Latest news with #Lotus
Car and Driver
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
View Photos of the 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo
read the full review Despite a modest-by-today's-measure 215 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, the 1988 Lotus Espirit Turbo was a seriously speedy exotic in its day.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Beautiful' schoolboy, 15, drowns in river after passers-by tried to save him as his devastated family pays tributes
A FAMILY have paid tribute to their "beautiful" boy who drowned in a river despite passers-by trying to rescue him. Lotus Bowker, 15, from Kirkham, Lancashire, died after getting into difficulty in water on May 17. Emergency services were called to the riverbank at around 2:30pm and the teenager was airlifted to hospital. But despite medics' best efforts, he passed away the following morning. Cops have urged anyone with information related to the boy's death to come forward and urged people to "think twice" before going into open water. The lad's parents have paid tribute to their "beautiful boy" who they say is "sadly" missed by his family. Read more on News They said: "Our beautiful boy, sadly missed by his Mummy, Daddy, his brothers and sister deeply. Words cannot describe the pain we are going through.' A GoFundme page has been set up in memory of the boy and to help support his family during this difficult time. In a heartbreaking post, Maria Mercer, a friend of the family's, wrote how their hearts have been "shattered" following the tragic incident. She described how what started off as an ordinary day quickly turned into an "unimaginable nightmare". Most read in The Sun She said: "On Sunday 18th May, our hearts were shattered when 15 year old Lotus Bowker tragically lost his life following an incident in a river. "What started off as an ordinary day quickly turned into an unimaginable nightmare and now family and friends are grieving the loss of a beautiful, bright and kind hearted soul taken way to soon. Lotus was more than just a teenager- he was a son, a brother, a friend and a shining light in the lives of everyone who knew him. "His smile could lift a room, and his energy was infectious. He had dreams, laughter to share and a whole life ahead of him. That future was stolen in a moment that will never be forgotten. "As his family and friends come to terms with this heartbreaking reality, they are now faced with the painful task of saying goodbye. "We want to give Lotus the farewell he truly deserves- one filled with love, dignity and the honour that his life deserves. "This fundraiser has been created to help give Lotus the best send off and support his family in this difficult time. "Every donation, no matter how small, will make a meaningful difference and ease the burden on those left behind." Regarding the tragic incident, DI Adie Knowles, said: "First and foremost my thoughts remain with Lotus's loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. "They have lost a son and a brother in the most tragic circumstances and I just want to echo David's words around water safety. "I'd just ask that people think twice before going into rivers, reservoirs or any form of open water. You are unnecessarily putting your lives at risk, and I really don't want to have to knock on your parents door to tell them that you won't be coming home." "Any individuals with information related to Lotus's death should contact Lancashire Police on 101, quoting log 834 of May 17, 2025." 1 Lotus Bowker died after getting into difficulty in water Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
60 years on from his stunning Indy 500 triumph, how Jim Clark became the fastest farmer in the land
The roars of the crowd have long faded, the whine of engines and the screech of brakes have dissipated into the air. The glory days have come and gone with a speed that blurs vision, compromises rational thought. But the life and work of Jim Clark resounds down the ages, safeguarded and preserved by those who knew and loved him. There is much myth and legend to the life of the great Scot. There is also irrefutable fact. The clock has sped on but Clark remains one of the greatest drivers ever. There is much evidence to support this contention but an examination of the year of 1965 would be more than ample evidence. Sixty years ago on this day, Clark, the farmer from Chirnside, won the Indianapolis 500, breaking a North American stranglehold on the race. He also won the Tasman Series, held in Australia and New Zealand, with a Lotus 32B. As an encore, he won six consecutive races in Formula 1, becoming world champion for the second time. He also was also named a Freeman of Duns, an award which would have given him profound joy. 