Lotus 48
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Technical Director)
Maurice Philippe
(Chief Designer)
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| Category | Formula One Formula Two | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Team Lotus | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Colin Chapman (Technical Director) Maurice Philippe (Chief Designer) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | 44 | ||||||||||
| Successor | 59 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications[1][2] | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminium monocoque with rear subframe | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Lower wishbones, top rockers actuating in-board coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Reversed lower wishbones, top links, twin radius arms, coil springs over dampers, anti-roll bar | ||||||||||
| Engine | Ford Cosworth FVA, 1,600 cc (98 cu in), L4, NA, mid-mounted. | ||||||||||
| Transmission | ZF 5DS12 5-speed manual gearbox | ||||||||||
| Weight | 420 kg (930 lb) | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Firestone | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Team Lotus | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers |  Jackie Oliver | ||||||||||
| Debut | 1967 German Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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| n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only. | |||||||||||
The Lotus 48 was a Formula 2 racing car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Phillippe and powered by a 1,600 cc (98 cu in) Cosworth FVA engine. It won three races in the hands of Jim Clark but was generally uncompetitive against rival machinery. Ultimately, its main claim to fame (or notoriety) is as the car in which Clark was killed at Hockenheim on 7 April 1968.
The Lotus 48 was designed to take the Cosworth FVA engine to compete under the new Formula Two regulations introduced in 1967. It had a full monocoque chassis with a tubular spaceframe for the engine, inboard coil springs operated by rocker arms at the front and reversed wishbones with twin trailing and top links at the rear. The FVA engine was mated to a ZF gearbox. Only four examples were built; although it was intended as a customer car, prospective customers flocked to buy the more successful Brabham BT23 instead.
