player Special Lotuses from the 70s and 80s livery which according to many fans belongs to the most beautiful color combinations in F1 ever. Lotus takes it once again from stable for a special Evija, although the black in this case is largely bare carbon fiber.
With the Lotus Evija Fittipaldi, the British brand celebrates that it took the constructors’ and drivers’ title 50 years ago with, you guessed it, Emerson Fittipaldi. The Brazilian drove that year in the Lotus Type 72, which, in addition to being strikingly colored, was also bloody fast. An innovative car, which can be seen as one of the founders of modern Formula 1 cars thanks to its wedge shape and the air scoops on the side of the carriage.
Apart from the color scheme and the brand, the Lotus Evija has virtually nothing in common with the Type 72. It had, for example, an atmospheric 3.0 V8, where the Evija is fully electrically powered. However, in this special edition aluminum is processed from a Type 72, to be precise in the rotary knob on the center tunnel. Speaking of the interior: here too it is black with gold that strikes the clock. The Lotus Evija Fittipaldi’s dashboard features a hand-stitched signature of the man himself. His name is also on the rear part of the car’s roofline.
Lotus does not affect the power of the Evija, but there was actually no room for improvement. The four-wheel drive Evija, which has four electric motors, releases no less than 2,039 hp and 1,704 Nm on the asphalt. Enough to fire it from 0 to 100 km/h in just three seconds. In just nine seconds you can reach 300 km/h from standstill and the top speed is 350 km/h. Despite an expected weight of almost 1,900 kilos, the Evija makes mincemeat of the Type 72, although that is no shame given the age of the latter. Lotus will initially build eight copies of the Evija Fittipaldi, all of which have already been sold. Presumably one of those cars goes to Emerson Fittipaldi himself. Fittipaldi was also present at the unveiling and was allowed to drive in ‘his’ Type 72 in addition to the Evija.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl