Forzamotorsport.net Forums

in	Welcome to Forzamotorsport.net Forums \| Help

Turn 10's Car of the Week [No. 6] - Dinner for 1

Turn 10 Car of the Week: Lotus 79

By P. Rodriguez

Images courtesy of ultimatecarpage.com and jpslotus.org

As my esteemed colleague J. Mason pointed out in "Rabbit Stew" the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well here it goes: I am hopelessly addicted and obsessed with Formula 1. Whether it’s Fangio executing a perfect 4-wheel drift (about 40 years before drifting was supposedly invented (yes, zip-tie SR20 swap S13 guy, I am talking to you) in a Maserati 250F, or Senna schooling the field on a "flyer", I simply can’t get enough Formula 1. Hell, I am up at 4AM on Sunday morning just so I don’t have to watch the European rounds on tape-delay. Anyway, by now you are probably asking what does all this have to do with the Lotus 79? Well, among many F1 addicts the Lotus 79 is considered to be the most beautiful F1 car ever built and one of the finest racing machines of all time.

The list of great things about this car is almost endless but let’s focus on the plethora of technology packed under its beautiful carapace. Colin Chapman had been tinkering with the idea of ground effects for a couple years, and he finally got it right with the Lotus 79. Essentially what he did was build venturi tunnels into the bottom of the car and fitted flexible side-skirts along the edges of the sidepods. The venturi tunnels created a low pressure zone under the car and combined with the side-skirts, the car was literally sucked to the ground. All told the Lotus 79 produced 30% more downforce than its predecessor! Chapman’s discovery was so effective that by 1982 ground effect cars were banned as cornering speeds were so high that drivers were in serious danger of passing out. Drivers steering with their knees at 200mph on the Mulsanne Straight while securing their H-belts think that is insane!

Mario Andretti reportedly said the “the Lotus 79 is so easy to drive that a monkey could do it” and teammate Ronnie Peterson claimed the car was so well setup that all he had to do was steer! Combined with the workhorse Cosworth DFV and the talents of Andretti and Peterson, the Lotus 79 was absolutely lethal on the track. Ligier, Tyrrell, Brabham and yes even Ferrari all received a good ole’ fashioned beatdown from the Lotus 79. Basically if nothing broke and the drivers didn’t wreck or get penalized the Lotus 79 was going to win the race.

Visually the car is an absolute stunner. The low and wide stance coupled with the sleek body are definitely sights for sore eyes. The John Player Special gold and black livery is the stuff of legends and oh yeah, the 18.5 inch wide slicks out back are pretty badass! On a personal note, the Lotus 79 is quite special to me because it enabled Mario Andretti to win the 1978 driver’s championship, only the second American to do so. And well…let’s be honest, with the insane popularity of NASCRAP© and young American drivers only being taught how to turn left, he will probably be the last. But I digress, please sit back, relax and enjoy a few laps of Anderstorp courtesy of Mario Andretti and the Lotus 79.

P. Rodriguez is an automotive writer who regularly utters the words “Eau Rouge” in his sleep, loves the smell of methanol in the morning and if given the choice would rather watch Oprah than NASCAR©.

