Makes › Lotus › 88 · Coachbuilt · 1981
Lotus
88
Formula 1 car, 2 built
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1981
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Colin Chapman
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Lotus 88 of 1981 was an attempt to isolate the aerodynamic loads from the driver's chassis. Its two-chassis layout was banned before it raced in a Grand Prix.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Lotus 88 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY 2.0
Lotus 88 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
No production figures recorded yet.
History
Colin Chapman designed the 88 for the 1981 season. An outer chassis carried the bodywork, skirts and wings, and an inner chassis carried the wheels, carbon-fibre monocoque, engine and transmission.
At the first race, in Long Beach, the car was black-flagged in practice after protests from 10 of the 15 teams. Chapman lost his appeal in Paris, and the car was banned at Silverstone after the governing body threatened the British Grand Prix points. Chapman died of a heart attack in December 1982.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 88.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Two chassis: an external aero chassis carried on the suspension, and an internal carbon-fibre monocoque carrying the wheels, fuel tank, engine and transmission1 Independently researchedFrom an enthusiast source (level D) – not yet confirmed by the maker or a registry. |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Lotus 88 (car database entry) Level D F1Technical.net
- The secondary, internal chassis carried the wheels, carbon fibre monocoque
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