In 2010, Lotus CEO Dany Bahar gathered a select group of the marque’s most loyal enthusiasts for an exclusive gathering at the Lotus factory. From there, they were whisked away by private jet to the Louvre Museum in Paris, where Lotus unveiled its latest masterpiece: the T125. Bahar’s vision sought to revive Colin Chapman’s founding ethos of encouraging Lotus owners to take to the track. For power, the T125 makes use of Cosworth’s GP V-8, a 3.8-liter, 640-horsepower race engine capable of screaming to 11,000 rpm through a six-speed sequential transmission with a hand-operated clutch.

Comprised primarily of carbon fiber and Nomex, the T125 tips the scales at just over 1,400 pounds. Unlike an actual Formula One car, the T125 can be started by its driver at the press of a button. Additionally, the T125’s cockpit is designed for a wider range of body types than the confined seating position of a true Formula One car.

Ultimately, this incredible project proved too ambitious with less than a dozen examples constructed before its discontinuation—including chassis P002, offered here in its stunning black and gold, John Player Special-style livery.

As noted in correspondence with Classic Team Lotus, chassis P002 was one of two factory test cars, and was used in the filming of a 2011 episode of BBC's Top Gear. In it, Jeremey Clarkson rightly noted that the T125 represented one of the closest possible experiences a non-professional driver could have to piloting a full-fledged Formula One car. Underscoring this, F1 driver Romain Grosjean, who joined the Lotus F1 Team for the 2012 season, is reported to have tested chassis P002 at Portugal's Portimão Circuit—and apparently recorded a lap time within one second of that set during testing in his F1 car.

In 2021, the car was graciously gifted to the Bowling Green, Ohio-based team at Genius Garage, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the gap between academia and the automotive industry. Through immersive, hands-on experiences, Genius Garage nurtures the talents of promising young mechanical minds, with their efforts thoughtfully documented across their social media platforms.

With the T125, Genius Garage was able to offer its group of young enthusiasts a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work on an F1-caliber racing car. P002 has since been actively used on the track as designed, receiving maintenance and careful updates by the Genius Garage team. The car is accompanied by an extensive assortment of spares including additional wheels and tires, extra front and rear wings, suspension parts, and tire warmers among others.

Cloaked in one of the marque’s most iconic competition liveries, this T125 presents a true F1-spec racing car for the enthusiast, offering a select few the opportunity to experience their Lotus exactly as Colin Chapman envisioned: On the track.