TALBOT SUNBEAM LOTUS RACE CAR

The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was a hugely competitive rally car during the early 1980s, breaking the mighty Ford Escort’s dominance. Tolman’s re-creation is designed to revive the Group 2 rally spirit, while adding a few modern touches to further boost the client’s enjoyment, as a road car or ‘track weapon’.

Tasked with building the ultimate road and race-specification Sunbeam, Tolman was glad to have a strong base on which to reinvent an authentic Group 2 rally machine, with an intact FIA-spec body and axles and a 2.2litre, 240bhp works specification engine but now fitted with throttle bodies, eight injectors, coil on plug and crank/cam sensors produces 260BHP through a custom ITG filter assembly.

For the duration of this non-invasive re-creation project, Tolman was primarily focused on preserving anything intrinsically valuable within the car – no parts were to have holes cut in or parts added etc. The FIA specification roll cage is a fully welded structure along with all the period shell modifications to accommodate the fuel tank, dry sump, large exhaust and batteries.

Under the original period shell are a plethora of state-of-the-art driver aids, including launch control, traction control, fly by wire throttle, multiple engine maps, three-way adjustable dampers with remote reservoirs and MoTec engine management, dash, power box and switch gear. 

The Tolman Sunbeam Lotus also sits on 15-inch wheels to accommodate larger GT3 specification brakes all from AP Racing and the bespoke green and yellow paint job is a nod to Lotus’s own colour scheme, while the interior is fitted with a lightweight carbon-fibre replica dashboard and custom-made seats and harnesses. 

The Tolman-prepared Sunbeam Lotus is a true and respectful reflection of the original rally machine that won the 1981 World Rally Championship, underpinned with some modern day driver aids to increase performance and driveabiity.

A modern day WRC Talbot Sunbeam Lotus.