'Jim knew himself as a farmer,' says Doug Niven, his cousin. 'His gravestone read Jim Clark OBE. The first line is 'Farmer', the second line is 'world racing champion'. He was so unassuming. He had no airs and graces. 'The week after Monza, his first world championship in 1963, he was selling sheep at local sales in Kelso.' The anniversary of the Indy 500 triumph demands recognition and the Jim Clark Trust has helped to deliver it. On June 28/29, 14 of the great man's cars will be at an event at Duns Castle as fans, friends, former mechanics and colleagues gather for a weekend of celebration. Niven's memories of that day of the Indy 500 triumph are sharp. Now 79 and a family trustee of the JCT, he recalls life as a teenager in the Border farmlands. 'I am his first cousin. Jim's mother and my father were brother and sister. I lived in Jim's house when he was away racing,' he says. 'Our farm was seven miles from his and when he was away — and increasingly he was away a lot — his mother and father asked me to live in the house to keep an eye on it. 'I was a schoolboy when he started racing,' says Niven, who went on to become a fine racing driver as well as a successful farmer. 'When he came home, Jim wasn't that interested in talking about cars. He wanted to talk about the farm.' Niven recalls May 31, 1965. The world of television was restricted, primitive by today's standards. 'I went with Jim's parents to the Odeon Cinema in Edinburgh and watched the race in the middle of the night. It was all in a grainy black and white.' The flickering images conveyed a substantial victory. Clark, driving a rear-engined Lotus 38, led 190 laps at an average speed of just more than 150mph. History had been made. Clark was to add another chapter that same season, becoming the first and only driver to win the Formula 1 Championship and the Indy 500 in the same season. Within three years, he was dead. On April 7, 1968, his car somersaulted into a wood at Hockenheim during a Formula 2 race. Jim Clark, racing champion and mixed arable farmer, did not survive. He was 32. His legacy lives on. The Jim Clark Trust is dedicated to promoting and celebrating his story. There is a museum in Duns and it is hoped that events such as the one at the castle at the end of June will help raise funds to expand it. There are more cars to be housed, more memorabilia to be displayed. The Clark story encompasses 25 individual grand prix victories and success in touring cars and rallying. But today all roads lead back to Indiana in 1965. The voice is strong, The champion is vibrant. Mario Andretti, now 85, won the F1 championship in 1978, also with Lotus, and the Indy 500 in 1968. He was named rookie of the year after finishing behind Clark in the Indy 500 of 1965. In a message recorded for the events at Duns Castle, the American says: 'It's amazing 60 years on we are still celebrating the legacy of Jim Clark. Going back to 1965. I have something very, very special to tell you because it had so much meaning to a young rookie.' The racer remembers being enthralled by the very presence of Clark. 'He was my senior, already well accomplished. I took the opportunity to get to meet him and to pick his brain as much as possible about Formula 1.' After the race, where Andretti finished third, he talked to the Scot at the victory banquet. 'As we were saying our goodbyes, Jim and Colin Chapman were standing there and I said: 'Colin, one day I would like to do Formula 1. 'I looked at Jim and he gave me a nod. Colin looked at me and said: 'Mario, when you think you are ready, I will have a car for you'.' Andretti later collaborated with Chapman and Lotus for spectacular F1 success. Chapman, the design and engineering genius who founded Lotus in 1952, was central to Clark's success, particularly at the Indy 500. 'They had to build a car specific to that track,' explains Stuart McFarlane, broadcaster, sports historian and a volunteer at the Jim Clark Trust. 'It took a maverick like Colin to come up with such a car.' It took a driver such as Clark to win the race. McFarlane paints the scene of 60 years ago. 'It's the famous Brickyard track, more than 100,000 spectators. The noise, the colour. Thirty three gladiators taking to the track when the sport was as dangerous as any. 'Clark had been there two years earlier when he finished second to Parnelli Jones of the USA.' There had been flags when Jones had suffered oil leaks and many wondered if the same dispensation would have been granted to Clark if the circumstances had been reversed. Clark though was invincible in 1965. ABC Sports, who broadcast extended coverage of the 500 for the first time, named the Scot as sportsman of the year. McFarlane believes that Indianapolis showed Clark at his peerless best. 