fastback33 - Here's a quote I found on the Lotus 86/88. I'll look for some other material tomorrow.
I may have pictures ....pictures that I shouldn't have
Secret Photos of the suspension, chassis & upskirt shots of the tunnels beneath the car Secret Photos
Without a doubt Lotus' most controversial car was the Lotus 86 (1980). Immediately after the introduction of wings to F1 in the 60s, there was a spate of dramatic crashes as the struts used to attach the wing to the axle broke. Therefore the governing body decreed that all wings must be in integral part of the chassis and connected to the wheels only via the suspension. The Lotus 88 had two chassis, one inside the other, connected by a very weak suspension system. The outer one contained the aerodynamic bodywork, but at high speeds the downforce would flatten the inter-chassis suspension, effectively connecting the wings directly to the wheels. The driver, meanwhile, was in the inner chassis, which had its own 'proper' suspension to keep the wheels pressed to the track. The car was within the F1 regulations, was cleared to race by the FIA10 and would clearly have been safe and the fastest car on the track by some way. At the first race of the season, the race stewards11 refused the car permission to race without giving a reason. The car never raced. Chapman had finally reached the limits of what was permissible in F1.
given the recient facts from FIA saying yes to some and no to others...
