2007 Lotus Exige 240 Cup Car on 2040-cars

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Race recap: 2015 British Grand Prix is a testament to timing

In front of his home crowd, Lewis Hamilton actually had to work for pole position at the British Formula One Grand Prix. The World Champion couldn't get on top of the setup for his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on Friday, lapping behind teammate Nico Rosberg and the two Ferraris. Come Saturday, after a few alterations and a whole lot of wing to clamp down on understeer, Hamilton returned to his regular program at the front, taking pole position by just over a tenth of a second from his teammate. Williams, thought to be headed for another stretch in the weeds a few races ago, showed its best strength all year. The Grove team got both cars on the second row and in front of the Ferraris, Felipe Massa qualifying ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas, but they were eight and nine tenths behind the Mercedes'. Kimi Raikkonen out-qualified Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel for the second time this year, and only the first time in a straight-up battle with two healthy cars. But more than a second behind the two cars at the front, and with two nearly-impossible-to-pass Williams' in front, neither the Finn nor the German is happy with where they are. Daniil Kvyat claimed seventh, his side of the garage at Infiniti Red Bull Racing having got through the weekend to that point without a single complaint about their Renault power unit. Carlos Sainz, Jr. put a single Toro Rosso inside the top ten in eighth position, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg who did the same for Sahara Force India by slotting in ninth. The second Infiniti Red Bull driven by Daniel Ricciardo did have an unspecified engine complaint – his car kept "bleeding power" on the straights – but even so he managed to qualify tenth with his second-fastest lap. The stewards deleted his best lap because he ran three centimeters outside the track limits at Copse, an infraction that stung a few other drivers as well. Up in front, what would sting the Mercedes-AMG Petronas drivers the most was the start. That's when a dearth of grip struck both Hamilton and Rosberg, allowing Massa and Bottas to slide right up the middle between them and take the first two places. The leapfrogging was so surprising that it looked like the Mercedes drivers were giving the Williams drivers a head start. They diced through the first corners, Hamilton sliding past Bottas into second place halfway through the lap. And then the safety car reported for duty.

Lotus CEO busted doing 102 mph uses 'Test Driver' defense

A UK police officer busted Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales doing 102 miles per hour in a Lotus on the A11 motorway near the carmaker's Hethel HQ. Doing 102 mph in a Lotus isn't a problem. Doing 102 mph in a Lotus in a 70-mph zone, however, is. The even bigger problem for Gales was that according to the sentencing guidelines, the minimum spanking for such hijinks is three points added to the driver's record and a GBP100 fine. The biggest problem for Gales was that he already had eight points on his license for previous offenses. At 12 points, a UK driver can be banned from driving for six months, and Gales did not want to be one tiny point away from that fate. Gales could have explained himself in court, but he had his solicitor, Simon Nicholls, do it for him. Nicholls prepared an arcane quodlibet that could be called the "Test Driver Defense." The premise was that as CEO of a sports car company, Gales felt compelled to test drive his company's newest products, and that Gales' hands-on, wide-open-throttle approach to his job is partly "responsible for the remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of the company." As such, it would be "vital" for Gales to continue doing his work, beneficial to the country as it were. The cheekiest bit came when Nicholls said, "Of course [Gales] was driving very carefully but was not driving in accordance with the speed limit," and that sentencing guidelines are "handrails not handcuffs." The solicitor furthermore suggested that instead of assessing points, the court should issue a 30-day driving ban and a fine. And the court agreed. On top of ordering Gales into the shotgun seat, the magistrate instructed Gales to pay GBP666, plus GBP100 for court costs, and GBP66 for a victim surcharge. That's about $1,400 in US funds, but no points. Then the magistrate said Gales - who wasn't present - should stick to test tracks instead of public roads for his triple-digit duties. The episode proves that Lotus not only knows how to add lightness to cars, it knows how to do the same for justice. Related Video:

Lotus honors F1 efforts with limited-edition Exige LF1

Lotus has announced a new, special edition of its hardcore Exige for customers in the UK and Europe. Limited to just 81 units (for the Lotus Formula One team's 81 victories), the new Exige LF1 is the ultimate accessory for fans of the British manufacturer's Formula One efforts.
Befitting of a car inspired by the Lotus E22, this particular Exige is finished in the team's traditional black and gold colors, complete with red accents inspired by the F1 racer. The exterior is further enhanced with unique badges that proclaim the LF1's limited-edition status. Matte gold wheels have also been fitted, just like this Lotus' big brother.
This isn't purely a paint-and-stickers job, though. Lotus has also touched up the cabin, offering up black leather and "technical fabric," complete with gold contrast stitching and piping. The seat backs and floor mats feature embroidered logos, while an individually numbered, carbon-fiber plaque sits on the LF1's dash.