'He was a clean driver,' he says. Clark never made aggressive demands of the car, preferring to guide it around the track with an unnatural ease. 'There were two sides to him. He was a farmer, happy to be back home, quiet and unassuming. But on the track he was fully focused. He was able to make decisions quickly and to execute them flawlessly. 'Jackie Stewart always says that it took Jim hours to decide what film to go to see. By the time he had plumped for one, the film was over. He was entirely different in a car.' The great Scot sits at the top table of sporting greatness. The world will descend on Duns to pay tribute. As his cousin, Doug Niven, says: 'It may be one of the last chances of some of his contemporaries to see the cars and hear and tell the stories. We are all getting on,' he says. But the legend attracts new adherents down the years. They will be present at the event that has been sponsored by Lotus and the Colin Chapman Foundation. One man, of course, will be missing. But his presence will be felt. Jim Clark would have been 89. He endures in memory and in black and white footage. Clark died during a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim in 1968 but his legend endures It is appropriate to give him the last word. One day after that famous victory, he told an interviewer that the Indy 500 triumph had given him substantial satisfaction because it had been 'a greater challenge' than Formula 1. 'I think that's because I am the outsider breaking in, I feel the underdog,' he says with the gentlest of smiles. The farmer from Chirnside had conquered the New World. It is a story for the ages. For further information, go to
Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
6 EVs With the Most Horsepower
We get pretty jazzed up when we get behind the wheel of anything that has more than 300 horsepower, so the bar is low. When it comes to electric vehicles, that horsepower number can get into the stratosphere. The number of high-output EVs is growing by the month, or so it seems. Even more mainstream EVs like the 2025 Kia EV6 can generate as much as 641 horsepower in Launch Control mode, even more than the Porsche 911 Turbo's 572 horsepower. That's impressive for an EV that costs less than $64,000, but what about the high-end, high-performance electric vehicles out there? How much power do they produce? Here are the six EVs with the highest horsepower figures in 2025. Prepare yourself to see some astounding numbers. Not so long ago, Lotus was making small gas-powered track cars with less than 400 horsepower. Today, the iconic British carmaker builds an electric hypercar, the Evija, with 1,972 horsepower. The Evija uses four electric motors-one for each wheel-delivering precise torque distribution and organ-crushing acceleration. The power output is aided by a light and rigid carbon fiber monocoque structure, and the Evija can sprint to 60 mph in under three seconds and top out at over 200 mph. Less focused on straight-line speed and more on track duties, the Evija is a nimble, track-carving hypercar that looks more exotic and powerful than anything the brand has ever built. At $2.3 million, only 130 of them will be made. Mate Rimac founded the eponymous Croatian electric supercar brand in 2009, and its greatest creation is a monster of an electric supercar with power exceeding even the most powerful gas-powered competitors. The Nevera has a 120kWh battery that powers four motors, one dedicated to each wheel, for a total of 1,914 horsepower. The Nevera can rocket to 60 mph in a mere 1.85 seconds and can claim a top speed of 258 mph. It also has advanced torque vectoring to maximize its handling capabilities. Only 150 units will be made, and our guess is that they're already spoken for, even at a price of over $2 million apiece. The renowned Italian design house, Pininfarina, is famous for designing some of the most iconic cars from Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. Now, Pininfarina is creating its own cars that look to the future instead of the past. Case in point, the electric Battista, a luxury hyper-GT that blends Italian design with astronomical power. The Battista actually uses a powertrain developed in partnership with the aforementioned Rimac, and its quad-motor setup produces 1,900 horsepower. It can achieve a 0-60 mph time of less than two seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. Priced at $2.2 million, the car will only ever see 150 units built. Lucid Motors isn't just about building elegant EVs with airy cabins and cutting-edge technology. It also makes electric muscle that outdoes any luxury sedan made today. The Lucid Air Sapphire costs $250,000, and it has the firepower to back up that price. With 1,234 horsepower from its tri-motor powertrain, the Air Sapphire can easily claim to be one of the quickest production sedans in the world. 