1964 Lotus 23B Roadster

The Lotus 23 was built in response to the popular new 1100cc sports car class starting in 1962. It was almost immediately successful. In fact, the first outing of the car with Jim Clark driving at the 1962 Nurburgring 1000K race showed it's potential. Clark in a 1500cc version was pulling out 15 seconds per lap on the assembled Porsches, Ferraris, Maseratis, etc. until he was overcome by fumes from an exhaust leak and crashed. There were perhaps 140 23s manufacturer by Lotus from 1962 to 1965 and they were widely copied around the world. The car weighs only 1100 pounds and most are powered by the 1600cc Lotus twin-cam engine which now a-days puts out a reliable 180 horsepower. This means it has a better power-to-weight ratio than a Dodge Viper. Also, because of the light weight and adjustable suspension it can be made to handle beautifully.