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Technology in race cars (15): Lotus 43 - The curse of the 16 cylinders

Name: Lotus 43 1966
Brand: Lotus

Created on April 12, 2022

Text:

Gerhard Schütz

Photos:

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

Bruno von Rotz

Lotus 43 (1966) - Openly displayed engine technology

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Lotus 43 (1966) - You look in vain for spoiler work.

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Lotus 43 (1966) with Jim Clark at the wheel - Full speed ahead!

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Lotus 43 (1966) - Needs a lot of attention

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Lotus 43 (1966) - The 43 took its only victory at the US Grand Prix.

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Lotus 43 (1966) - It's no surprise that the 43 reacted quite heavily to steering commands.

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Lotus 43 (1966) - The complexity of the H16 becomes apparent from the rear.

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Lotus 43 (1966) - One exhaust for every four cylinders

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Lotus 43 (1966) - The "self-supporting" engine was bolted to the monocoque.

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Lotus 43 (1966) - The H16 is a fascinating vehicle, but it rarely lived up to expectations.

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Lotus 43 (1966) - Load-bearing engine-transmission unit

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Lotus 43 (1966) - Rear view of the H16 without transmission unit

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Lotus 43 (1966) - The engine from the front: two water pumps for 16 cylinders

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Lotus 43 (1966) - The BMR-P75 engine as a 3D puzzle with two crankshafts, eight camshafts, 32 valves and a few other parts...

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Lotus 43 (1966) - A quick exit for the Lotus-BRM 43 after just one victory. For 1967, the Ford-Cosworth DFV was already waiting to take Formula 1 into new spheres...

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BRM P83 (1966) - Jackie Stewart drove the P83 to its only podium finish in 1967 and joined Matra-Cosworth at the end of that year.

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Lotus-BRM 43 (1966) - during the demonstration drives on the occasion of the Jim Clark Tribute at the Goodwood Revival 2013

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Lotus 43 (1966) – Spoilerwerk sucht man vergebens.

Lotus 43 (1966) mit Jim Clark am Steuer – Volle Kraft voraus!

Lotus 43 (1966) – Braucht viel Zuwendung

Lotus 43 (1966) – Beim Grossen Preis der USA fuhr der 43 seinen einzigen Sieg ein.

Lotus 43 (1966) – Dass der 43 ziemlich hecklastig auf Lenkbefehle reagierte, verwundert kein bisschen.

Lotus 43 (1966) – Von hinten wird die Komplexität des H16 ersichtlich.

Summary

When a new era in Formula 1 began in 1966 with the 3-liter regulations, Lotus wanted to outperform the competition right from the start. However, it would take until the Italian Grand Prix before the Lotus 43 could be used. This was not powered by a tried-and-tested V8 or V12, but by an H16 from BRM, whose construction had been inspired by a powerful Napier aircraft engine. However, Chapman and Co. soon realized that more and better do not always go hand in hand. This article from the series "Technology in racing cars" deals with the Lotus 43 and its 16-cylinder engine.

This article contains the following chapters

New aggregate state
Promising beginnings
Lots of potential - excerpts from the history of the 16-cylinder
Aiming too high and crashing

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The years 1958 to 1978 were the two most creative decades in the history of racing technology. This series portrays the most innovative, pioneering and exotic designs of Formula 1, Indy cars, sports cars and CanAm, and at the same time traces the major lines of development that still have an impact today. The series started with Lotus, one of the most important innovation drivers of these two decades. And the series will also finish with Lotus: With the first ground-effect Formula 1 to win a world championship in 1978, the Type 79. In 1966, the three-liter formula replaced the 1.5-liter cars that had been used in Formula 1 from 1961 to 1965. The possible engine outputs rose sharply, initially up to 360 hp (Ferrari) instead of the previous maximum of 230 hp. The long years of this three-liter formula were to become one of the most technically and sportingly exciting eras in racing history. But the start was bumpy. Only three teams were able to use suitable engines: Brabham with Repco (V8), Cooper with Maserati and, of course, Ferrari (both V12). The other English teams had to make do with bored-out Coventry Climax four-cylinder engines (2-2.5 liters) for the time being.

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