The British lightweight track car phenomenon
The British obsession with lightweight track focused cars can be traced back to one man and his undying love for motorsport. Colin Chapman, the man and the mind behind Lotus success in Formula 1, took his fascination for power-to-weight ratios and the beneficial effects of weight savings from the race track and onto the road in the form of the Lotus 7. The original 7 was a sign of the times, as Britain reeled from post-world war era financial troubles that forced engineers and designers to opt for simple and easily rewarding designs. The times have changed, but in the pursuit of the ultimate performance vehicle, the principles have largely remained the same. Now, we take a look at the best of the lightweight superstars that have graced the automotive world with their presence.
ARIEL ATOM
The first Ariel Atom, powered by a screaming K20Z4 2.0 liter VTEC 4-cylinder engine sourced from Honda and suspension tuned by the gurus at Lotus, shocked the world with its appearance in the mid-2000s. Jeremy Clarkson's face gained a hundred new wrinkles when he test drove the open top, windscreen-less track weapon on Top Gear, and that was with a 300 bhp engine. A few years later, the Atom V8, powered by a 3.0 liter, 500 bhp engine, would literally wet the pants of automotive journalists. Niki Smart, the designer, is apparently pretty smart.
CATERHAM R600 SUPERLIGHT
Caterham got the rights to manufacture the Lotus 7 after 1972, and ever since it has undergone a continuous evolution, slowly modernized and adapted. What that has resulted in is a fine sports car and an extremely capable track car, providing the thrills no matter what the power figures are across the range of models. There have been hardcore versions as well, as the R600 Superlight demonstrates.
LOTUS 3-ELEVEN
First there was the mental Lotus Eleven racecar of the 50's, followed by, well, 2-Eleven of the mid-2000s. The latest, the 3-Eleven, takes the "race car for the road" concept to a whole new level. Powered by a supercharged V6 developing 450bhp, the 3-Eleven sprints to 60mph in under 3 seconds and has a top speed of 180mph. While that may not seem like much next to the bajillion mph supercars of today, keep in mind this is an open-top, windshield-less, 900kg car. It also happens to be the most expensive road car by Lotus.
BAC MONO
The BAC Mono is a single-seat racecar for the road, with FIA spec carbon-composite construction and 2.3-liter 285bhp engine sourced from Ford and fettled by Cosworth. That much horsepower and a 540kg kerb weight translates to incredible cornering and acceleration characteristics. Its also the second fastest car to go around the Top Gear test track, edged out by the Pagani Huayra.
KTM X-BOW
It happens to be Austrian, but the singularly rabid track car from a company that usually makes competition beating off-road and on-road motorbikes has taken a thoroughly British concept and used it to square off against the British themselves. While that sort of appropriation may not be as respectable as building something on your own, the fact is that the KTM X-Bow is an incredible machine that can swing punches hard.