Lotus Type 30 (1964 to 1965)

The Type 30 was introduced in 1964 by Lotus as a two seater barchetta racing prototype developed by Colin Chapman for sports prototype racing in the United States and Europe. It featured rear wheel drive, a mid rear engine, and a 5 speed ZF manual transmission. It was equipped with a 289ci Ford V8 engine, specially tuned for racing, which produced around 350hp. The car was notable for its extremely lightweight aluminum monocoque chassis, a very advanced solution for the time, although it also became famous for its structural flexibility, which made it fast but difficult to handle at the limit. The Lotus Type 30 was produced until 1965.