With Porsche now in the LMP1 game and Nissan is set to follow suit in 2015, it will soon be an exciting fight at the top tier in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But it seems that they are not the only ones interested in joining the LMP1 class as going quiet under the radar, Lotus had just unveiled their LMP1 contender that they will soon be using in the World Endurance Championship.
Despite unveiling the car at Le Mans, the Kodewa racing team will not be using the new race car at the iconic endurance race as they had problems with the engine manufacturer earlier on, causing them to delay its debut. Originally planned to make its racing debut at the season opener of the 2014 WEC, the Lotus P1/01 will race in September at the Circuit of the Americas.
“We had an agreement with another engine manufacturer, a new brand, but then in December than they had to remove themselves as they did not have the capabilities to build the engine,” said Boris Bermes, LMP Head of Operations for the Lotus LMP Team.
“We designed the car for a V8, but then we had to change. It took like four weeks. This engine is a V6 turbo. With radiators plus intercoolers, bodywork, and sidepods, torque curve, everything changed,” he added.
No further details have been shared about their new AER twin-turbo V6 engine, but it is speculated that the displacement might be between three or four liters.
