Philip Champion in his1956 Lotus XI Le Mans, racing with Bernardo Hartogs in his 1959 Lotus 15 Series 3, down the Wellington Straight, at Silverstone
The Lotus Eleven is a sports racing car built in various versions by Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation. In total, about 270 Elevens of all versions were built. The Eleven was designed by Colin Chapman and fitted with a sleek body designed by aerodynamicist Frank Costin. Its top version, dubbed Le Mans, was generally fitted with a 1100 cc (67ci) Coventry Climax FWA engine and occasionally with a 1500 cc (92ci)[1] Coventry Climax FWB engine mounted in the front of a tubular space frame and featured a De Dion rear axle and Girling disc brakes. Fully loaded, the car weighed only about 1,000 lb (450 kg). Versions for a 1100 cc (67ci)[2] Climax engine (Club) and a 1172 cc (72ci)[2] Ford engine (Sport) were also produced; both featured a live rear axle and drum brakes. Several cars were fitted with alternative engines by their owners, these included Coventry Climax 1500cc (92ci) FWB and FPF and 1200 cc (73ci) FWE, Maserati 150S 1500cc (92ci), DKW 1000cc (61ci) SAAB 850cc (52ci) and 750cc (46ci) engines. There were two main body styles: one with a headrest and the other with no headrest, just two small fins. Some cars were later fitted with a closed body with gullwing doors to meet GT specifications. Jump to search Lotus 15 Overview Manufacturer Lotus Engineering Ltd. Production 1958–1960 Designer Colin Chapman Body and chassis Class Group 4 Sports Car Body style Aluminium non-stressed Layout Front engine, Rear wheel drive, 2-seater Powertrain Engine Coventry Climax FPF Transmission Lotus "Queer Box" 5sp. BMC B-Series 4sp. ZF 5sp. Dimensions Wheelbase 88 in (2,235 mm) Length in (3,579 mm) Width 60 in (1,524 mm) Height 24 in (610 mm) Curb weight 992 lb (450 kg)-1,240 lb (562 kg) (dry) Chronology Predecessor Lotus Successor Lotus 19 The Lotus 15 is a front-engine sports racing car designed by Colin Chapman of Lotus, built from 1958 until 1960.
Size: 5024px × 3211px
Location: Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8TN
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1460cc, 1964cc, 3, 15, 56, 61, 1956, 2019, bernardo, champion, circuit, class, classic, hartogs, le, lotus, mans, moss, motosport, northamptonshire, philip, pre, rac, race, red, s4, s5, series, silverstone, sportscars, stirling, straight, towcester, trophy, wellington, woodcote, xi
