Lola has unveiled a new roadcar that honours the heritage of a former racing icon, reimagined for the 21st century, boasting impressive speeds.
Based on Lola T70 from 1965, a car of historical significance in racing, the new T70S and T70S GT are designed for the modern day, while paying tribute to history.
Unveiled at the prestigious London Royal Automobile Club, the new car had pride of place in the much coveted reception foyer spot, home to many classic cars over the years.
The two Lola cars are aimed at very specific audiences, both available in road or track day versions.
The T170S comes with an FIA Historic Technical Passport, and is labelled as “The ultimate competition version of the Lola T70”, while the T17GT has been optimised to perform well on both the road and race circuits
Powered by a monster V8, the cars will go from 0-60mph in less than three seconds, churning out 500 and 530bhp respectively, with the T70S capable of a whopping 203mph.
While the T70S GT does not quite boast the same numbers, it will still comfortably cross the 200mph barrier, offering a unique experience for drivers.
The car’s aesthetics also honour its historic predecessor, evolving the distinctive looks and contours of the 1965 original, while innovations in the manufacturing process have resulted in a 54% reduction in CO₂ emissions.
A car of innovation for Lola
Mishern Chetty, CEO, Lola Cars, praised the car’s innovation. “The T70S project forms part of Lola’s broader strategic focus on cutting-edge performance technologies,” he said. “Since 2022, as part of our mission to drive innovation through motorsport, we have invested heavily in the development of advanced materials, powertrain systems and supply chain innovations aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of high-performance vehicles.”
Lola and Ambassador and former Formula 1 race winner Johnny Herbert also revealed his excitement at the reveal of the new cars.
“What’s fascinating, obviously, is the technology that goes with it, the sustainability and everything else. The magnesium is processed and how that sort of comes into being to the engine, which is on synthetic biofuels, that’s interesting at the same time compared to the old proper, sort of, gasoline engine that we have. But it still is exactly the same as the original one. And the car itself, yes, is different.
“What I’m interested in is the T-70 S being a new chassis and how different that’s going to be from the original. So I’m looking very forward to that. But it looks good.
That’s the thing that really gets me going, because looks are one thing, but the driving experience is probably the biggest thing. And I love that it has. When I first jumped in it, I was quite shocked about the gear stick.
“I mentioned it just spins. And I thought, all the cars that I’d driven and all the blisters I’d had in the palm of my hand, what a simple idea! Which I should have thought about years ago.
But Lola did it in the 60s, unbelievably so. But it’s the raw experience. I’ve always enjoyed the heeling and toeing to sinking the gear shifting up and down, mainly down.
“And that’s what the T-70, luckily, has that ability to talk to you while you’re driving. It’s not trying to kill you. It’s trying to help you get round the track.”
Just 16 of these cars will be produced, with prices yet to be announced.
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