Click above for more shots of the LusoMotors LM23
Track cars powered by motorcycle engines are becoming increasingly popular as the superbike mills, usually mounted amidships, provide tons of power for their small displacement and low weight. Further evidence of this truth is seen in the LusoMotors LM23, a Lotus replica powered by a one-liter Honda CBR1000 engine making about 150 horsepower. Weighing just under 900 pounds, the power-to-weight ratio of this machine would be enough to scare just about any other car you are likely to meet at the track while its light weight would surely allow for plenty of grip in the corners. The high performance of the LM23 is fitting, as the Lotus 23B design on which its based was such a giant killer that it was banned at Le Mans in the early sixties for being too fast for its small displacement.
A quick glance at the chassis shows such track-ready details as inboard-mounted coilovers and a tube frame complete with integrated roll bar. The chassis sits under composite bodywork, just like the original Lotus, though the modern interpretation adds carbon fiber to the traditional fiberglass skin. It looks like we have another Lotus replica set to join the ranks of the numerous Seven variations already sitting in our fantasy garages.
[Source: CarScoop]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rouse42 @ Jul 6th 2008 8:07PM
so do i get the left over CBR? :)
their probably selling the left overs on ebay to recoup some cash.
mk @ Jul 6th 2008 8:39PM
This is asking for one thing.
Hartley H1 V8. 2 Hyabusa cylinder blocks joined to a common crankcase. 2.8-3.0 liters, 400hp at 10k RPMs, 200lb engine that fits into a 2"x2"x2" cubic space.
rouse42 @ Jul 6th 2008 8:44PM
$$$$
jordan @ Jul 6th 2008 8:46PM
2inch by 2inch by 2inch cubic space? you must tell us about this revolutionary engine that can fit 2.8-3.0L of volume into a space that small :D
mk @ Jul 6th 2008 8:55PM
sorry... wrong punctuation.
two foot by two foot by two foot. still pretty darn small.
JayP @ Jul 6th 2008 10:01PM
Nigel? Your Stonehenge is ready.
jordan @ Jul 6th 2008 8:42PM
Does anyone know the weight of the CBR engine? I see it's a 600cc motor, so I'm curious about the difference between this and a 1-rotor Wankel motor (~650cc displacement), since my 2-rotor 13B weighs
jordan @ Jul 6th 2008 8:42PM
"2-rotor 13B" sorry for the redundant redundancy :)
Kyle @ Jul 6th 2008 11:57PM
there are two honda CBR's, the CBR6000RR which is, obviously, 600 cc's and makes ~100 hp, while this is powered by the engine from a CBR1000RR which is one liter and makes 150 hp.
Anyways, it's interesting to note that despite this car's combination of small-engine and light weight, it probably won't get mileage, if anyone cares (I know it's a track car). Literbikes are infamous, because despite their generally
pmiddle5 @ Jul 7th 2008 1:25AM
a 1 rotor saying it was a direct 13b variant would not be the best option. The most powerful 13b n/a was 160hp stock. So... 80hp. Bit off the pace
The bike motor includes the transmission as well so is lighter then even a one rotor would be.
Michael @ Jul 6th 2008 8:43PM
Awesome.
Dan @ Jul 6th 2008 11:05PM
I love the Lotus 23 story.
Jordan @ Jul 6th 2008 11:17PM
I don't know too much about racing suspension but I got a question... What do inboard coilovers do? What's the advantage over regular mounted coilovers? I've seen the KTM X-Bow and it seems like they've got a similar setup, as well as another car I've seen that is similar to KTM's X-Bow.
Kiiks @ Jul 7th 2008 12:47AM
A large part of it is the adjustability of the suspension geometry. It also moves more weight towards the center of the car, lowering polar moment. Also, the wheel well/fenders of purpose-built race cars aren't designed to put up with the abuse from the suspension which is why they tend to have carbon fiber monocoques or at least a full tube frame chassis.
Our daily-driven production cars would have them too if we didn't have a need for such things like emissions controls, HVAC or trunk space.
pmiddle5 @ Jul 7th 2008 1:33AM
When is a series gonna be made so we can watch all these toys race together competitively? Make them run 2liter motors that can be pulled out of Hondas, Nissans, GM's, Toyotas, etc... so there is a "face" to it and let them go have fun on tv.
Harrison @ Jul 7th 2008 1:36AM
This is my kind of car. Essentially a tin can around a chassis with seats, wheels, steering, and engine.
Who needs day-to-day livability anyway?
K.C. @ Jul 7th 2008 2:42AM
Well it is a track car after all.
Razvan @ Jul 7th 2008 4:38AM
any info on the prices ?
CarlosMC @ Jul 7th 2008 2:48PM
If you check his site: http://lusomotors.com/lm23.html (severely lagging now - thanks to autoblog's publicity?), it's 15.000 € + taxes and transport.
maya @ Jul 7th 2008 7:26AM
What a fabulous car it is !!