Lotus Type 66

Motorsport pushes designers, teams, and drivers to their absolute limits in pursuit of glory. Sometimes, that pursuit leads to truly radical automobiles that push the boundaries of regulations.

However, there are some cars that, even in the world of motorsport, would be too radical. These are the ones who never got the chance to race, standing as unique prototypes of what might have been.

Our list contains 12 race cars that either never hit the track at all or would hit the track but never make it to a race.

Toyota TF110

Toyota TF110
Image Credit: Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The TF110 was Toyota’s 2010 Formula 1 car, designed with two chassis produced before the Japanese manufacturer pulled out of F1 at the end of 2009.

Toyota had not won a race since entering F1 in the early 2000s, but there were high hopes that the TF110 could finally end the drought and bring victory to Toyota. The TF110 was a radical departure from the 2009 F1 car, with an extreme rear diffuser and ride-height adjustment system, which are just two of its key features. Toyota driver Timo Glock said that the TF110 had 20-30 points more downforce than the TF109, which far exceeded Toyota’s expectations.

Lotus Type 66

Lotus Type 66
Image Credit: Lotus.

The Lotus Type 66 was originally designed by founder Colin Chapman, who wanted to enter the Can-Am racing series in 1970. The project reached the drawing board, and Geoff Ferris produced some scale models of the Type 66, but Chapman instead decided to focus on Formula 1.

Fast-forward to 2023, and Lotus finally produced the Type 66. In a limited run costing over $1 million each, the new Type 66 was faithful to the original Chapman drawings, with modern refinements such as a new sequential transmission, power steering, and ABS. The body is entirely of carbon fiber, and under the hood sits a Chevrolet-based pushrod V8, producing 830 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque.

McLaren MP4-18

McLaren MP4-18
Image Credit: CarsWP.

In 2003, McLaren was desperate to close the gap to the all-conquering Ferrari. So, while it initially raced that year with an updated version of the 2002 car, it came up with the MP4-18, a radical successor to the MP4-17D. The MP4-18 had a new twin-keel configuration and a waved wing, and the front of the car was also changed.

The front wing and nosecone were now designed so that the front wing was the first structure to disturb oncoming air, reducing the role of the nosecone in the car’s aerodynamics. However, the MP4-18 failed the FIA crash tests, and during testing in France, the MP4-18 suffered from severe overheating issues. Test driver Alex Wurz had a massive accident due to floor delamination, and regular driver Kimi Raikkonen also had an accident. The problems were so big that McLaren eventually abandoned the MP4-18, and it would never race.

Porsche LMP2000

Porsche LMP2000
Image Credit: Porsche.

Porsche has forged a legendary reputation at Le Mans, but it also planned to enter the race at the turn of the new millennium with the radical Porsche LMP2000. Under the hood of this new prototype was a mothballed V10 F1 engine, initially intended for the Footwork team in 1992.

That engine would have produced 700 hp in a car that weighed just 2,050 lbs. The LMP2000 remained an enigma for years, as the company even denied the car existed, even when rumors of its cancellation started to surface. In July 2018, Porsche showed the car off to the public for the first time at that year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed as the manufacturer celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Lancia ECV

Lancia ECV
Image Credit: RX-Guru, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Remarkably, despite the dangers of Group B rallying, the FIA and the WRC were ready for an even quicker era with the 1987 Group S regulations. Lancia, a dominant force in the WRC, came up with the incredible Lancia ECV to run in the new Group S era.

The ECV would have been a monster, made of mostly kevlar and carbon fiber and weighing just 2,050 lbs. The ECV would have had 600 hp from its twin-turbocharged 1.8-liter engine, although the Group S rules would limit power to 300 hp. After Henri Toivonen and co-driver Sergio Cresto were tragically killed in the 1986 Tour de Corse driving a Lancia Delta S4, the FIA canned the Group S regulations. Group B would also end, and the slower, safer Group A rules came in for 1987 instead.

Jaguar XJ13

Jaguar XJ13
Image Credit: Brian Snelson, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Jaguar was once a prominent force at Le Mans, and in the late 1950s, it was developing an all-new racer to dominate the 24-hour race. This would have been the Jaguar XJ13, a remarkable, sleek, streamlined car with shades of the E-Type in its design, and ultimately one that would never race.

