Video: Lost Lotus Type 66 Can-Am brought to life at 81MM

25th March 2025

Russell Campbell

Get a tea on the brew and pull up a pew. Today's video tells the story of the lost Lotus – the Type 66 Can-Am racer that never was.

There's a good chance Lotus would have never built the Type 66 if, in 2015, Clive Chapman – son of Colin and Hazel – hadn't chanced upon the drawing of the car hidden on microfilm. Lotus designer Geoff Ferris had created them in the late 1960s, but the project was later mothballed as the company focused on its other commitments in Formula 1.

An article in Motorsport Magazine celebrating Can-Am racing would bring the car back to life and, with a 3D-rendered image of the Type 66 created, Lotus decided to build the car to celebrate its 75^th anniversary. Fast forward to the 81^st Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport, and there is was in the flesh, lined up with in-period Can-Am cars as part of last year’s Can-Am celebration.

While the Lotus looks like a classic racer, it has an extruded aluminium chassis with a carbon fibre body weighing less than 900kg total and producing 800kg of downforce at 155mph mated to a 5.8-litre 830PS (610kW) V8. The result is a car that would destroy a classic Can-Am racer on the track, the Type 66 is so quick it would give even the fastest current GT3 cars a run for their money.

But while it's much quicker than a classic Can-Am car, the Type 66 should be much easier to drive; with race ABS, traction control, anti-stall, power steering and a sequential gearbox, you can swap for a paddle shift automatic.

If that sounds like a bit of you, the good news is Lotus will build ten Type 66s this year. The bad news is that they'll cost more than £1million and are likely already sold.

The 82^nd Members’ Meeting will take place on 12^th and 13^th April 2025 and tickets are now available for Members and Fellows of the GRRC.

If you’re not already a Member or Fellow and you’d like to enjoy all the racing, demos, and other exciting content at the Members’ Meeting, you’ll need to join the GRRC. Click here for more information or to join the club.