Lotus 77
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lotus 77 was a Formula 1 car designed by Colin Chapman, Ralph Bellamy and Tony Rudd for the 1976 Formula One season. The car was a means to an end for Lotus, who were fighting back after the faliure of the obsolete Lotus 72 in 1975.
The Lotus 77 featured a slimmer, lighter monocoque design over the 72, and was powered by the Cosworth DFV. It featured improved aerodynamics and repositioned radiators to aid better cooling. The front brakes were moved outboard in a more conventional design than it's predecessors. The car was designed around new signing Mario Andretti's smooth driving style; for this reason, Ralph Bellamy designed the front suspension around a series of rocker arms instead of the usual set up of coil springs and wishbones. The idea behind the new system was to set the suspension up for a specific track, taking into account ride height and road surface. It worked in a fashion, but Andretti and Gunnar Nilsson reported the steering and ride were occasionally vague and unresponsive. Andretti did not care for the car, proclaiming it to be a 'dog.' This motivated Chapman to research and create the stunning Lotus 78.
After a slow start, the 77 proved to be best of the rest behind Ferrari, McLaren and Tyrrell. Andretti worked hard to develop the car, and from mid season onwards, the 77's performance picked up. It was however best suited to tracks with long corners such as Anderstorp, where Andretti led easily before engine faliure put him out, Zandvoort, and Mosport Park both tracks where he finished on the podium.
Colin Chapman vetoed Andretti's request to race the Lotus 78 at Zandvoort, so Mario reluctantly raced the 77 until the end of the season. The final race was run in monsoon conditions at Mount Fuji Raceway in Japan. Andretti drove a clever tactical race to win by a lap from Patrick Depailler and new world champion James Hunt. Andretti was thankful to put the 77 aside to concentrate on developing the 78 for the 1977 Formula One season.
[edit] References
Lotus 78 and 79: The Ground Effects Cars by Johnny Tipler
| Lotus Cars |
| Current: Europa S | Elise | Exige
Historic Road Cars Excel | Eclat | Elite | Elan | Esprit | Europa Race Cars: Mk1 | Mk2 | Mk3 | Mk4 | Mk5 | 6 | 7 | Mk8 | Mk9 | Mk10 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20B | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 38 | 39 | 42 | 43 | 48 | 49 | 56 | 63 | 64 | 72 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 91 | 92 | 93T | 94T | 95T | 96 | 97T | 98T | 99T | 100T | 101 | 102 | 107 | 109 | 112 | 115 | 119 Performance: Carlton | Cortina | Zytek Elise |
