Lotus 107

Lotus 107

Category	Formula One
Constructor	Team Lotus
Designer(s)	Chris Murphy
Predecessor	102D
Successor	109
Technical specifications
Chassis	Carbon fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone, pushrod
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone, pushrod
Engine	Ford HB 3,494 cc (213.2 cu in), 75° V8, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission	6-speed semi-automatic
Fuel	Mobil1
Tyres	Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	Team Lotus Ford Team Lotus Mugen-Honda
Notable drivers	11. Mika Häkkinen 11. / 12. Johnny Herbert 12. Alessandro Zanardi 12. Pedro Lamy
Debut	1992 San Marino Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F.Laps 34 0 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Lotus 107 was a Formula One car used by Team Lotus. Designed for the 1992 Formula One season, it brought in a final, short-lived period of competitiveness for the team in Formula One. A fresh design by Chris Murphy (apparently based on an unbuilt design he started at March), it had smooth sweeping lines a world away from the long developed and antique looking 102D. Lotus also harked back to competitiveness of previous decades with a supply of Ford Cosworth HB V8 engines, of a similar - if older - specification to those being used by Benetton. The 107 was the first Lotus to be fitted with a semi-automatic gearbox.

With a top notch driving squad of Johnny Herbert and a future double F1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen, the Lotuses were able to bring in some good results: at several races the twin cars were able to run in formation on the tail of the leading pack, at least in the early parts of the races. Reliability was limited.

Lotus 107B and 107C

Lotus 107C

The car was developed over succeeding seasons into B and C variants, the latter with Mugen-Honda power in place of the Cosworth. As was standard practice at the time, the team employed the active suspension technology that they had introduced to F1 back in 1987 on later variants, but the budget was not enough to make it really work, and besides, it was now far from being a unique capability. According to Alex Zanardi's autobiography My Story, the focus on this system was to the detriment of other aspects of the car.

The team's financial difficulties dragged it under at the end of 1994. The Lotus 109, the last Formula One car of the team, which ran in the latter part of 1994, was a further derivative of this design.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Points	WCC
1992	Team Lotus	107	Ford HB V8	G		RSA	MEX	BRA	ESP	SMR	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	JPN	AUS	13*	5th
					Mika Häkkinen						Ret	Ret	4	6	Ret	4	6	Ret	5	Ret	7
					Johnny Herbert					Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	13	Ret	Ret	Ret	13
1993	Team Lotus	107B	Ford HB V8	G		RSA	BRA	EUR	SMR	ESP	MON	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	JPN	AUS	12	6th
					Johnny Herbert	Ret	4	4	8	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	4	10	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	11	Ret
					Alessandro Zanardi	Ret	6	8	Ret	14	7	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS
					Pedro Lamy													11	Ret	13	Ret
1994	Team Lotus	107C	Mugen-Honda V10	G		BRA	PAC	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	EUR	JPN	AUS	0	-
					Johnny Herbert	7	7	10	Ret
					Pedro Lamy	10	8	Ret	11
					Alessandro Zanardi					9	15

• 2 points scored in 1992 with the Lotus 102D

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lotus 107.

Team Lotus Founder Colin Chapman Noted personnel Frank Dernie Gérard Ducarouge Maurice Philippe Peter Warr Peter Wright World Champions Mario Andretti Jim Clark Emerson Fittipaldi Graham Hill Jochen Rindt Other notable drivers Elio de Angelis Martin Donnelly Mika Häkkinen Johnny Herbert Jacky Ickx Nigel Mansell Satoru Nakajima Gunnar Nilsson Ronnie Peterson Nelson Piquet Carlos Reutemann Ayrton Senna John Surtees Derek Warwick Alex Zanardi Drivers' titles 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1978 Constructors' titles 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1973 1978 Formula One cars 16 18 21 24 25 33 43 49 56B 63 72 76 77 78 79 80 81 86 87 88 91 92 93T 94T 95T 97T 98T 99T 100T 101 102 107 109 112 Formula Two cars 12 16 18 32 35 41 44 48 59 69 Formula Three cars 22 31 35 41 55 59 69 Formula Junior cars 18 20 22 27 Formula Ford cars 51 59 61 69 Formula 5000 cars 68 70 Tasman Series cars 32 39 67 Indianapolis 500 cars 29 34 38 42 56 64 96T Sports racing cars 15 17 19 23 30 40 47 53