The trimmed down Lotus Elise Club Racer is expected to be a firm favourite among performance motoring enthusiasts on a tight budget. This distinctive vehicle, priced at 27,500, is very different from the larger more expensive models which the Lotus team are used to producing.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the 134bhp 1.6 litre engine has been carried across from the cheapest Elise. While it may not be a great deal to shout about, this piece of kit will enable the lightweight vehicle to cruise around at high speeds.

Experienced Lotus drivers might have a little difficulty remembering to press the all new ’sport’ button, which puts the Dynamic Performance Management System into operation. However, they will undoubtedly enjoy utilising the adjustable anti-roll bar.

This car handles like a dream, carrying speed through test track corners, instead of piling it on after travelling through apexes. The dainty steering wheel writhes around as the car rapidly accelerates, and the driver is given a great deal of road level feedback.

While Lotus have had to make cutbacks in some areas of the Club Racer, they have also chosen to use quality parts, including Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers. They are offering motorists the choice of six vibrant colours ((Sky Blue, Saffron Yellow, Ardent Red, Aspen White, Matt Black and Carbon Grey), as well as bespoke design to reinforce the vehicle’s individuality.

Wolf Zimmerman, Chief Technical Officer of Lotus Cars, said, ‘The traditional Lotus approach of reduction and purity has lead to one of the most zeitgeist and contemporary sports cars around. For over 15 years the Lotus Elise has become an icon in the sports car market, carving out a niche market with a dedicated following of lightweight fans.’

‘The new Club Racer will definitely give these people something extra to get their teeth stuck into. This car epitomises everything that’s cool about the Elise – it’s fast, raw, responsive and a huge amount of fun to drive.’

Anybody who is prepared to spend a little extra for the ‘Club Racer Power Pack’ will enjoy the benefits of a new intake and . However, they will only be able to use these special add ons on track days. People who are more keen on the Lotus luxuries will probably be interested in the ‘comfort pack’, which includes an assortment of technical goodies.

http://www.longlife.co.uk/blog/index.php/tag/motoring/

Article source: http://www.performance-car-guide.co.uk/king-of-nascar-richard-petty.html

King of NASCAR Richard Petty The ‘King’ of NASCAR, Richard Petty, is honoured in STP’s top-line return to motorsport.

When the ‘King’ of NASCAR – Richard Petty – and famed fuel additives brand, STP, first signed a deal in 1972, it was the start of one of the longest and most successful sponsorship relationships in motorsport.

In twenty years, Petty thrilled legions of NASCAR fans and rewarded STP with four NASCAR Championship titles*.

Petty hung up his helmet in 1992, but nearly two decades later, over the weekend of June 4/5, the iconic STP Day-Glo red and ‘Petty Blue’ race colours were once again on track, heralding STP‘s return to top-line motorsport in its native USA.

Under the banner of Richard Petty Motorsports, the STP-sponsored NASCAR Ford Fusion – driven by former Champ Car driver, A.J. Allmendinger, and sporting Petty’s famous ‘43’ race number – was unveiled at Kansas Speedway, launching a full season for the team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2011.

The car pays tribute to the ‘King’, with a livery that replicates that of Petty’s 1972 STP Dodge Charger. Aside from taking Petty to his fourth NASCAR Championship victory that year, this is the car in which he wowed the crowds during his guest appearance at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The landmark return to NASCAR is part of STP’s major re-engagement with enthusiasts worldwide, in line with a major development of its fuel additive and engine care product ranges.

Renewed motorsport participation also includes NASCAR race and track sponsorships, and a return to big league NHRA drag racing.

Adding a global dimension, STP is also a founder sponsor of the UK-based Bloodhound Project – the bid to raise the World Land Speed Record to 1,000mph, which will be played out across a 14-mile land strip in South Africa in 2012/13.

And sports car enthusiasts across Europe are being treated to the vivid sight and sound of the STP AF Corse Ferrari F458, contesting the FIA GT3 European Championship, with qualifying rounds in seven nations.

For more information on STP’s 50-year motorsport heritage, current sponsorships and STP fuel additives and engine care products, visit www.stp.eu