0-60 mph happens in under two seconds, meaning it can pretty much destroy everything else out there, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and the like. It also gets a ridiculous 427-mile range on a full charge. Your Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid can't do that, can it? Not far behind the Lucid Air Sapphire is Tesla's bad boy, the Model S Plaid ($94,990). Having roasted numerous exotic supercars in YouTube drag races, the Plaid is insane for what's essentially an electric family sedan. The 1,020 horsepower from its tri-motor setup means the Plaid can launch to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds and hit a top speed of 200 mph. To boot, the Plaid provides 348 miles of all-electric range and transports five adults in comfort. Even if someone wants to kick your Tesla out of hatred for Elon Musk, just mash the throttle and you'll be outta there in no time. The GMC Hummer EV ($99,045) is the return of the original Hummer and then some. This time around, it's a different kind of powerhouse-an electric pickup or SUV that moves with alacrity via a tri-motor setup producing up to 1,000 horsepower. The monolith of an EV can sprint from 0-60 mph in around three seconds, besting some of the quickest sports cars in the world. All this from a vehicle that weighs over 9,000 pounds is a Herculean achievement. The Hummer EV also comes standard with CrabWalk mode (which allows it to move diagonally) and adaptive suspension, making it way more agile than anything this size has a right to. The horsepower figures on this list would have been unthinkable just a decade ago, but EV technology has made it possible for cars, trucks, and SUVs to push the envelope of power. Each one of these vehicles meets or exceeds the 1,000-horsepower mark, and that's no joke. They're proof that electric vehicles are rewriting the rulebook for what's possible in automotive performance. More than just batteries and motors, these vehicles exhibit cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and, in many cases, a surprising degree of luxury and comfort. However, you'll still have to resituate your facial features back to their normal location after pushing these to their limits. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Top Gear
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Epic fail: the Ligier JS5 F1 car's 'teapot' airbox
Epic Fail Given a nickname for its unconventional design, regulation changes consigned it to history after four races Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading The problem with F1 cars today is, they're so ugly. All those slats and fins and petrochemical sponsor logos: it's not like the good old days, when every Grand Prix racer was a sleek, sinuous slice of pure (tobacco branded) beauty. Only, they weren't, were they? Sure, the good old days did contain some very pretty F1 cars – when Epic Fail is sad, Epic Fail spends a while looking at photos of the Lotus 72, which tends to help matters – but they also contained a whole bunch of utter horror shows. Advertisement - Page continues below Such as Ligier's JS5, the 1976 F1 entrant that sported an airbox so bulbous it was christened 'The Teapot'. Consider it an automotive Rorschach test: what do you see in that curvaceous funnel? Smurf hat? Squid Game guard? The exit hole of a marsupial? Quite why the Ligier JS5's extraordinary protuberance was quite so extraordinarily protuberant remains unclear. Its primary purpose was to funnel cool air to the Ligier's 3.0-litre Matra V12, but other teams of the era achieved the same effect with airboxes that didn't look like haunted sculptures from an especially creepy kids' theme park. You might like The JS5 may have been ugly as a fungal toenail, but it wasn't slow. Though it retired early on its first two outings – perhaps out of sympathy for the eyes of onlookers – the Teapot then recorded a fourth place at Long Beach, California, in the hands of French racer Jacques Lafitte, who at least had the benefit of not having to look at the mega snout. But a flower blooms only for a season. After just four races, as F1 tweaked the regulations to prevent any airbox extending beyond the roll hoop, the JS5 was revised to resemble a regular racecar. We have never witnessed the Teapot's like since, and for that we must all be thankful. Advertisement - Page continues below Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
