Lotus Sport Cadena GT3 Race Team
Text & photos courtesy Group Lotus Plc
edited 02-20-2006

Lotus Sport, the performance division of Lotus Cars, and Cadena announce the signing of a two-year agreement for the supply of a minimum of 2 Lotus Sport Exige GT3 race cars to be campaigned initially in the British GT Championship in 2006 with an expectation of also entering FIA European GT3 Championship in 2007.

The team will be branded Lotus Sport Cadena.

The Lotus Sport Exige GT3 entrant has been developed by Lotus Sport and is a derivative of the new Lotus Exige S coupe model. Weighing in at approximately 750 kg, it stays true to the “performance through light weight” core Lotus philosophy. The car uses a race prepared 1.8 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i engine with a Roots type supercharger and air-to-air intercooler which utilises the Lotus T4e Engine Control Unit to produce 285 hp (289 PS) at 7,800 rpm. This gives an impressive power to weight ratio of 380 hp / tonne or 2.6 kg / PS.

Drivers are yet to be confirmed for the two chassis.

Chris Arnold, General Manager for Lotus Sport is looking forward to the championship: “We see this as the essential next stage in the development of the Lotus Sport Exige GT3 race car. The British GT Series is a very competitive championship and features some very exciting racing as well as some fine cars, drivers and teams. Although this is not a full factory team, we are working closely together to build the Lotus Sport brand in GT racing for global success in the future. Lotus has a fine tradition in GT sportscar racing over more than 50 years, and I am delighted to see Lotus Sport Cadena on the grid for 2006.”

For Cadena, Paul Whight stated “2006 will be a year of discovery for Lotus Sport Cadena. We expect to sign 4 drivers very shortly, and look forward to working very closely with Lotus Sport to develop both the team and the cars during the 2006 season. Looking beyond 2006, we have our sights on the FIA European GT3 Championship in 2007 so we will view this year as one of development for the future.”