LusoMotors LM23 rolling prototype ready for its closeup

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Convertible, Performance, Europe, Specialty

Click image for huge high-res gallery of the LusoMotors LM 23

Last July, we told you about the latest rolling homage introduced by Portuguese car design and development house LusoMotors. While our previous post featured a gallery of naked chassis and finished product renderings, we now have pics of the rolling prototype. Dubbed the LM23, this bathtub racer is nothing sort of an updated Lotus 23B for the street. Well, it is likely to spend more time on the track, but it is ostensibly streetable.

Set to go head-to-head with cars like the Ariel Atom, Radical SR3, KTM X-Bow, Brooks Double R, et al, this featherweight flyer features a steel tube frame chassis under its shapely foam-sandwich metal body. Track-ready details include inboard-mounted coilovers and brakes, plus an integrated roll bar.

This first roller is powered by a 150-horsepower, 1.0-liter Honda CBR1000 engine mated to a six-speed sequential transmission. Weighing just 881 pounds, 150 hp should be more than enough to get this thing around a track with alacrity, but LusoMotors founder Ernesto Freitas says customers can choose a number of different engines, including a Subaru turbo boxer. Kit prices are expected to start at €15,000 (around $23,600 USD) minus the engine. The line forms to the right.

Gallery: LusoMotors LM 23

[Source: Autoblog.nl via WorldCarFans]

LusoMotors LM23 rolling prototype ready for its closeup originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LusoMotors LM23: 150hp, Honda CBR-powered track car

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Lotus, Specialty

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.

Gallery: LusoMotors LM23

[Source: CarScoop]

LusoMotors LM23: 150hp, Honda CBR-powered track car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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