<< Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >> At Lotus, the newly signed Maurice Philippe was tasked to design the new Type 43 chassis. It was developed alongside the similar Type 42, which was destined for the Indy 500 with a 4.2 litre version of the BRM engine but never raced. An added advantage of the engine's compact dimensions was that it was strong enough to serve as a structural member of the chassis. This was more than convenient because due to top- and bottom-mounted exhaust manifolds and side-mounted intakes there also simply was no room for a conventional subframe or monocoque extension.
The aluminium monocoque penned by Philippe was based on the Indy 500 winning Type 38 and featured three steel bulkheads for added strength. Mated to a six-speed BRM gearbox, the engine was directly bolted onto the rear bulkhead. The suspension followed conventional Lotus lines with wishbones and rockers at the front and reversed lower wishbones, top links and twin trailing arms at the rear. Due to the sheer mass of the complicated engine, the first Lotus 43 tipped the scales at well over the prescribed minimum weight.
The new Lotus was ready in time for the Belgian Grand Prix, where Peter Arundell drove it for just three laps in practice. The heavy machine was well off the pace and for the time being the team switched the focus back onto the Type 33s. Again in the hands of Lotus' number two driver, the Type 43 made its Grand Prix debut at Reims in July. Gear selection problems prompted an early retirement.
Team leader and defending World Champion, Jim Clark first stepped into the BRM-engined Lotus during the Italian Grand Prix. On this high speed track the weight issues were compensated by the formidable power produced when the H16 was running well. Clark promptly placed the car on the front but saw his race thwarted by a very poor start. After fighting all the way back to fifth, the car first suffered from a puncture and eventually a jammed gearbox put Clark out of the race altogether. << Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >>
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At Lotus, the newly signed Maurice Philippe was tasked to design the new Type 43 chassis. It was developed alongside the similar Type 42, which was destined for the Indy 500 with a 4.2 litre version of the BRM engine but never raced. An added advantage of the engine's compact dimensions was that it was strong enough to serve as a structural member of the chassis. This was more than convenient because due to top- and bottom-mounted exhaust manifolds and side-mounted intakes there also simply was no room for a conventional subframe or monocoque extension.