Lotus car wins race – despite lack of engine

The Lotus Type 119c soapbox car has scooped victory at the Brooklands Soapbox Derby in Surrey. The engineless car, which has a Sprint carbon composite monocoque body with a honeycomb core, recorded a fastest time of 67.7 seconds for the course – more than four seconds faster than the previous record – in the downhill gravity race. The car was up against competitors from Lola, Vauxhall and Ford, as well as entries from schools, colleges and private individuals. It is the same car that won the downhill soapbox challenge at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2004. The car body combines light weight with high strength -- which is required for a car that travels at up to 60mph.