The XJ13 had a 5.0-liter DOHC V12 under the hood and wasn’t ready until 1966. By then, Ford was dominating with its new GT40, so Jaguar shelved the project with just a single car built. The XJ13 was sadly crashed in 1971 by Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis, but it is now restored and is on display at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, UK.

Lola-Ford T97/30

Lola-Ford T97 30
Image Credit: pher38, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Unlike most cars on this list, the Lola-Ford T97/30 never showed any promise before its demise. Lola had planned to enter F1 in 1998, complete with its own engine. But new title sponsor MasterCard pressured the British outfit into entering in 1997, and thus, at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, we saw one of the worst cars to ever grace a Grand Prix circuit.

The hastily built Lola was slow in the corners due to a lack of downforce and slow on the straights as it produced a lot of drag. The old Ford Zetec V8 reduced the straight-line speed further, whereas their rivals all had V10 engines. The car made it to the first two races of 1997 in Australia and Brazil, but it wouldn’t qualify for either race, and Lola pulled out of F1 after the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Honda RA099

Honda RA099
Image Credit: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

In the late 1990s, Honda contemplated returning to F1 after pulling out at the end of 1992. Back then, it was a works engine supplier to McLaren, but in 1999, it evaluated returning with its own team. Legendary designer Harvey Postlethwaite developed the RA099, and Jos Verstappen, father of current F1 champion Max, would test drive the car.

During testing, Verstappen put in some impressive lap times in the RA099, which would have seen the car qualify in the midfield of a grid at some circuits. Tragically, Postelthwaite had a heart attack during the testing program and died. Honda pulled out of its planned return to F1, and when it did return in 2000, it was an engine supplier to the new BAR team, while it supplied Jordan F1 as Mugen-Honda.

Toyota TF101

Toyota TF101
Image Credit: Iwao, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

While Toyota didn’t race in F1 until 2002, the Japanese manufacturer spent the 2001 season testing and preparing for its assault on the sport with the TF101. This test prototype was about gathering as much data as possible before the team’s first entire season the following year.

Drivers Mika Salo and Allan McNish would test the FR101, and the intensive testing saw lots of promise from the TF101 that would have seen it firmly in the mix had it raced in the 2001 season. However, Toyota never chose to race the TF101, and when it debuted in 2002, the new TF102 was a significant disappointment.

Peugeot 905 Supercopter

Peugeot 905 Supercopter
Image Credit: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Peugeot has had several stints at the top level of sports car racing, but in 1990, its 905 racer was blown out of the water by the new Jaguar XJR14. It had to think radical to turn things around, leading to the new Evo 2, or Supercopter as journalists called it.

This 700 hp monster was a radical-looking Group C racer with a new high nose with broad openings between the wheel arches, creating a different look to the older 905. However, when it turned up to Magny Cours to race the Evo 2, back-to-back runs with the Evo 1 showed the older car was still faster! So thus, the Supercopter never raced, as the sports car championship at the time was just weeks away from extinction.

Ferrari 637

Ferrari 637
Image Credit: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

In the mid-1980s, with Ferrari disgruntled in Formula 1, Enzo Ferrari commissioned his outfit to seriously explore the prospect of entering IndyCar. Some saw this as a threat and a bargaining tool to make the FIA rethink recent engine regulation changes, but Ferrari was so serious about it that they built the 637.

CART team Truesports and driver Bobby Rahal helped test and develop the V8-powered 637, and discussion over the years suggests that the 637 was seriously fast. As we know, however, Ferrari stuck with Formula 1, and the Ferrari never raced in the IndyCar series. It is a fascinating “what if” in motorsport history.

Author: Henry Kelsall

Henry is a freelance writer, with a love for all things motoring whether it be classic sports cars, or Formula 1 racing. He has freelanced for over eight years now, mostly in automotive matters, but he has also dabbled in other forms of writing too. He has a lot of love for Japanese classics and American muscle cars, in particular the Honda NSX and first-generation Ford Mustang. When not writing, Henry is often found at classic car events or watching motorsports at home, but he also has a curious passion for steam trains and aviation.

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