The Hethel test track just hosted two of the biggest names in Formula 1 as they got behind the wheel of the gorgeous Lotus Evija all-electric hypercar.
Emerson Fittipaldi, Whose exploits in the Type 72 exactly 50 years ago made him the Lotus legend he is now, inspiring the development of the Lotus Evija Fittipaldi. He was recently at the Lotus headquarters for the car’s world premiere, and had the pleasure of driving the car around the famed 2.2-mile test track. A few days before, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion and Evija client Jenson Button was involved in shakedown testing just before its public debut.
Lotus created a new documentary film that featured their exploits in the circuit as part of the launch of the Lotus Evija Fittipaldi, which also marked the 50th anniversary of Emerson’s World Championship win in 1972.
Initially, Fittipaldi drove chassis 72/5, the same car that enabled him to win the 1972 season where he got the Formula 1 Drivers’ title for himself as well as the Constructors’ title for Team Lotus. Emerson shared, “It’s a very special day for me to be back at Lotus to commemorate 50 years since my first World Championship. My Lotus 72 is one of the most iconic cars in the history of Formula 1, and the most important car from my life.”
Fittipaldi later on got behind the wheel of the Evija Fittipaldi which was showcasing the 50-year-old, world renowned black and gold Lotus color scheme, with its hand-painted exterior and a number of other unique design features that were designed to honor the successful 1972 season. A couple of these design features include a hand-tinted plan view of the Type 72 etched into the exposed carbon fiber roof and the dashboard which showcases a hand-stitched signature of Fittipaldi.
The most significant feature of the Evija Fittipaldi is the rotary dial on the floating central panel. So that each Evija Fittipaldi will have a genuine piece of the iconic F1 racer, that piece was hand-crafted from recycled original Type 72 aluminum.
After numerous laps around the Hethel test track, the 75-year-old racer shared, “The Evija Fittipaldi is going to be as iconic as the Lotus Type 72. It’s beautiful handling, incredible power, the next level of performance for hypercars and different from all the other cars I’ve tested. It is a beautiful piece of art. Look at the outside, look at the technology – to have my name on the car is an honour for me.”
A few days before, Jenson Button was also at Hethel, finalizing the specification of the Evija he was purchasing. While there, he also took some time out to take the Evija Fittipaldi on a ride around the test track.
Jenson took the chance to truly explore the performance and capabilities of the Evija. He also unleashed the power of the car in several standing starts. After running some laps with the world’s most powerful production car, Jenson shared, “It sounds like a jet engine! You think of an EV as quiet but it’s not. The torque is astronomical. It’s amazing, it puts a big smile on your face. It feels like a spaceship, the drivability and direction in the steering certainly lets you know you are driving a Lotus; I am amazed by the agility of it. It is a Lotus of the future and I can’t wait to drive my own Evija.”
Much like how it was for Fittipaldi and the Type 72, despite the power and performance of the Evija, the driver is still the center of the whole Lotus Evija experience. Although the technical specification and performance of the Lotus Evija Fittipaldi is really impressive. It has more than 2,000 PS, making it the most powerful series production car in the world, with the ability to create more than 1,700 Nm of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph or 0 to 100 kph in just below three seconds. From a standing start, it can go from 0 to 186 mph or 0 to 300 kph in less than nine seconds.
