Lotus unveils F1 track-day special

Lotus has unveiled an astonishing £650,000 F1-derived monster at an exclusive event in California.

This, loyal TopGear fans, is the Lotus T125, designed to be a track-special racer with near Formula One levels of performance.

Only 25 models of the T125 will be built to sit at the top of the Lotus tree, giving lucky individuals the chance to live the F1 dream. Without of course, an angry Spaniard declaring his superior speed down a team radio...

Want stats? We shall give you plenty. The T125 is powered by a 3.5-litre Cosworth V8 pushing out 630bhp - around 200bhp off an F1 car proper - and revs to 10,800rpm.

This power is fed through the rear wheels via a semi-automatic six-speed sequential gearbox with the obligatory steering-wheel-mounted paddles, while extensive use of carbon fibre (suspension, monocoque) helps keeps the weight to just 650kgs.

Lotus built the T125 without any involvement from the F1 team, even fitting a starter motor so you can run it yourself. It can even run up to 2,800 miles before needing a service.

So what dya' get for ya' moneys then? Well, access to ‘experiences' across European racing circuits equivalent to being an F1 driver, with training provided by top drivers including Jarno Trulli. You even get told what to eat...

Like the 599XX does for Ferrari, the Lotus T125 is designed to showcase the Hethel marque's engineering prowess. Thing is though, would you spend £650k on this?

Vijay Pattni