Published Friday, March 07, 2008 7:02 PM by chespace

Comments

	dc67 said: Love to see Jag and lotus back in it,but ford and chevy would be even better! March 7, 2008 11:03 PM
	Pipped At The Line said: Back in the day when F1 was still innovative and fun. Where wealth hadn't yet turned it into something that the snobs and elite show up for just to be seen. Thanks for the memories. March 8, 2008 12:51 AM
	Pocket4ce said: Most beautiful car, for sure. This article made me remember of the late Ayrton Senna. Being Brazilian, Ayrton was a hometown hero, and since my grandfather was a high tier government official, it was easy to get news from the circle of F1. I remember the whole family gathered every Sunday over a 10 inch TV screen, adjusting the antennas, trying to get the best signal possible, and then two hours of tension succeeded. Of course, most of that tension was relieved almost always as a victory by Senna, but it was wonderful how everyone would gather for Sunday lunch, everyone from my family and extended family, many of those who are not with me anymore, and ever since my grandmother passed away, the family sort of split. Of course, my best memory of a car in F1 was the bright orange and pale white Honda Mclaren of Senna. I had the opportunity to touch the car, to sit on it when I was little, and I remember brushing my hand over the car and feeling the rough edges on the air intakes due to the erosion of the high speed air on the paint, and I also remember the orange paint being so bright under the sun that it hurts my eyes. I still can't find something as bright as that orange. I remember details of this day, down to the cold morning and the characteristic smell of a cold, wet day. Anyway, fantastic memories. I remember his lotus, and I remember pictures of the '79 lotus and how I fell in love with the car. I remember that we had a tin of dark tea that was black with the golden inscriptions, and I made wheels to attach to it and push it around imagining that it was the '79 lotus. All of my friends down the street had the very same style of "box cars", some using cigarette cartons or VHS tape boxes, so we attached strings to them and made races. It was rare when I would win, because I was fat and kinda slow, but when I did, I treated myself like if I won a GP, and like if I was Ayrton himself. Every Sunday, after the race, me and my friends would make our own GP's, and even spray around some pop to make it look like champagne (for my mother's dismay). Of course, all of that was substituted by mourning in 1994, and thus I attended my very first funeral. Races wouldn't be as fun anymore. Family lunches would be meaningless. And it seemed like a piece was missing. Rest in peace, Ayrton, because you are a hero, a hero of the likes of the ancient greek ones, those who will be remembered forever as immortals. March 8, 2008 1:27 PM
	dc67 said: I have to start the request for the formula cart class.I'm more than happy with all the cars in the game.More tracks would be great.Add a formula and motorcycle class and Forza will be complete. March 8, 2008 2:07 PM
	Beretta said: The Lotus 79 was the first car I was exposed to F1 with. It will always be my favorite. Very nice article. March 8, 2008 2:12 PM
	Mattwa7x said: The carand driver both before my time (i'm 17) but i know both, thats how legendary the '79 and Andretti are. Easily one of the most beautiful F1 cars around not sure about THE most beautiful with competition from the Lotus 49. http://www.formula1.com/photos/597x478/manual/6712824.jpg I watched both videos with Jose Gonzalez 'Heartbeats' cover on engine noise in the background for the second honestly it was borderline beautiful. Seeing Ayrton Senna an F1 great on video was great, and drivers using the stick shift was very strange i have to admit i can't believe they took a hand off the wheel! The video of Mario showed a driver driving, i've never seen someone change there hand position on the steering wheel so much, very nice to see that. Fantastic article. March 8, 2008 6:09 PM
	Eric1741 said: NICEEEEEE March 8, 2008 10:32 PM
	ih8thisname said: Fantastic choice guys! I've currently got this as my wallpaper at home! :D [IMG]http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t152/ih8thisname/Lotus207220Jacky20Ickx.jpg[/IMG] Back in the days where F1 was not riddled with hard politics.. March 9, 2008 8:57 AM
	chespace said: There was no McLaren-gate back in the good ol' days of F1? :) March 9, 2008 3:37 PM
	Omega79 said: I'm pretty sure I still have a hotwheel or matchbox of a Lotus 79 somewhere around here. Really an exciting car to look at and seeing it again takes me back to when I still cared about F1. I have to admit though I really don't like that gold on black John Player livery... March 9, 2008 6:46 PM
	WazzuZ28 said: Bravo Pocket4ce, I couldn't have said it better myself, Senna was pure magic :) March 10, 2008 1:01 PM
	MrStabby1981 said: I would love lotus to come back to F1 as long as its in a black and gold car. :D March 10, 2008 6:55 PM
	Milagrito52 said: I think 59 Karmann Ghia Convertable should be next week. March 10, 2008 7:24 PM
	SpecOpsBob said: "And well…let’s be honest, with the insane popularity of NASCRAP© and young American drivers only being taught how to turn left, he will probably be the last." Classic! March 11, 2008 4:36 AM
	RACERsoldier said: someone should put that livery on an esprit in the game(maybe i will!) March 11, 2008 6:53 AM
	Monkey Magic said: When I see old footage of the Fangio days, all the racers were powersliding the corners, seems it was the fastest way to drive those thin tyres cars. March 11, 2008 10:13 AM
	FastHappy said: Few digits/years light of 79 but....72... is a beauty. Bring it to Forza! http://www.lotuscars.com/type72d.html March 12, 2008 4:34 PM
	Sabian484 said: Don't even mention Formula One unless you're gonna release some cars, old or new, on Forza. It's really frustrating that's there's no F1 games on the 360!! March 19, 2008 12:41 PM
	Omega79 said: No kidding Sabian. March 20, 2008 1:48 AM
	richrotors said: All my cars that I use on Forza are painted with the JPS colours. I have been a big fan of Lotus since I first saw those beatiful cars 30 something years ago. I do have a model of one of these cars next to my TV and have been a memeber of Club Lotus for nearly twenty years. I painted a Peugeot R1 car with these colour and it looks great. I'll post a pic of my Exige. [URL=http://www.putfile.com/pic/5650893][img]http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/6/16023070258.jpg[/img][/URL] March 20, 2008 10:45 AM
	spitfire67 said: Lotus GP were my favourite F1 team, maybe cos I lived a few miles down the road in Norwich. But its true to say they were great innovators and pushed the sport ever forward. It was sad to see them bow out of F1, but better that than seeing them languishing at the back of the grid. The Lotus 79 was an awesome car as was the 72 and 49. Theres was an old saying in F1 "If it looks right it works right". That saying applies to all three of these cars. Of cause Lotus produced many more great cars, but these three are the finest examples of F1 machinery in the 60's and 70's. BTW a car often sited as one of the prettiest F1 cars is the Jordan 191 March 21, 2008 12:12 PM