The Lola T600 was introduced by Lola Cars in 1981 as a customer chassis and became the first GT prototype to use ground-effect tunnels for downforce. Its aerodynamic layout was widely copied by IMSA and Group C designs through the 1980s, and twelve chassis were built.
Lola T600 at a glance
| Maker | Lola Cars, Britain |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1981 |
| Series | IMSA GTP, later Group C |
| Chassis | customer chassis |
| Aerodynamics | first GT prototype with ground-effect tunnels |
| Aerodynamicist | Max Sardou |
| Engine | Chevrolet 6.0-litre V8, about 600 bhp |
| First customer | Cooke-Woods Racing |
| Chassis built | 12 |
| First win | Laguna Seca, 1981 |
| Titles | IMSA 1981 and 1982 |
| Derivatives | Lola T610, Lola T616 |
based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Lola T600
At the end of the 1980 season the Porsche 935 Turbo looked set to keep dominating the IMSA championship. IMSA responded with a new Grand Touring Prototype category, which also fitted the FIA’s plan for a prototype formula in the World Endurance Championship from 1982, the future Group C. Brian Redman asked Lola to develop a GTP car from a T70 chassis with new bodywork and a 6.0-litre Chevrolet V8 of around 600 bhp, but Eric Broadley wanted a new chassis and body designed for the new rules. He brought in the aerodynamicist Max Sardou to create a ground-effects underbody, and Cooke-Woods Racing, the first customer, helped to develop the car.
Cooke-Woods entered chassis HU01 at Laguna Seca, the fifth race of 1981, with Redman driving, and won on its debut. More wins followed at Lime Rock, Mid Ohio, Portland and Road Atlanta, the car proved extremely reliable, and it took the IMSA title, knocking Porsche off the top of the standings for the first time since 1977. On the strength of that performance Lola sold eleven more T600s.
In 1982 Cooke-Woods became Cooke Racing after Redman and Roy Woods left, and never repeated its 1981 form, but John Paul Jr. took the championship driving a T600 and Porsche 935s, and Ted Field finished second. For 1983 Ted Field fitted a 700 hp 3.4-litre turbocharged Chevrolet V6 to an Interscope car, a fast but unreliable combination, while other teams used the usual Chevrolet V8 or a Porsche 935 turbo engine. Newer designs from March and Jaguar soon eclipsed the Lola, which was reduced to filling grids and last appeared in an IMSA race in 1987.
Design and features
- Ground-effect pioneer: the first GT prototype with underbody tunnels for downforce.
- Copied for a decade: the layout influenced IMSA and Group C designs through the 1980s.
- Instant success: a debut win at Laguna Seca and the IMSA title in 1981.
- Customer chassis: twelve built, with the T610 and T616 derived from it.
Lola T600 versions
- T600 (1981): the original GTP car with a Chevrolet 6.0-litre V8.
- Turbo cars: a 700 hp 3.4-litre Chevrolet V6 turbo in 1983, and a Porsche 935 turbo engine fitted by Bayside Racing.
- T610 and T616: later derivatives built for the smaller-engine classes.
The T600 was developed into the T616, and it replaced the T70 as Lola’s customer sports prototype. More in the Lola collection.
Sources
- Lola T600, English Wikipedia: development, aerodynamics, IMSA history, chassis numbers
