Lotec 681

Last updated
Lotec 681
Category Group 6
Constructor Lotec
Successor Lotec M1C
Technical specifications
Engine BMW M88 3,453 cc (210.7 cu in) 24-valve, DOHC straight-six engine, naturally-aspirated, mid-engined
Tyres Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants Kurt Lotterschmid
Notable drivers Kurt Lotterschmid
Debut 1981 Interserie round 4, at the Nürburgring
RacesWins
40
Teams' Championships 0
Constructors' Championships 0
Drivers' Championships 0

The Lotec 681 was a sports prototype racing car, built by Lotec in 1981. Fitted with a BMW M88 straight-six engine, the car had a reasonably successful, albeit very brief, career before it was replaced by the Lotec M1C in 1982. One car was built.

Sports prototype purpose-built racing car not intended for general production or use beyond motorsport

A sports prototype, sometimes referred to as simply a prototype, is a type of race car that is used in the highest level categories of sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars, unlike street-legal and production-based racing cars, are not intended for consumer purchase or production beyond that required to compete and win races.

Auto racing motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition

Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.

Lotec trademark

Lotec is a German sports car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1962 by Kurt Lotterschmid. By 1969, the firm began building race cars, and would turn their attention to modifications for Porsches in 1975. In 1983, they began to create aftermarket aerodynamic and performance parts for Mercedes-Benz cars.

Racing history

The Lotec 681 was developed by Lotec in 1981, and featured a 3.5-litre BMW M88 straight-six engine. It debuted at the fourth round of the 1981 Interserie season, held at the Nürburgring; Kurt Lotterschmid ran the car, finishing third overall, and second in the Sports 2000+ category. [1] Lotterschmid ran the car again in the next round, at Most, but, whilst running in second place and with a lap to go, the BMW engine blew; although he was classified second for the first race, [2] he was unable to compete in the second, [3] preventing him from featuring in the overall classification. [4] The series returned to the Nürburgring for the next round, and Lotterschmid took fourth overall, and third in his class. [5] Lotterschmid finished the season by retiring from the final race, held at Zolder. [6] Despite being reasonably successful, the car would not run again, having been made all-but-redundant by rule changes, [7] and Lotec introduced the Group C-spec M1C for 1982.

BMW M88 inline 6-cylinder piston engine

The BMW M88 is a straight-6 DOHC petrol engine which was produced from 1978-1989. It is based on the DOHC version of the BMW M49 engine, which was used in the BMW 3.0CSi racing cars.

Straight-six engine inline piston engine with six cylinders

The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is an internal combustion engine with the cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft.

Nürburgring race track in Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

The Nürburgring is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer Nordschleife "North loop" track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. The north loop is 20.8 km (12.9 mi) long and has more than 300 metres of elevation change from its lowest to highest points. Jackie Stewart nicknamed the old track "The Green Hell".

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Centenari M1

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Chevron B31

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The Jerboa SP was a sports prototype racing car built by Jerboa in 1970. The car started out life as a Ginetta G12, and was entered by Jack Wheeler in various events in 1970 and 1971, using 1-litre, 1.3-litre, and 1.6-litre BMC straight-four engines.

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Ford C100

The Ford C100 is a sports racing car, initially built and run as a Group 6 car, but later as a Group C car. The C100 was built by Ford in 1981, and initially featured a 4-litre Cosworth DFL V8 engine, which was replaced by a 3.3-litre version of the same engine in 1983, after the car had passed to private hands. Five cars are known to have been built. Although the cars were often very quick in qualifying, reliability problems plagued them, and restricted their successes to two Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft victories in 1982, and a single Thundersports victory in 1983. Following the end of Ford's involvement in the C100 project in 1983, Zakspeed modified one of the chassis into the C1/4, which used a 1.8-litre turbocharged in-line 4 from their Group 5 Ford Capri. The C100 was also evolved into the Zakspeed C1/8, which used the 4-litre Cosworth DFL in a C1/4 chassis. The Zakspeed cars would prove to be far more successful than the C100 had ever been, and Klaus Niedzwiedz used a C1/8 to win the Interserie in 1984.

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The Lechner Spyder SC91 was a sports prototype racing car, originally built by Reynard Motorsport for Walter Lechner and his Walter Lechner Racing School Interserie team in 1991. The car was rebuilt as the Reynard Spyder in 1993, and became known as the Reynard Horag in 1997. Throughout its career, it used a Formula 1-derived 3.5-litre Judd V10 engine. One car was built, and it proved successful; taking the Interserie Division I title in 1997 and 1998, in addition to being the strongest non-Porsche 962 in 1991, and the strongest non-Kremer CK7 Spyder in 1993.

The McLaren C8 was a Group C racing car built in 1982. Starting out life as a 1972 McLaren M8F, the C8 used a 454 cu in (7,440 cc) Chevrolet V8 engine. The car proved to be fragile, and it often retired from races. Peter Hoffmann owned the sole C8, and ran it until 1999.

The GMS Durango LMP1 was a Le Mans Prototype built for Durango by GMS in 2000. Initially fitted with a 4-litre BMW V8 engine, which was prepared by Mader, a Judd GV4 V10 was fitted in its place for the 2002 season. Durango replaced the car with their own PM 02 for the 2003 season. The GMS Durango LMP1 was not particularly successful, and had a weak gearbox; but it was able to win one race, the 2002 6 Hours of Vallelunga.

References

  1. "Interserie Nürburgring 1981 Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  2. "Interserie Most 1981 Race 1 results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  3. "Interserie Most 1981 Race 2 results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  4. "Interserie Most 1981 Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  5. "Interserie Nürburgring Supersprint 1981 Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. "Interserie Zolder 1981 Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  7. "All Results of Lotec 681". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 14 September 2013.