Team Lotus T128 Renault

[nacho]

Video of the car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns5JazMu_fo

Plenty of HD shots to be grabbed whoever has webspace to put photos!

Quote from Fernandes about the gearbox, from Autosport:

The T128 thus has the 2009 RB5 gearbox. That car was a race winner in its own right you may remember, and although it sounds a little outdated it is a better choice for this season because last year's was tailored for the now banned double diffuser, and was actually heavier than the one Lotus has acquired.

[nacho]

Pics from the video:

[H. Zedozil]

The diffuser....

High resolution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myteamlotu ... otostream/

[Giblet]

Good job Team Lotus. They have built a real team and now have a car to go with it.

The back of the body work doesn't end quite as abruptly as the Williams, but it is above the floor area obviously leaving a lot of room for air from the undercut sidepods to get to the beam. All the teams seem to be chasing the most air to the beam wing as their main aero focus this year.

I know it means nothing, but the car sure does look a great upgrade over last years car.

[Lindz]

I'm really liking the extreme undercut at the front of the sidepod. That's pretty awesome.

Rear end seems to be packaged basically nicely, though it gives me the impression that it's not quite at the same RBR, Ferrari, LRGP (that looks weird to type) etc. level. It seems like the sidepods cover whatever mechanicals where they happened to be placed, and then once that all ends they abruptly try to coke bottle the bodywork.

What strikes me about the top teams is how beautifully integrated everything is: packaging of the mechanicals to work with the designer's ideal bodywork, and vice-versa. The Team Lotus (at this point) still looks like [mechanical packaging] and [body work that it fits into]. I want to see more effortless combination of the 2 areas.

[forty-two]

+1 for the last two posts.

I love the look of this car. I don't know if it'll be any good for them, but I like looking at it.

I've had a few girlfriends like that!

[Spencifer_Murphy]

+1 for the last two posts.

I love the look of this car. I don't know if it'll be any good for them, but I like looking at it.

I've had a few girlfriends like that!

HAHAHAHA! Brilliant =D>

[Lindz]

HAHA! I hate it when they are nice to look at but are bad performers!

[raymondu999]

HAHA! I hate it when they are nice to look at but are bad performers!

The car, or the girlfriends?
Right. Back to the car...

[horse]

The diffuser....

High resolution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myteamlotu ... otostream/

They seem to be missing a trick here on blowing the diffuser hole. Even if this is only for a small gain, almost all of their rivals are doing it.

[Lindz]

HAHA! I hate it when they are nice to look at but are bad performers!

The car, or the girlfriends?
Right. Back to the car...

The gir..... car. Car, absolutely.

I do have a sinking feeling that the T128 will be stuck at the tail-end of the pack just as last year. Not by as big a margin, mind you, but seeing the innovations the other teams have unveiled this year...

Well, at least it isn't the Virgin and/or HRT snoozefests...

[FrukostScones]

[zgred]

[mx_tifoso]

http://www.f1today.nl/foto.php?file=11355

[forty-two]

+1 for the last two posts.

I love the look of this car. I don't know if it'll be any good for them, but I like looking at it.

I've had a few girlfriends like that!

HAHAHAHA! Brilliant =D>

Given your proximity to me, you probably know some of them! Although I suspect they'd be a little bit old for you.