<< Prev Page 3 of 3 Lola did not give up just yet and stepped things up for 1969 with the Mk3B variant of the T70 Coupe. This used a full aluminium monocoque similar to that of the 1968 T160 Can-Am racer. The fiberglass body also received plenty of attention and created even more downforce than its predecessor. The biggest visual difference was the lower nose with two headlights on either side, installed under a Perspex cover. Equipped with Fuel Injection the Chevrolet V8 was now able to produce approximately 450 bhp and the Hewland LG600 was now equipped with five instead of four forward gears. It is safe to say that the T70 Mk3B was a completely new car, but the CSI again leaned in Lolas favour and considered it a mere development of the already homologated Mk3.
Among the many interested parties in the lighter and more powerful Lola was Roger Penske as he bought an example for Mark Donohue to race. Penske's preparation standards were more than a match for Wyer's and at Daytona in February of 1969 the T70 finally scored its first major international victory. It was to be the car's only top level win as the reduction to 25 cars required for homologation opened the door for a new generation of prototype racing cars. A month after the Daytona win Porsche unveiled the 917 at Geneva and the rest, so they say, is history. It should be noted though that the 917 was a horribly unstable machine until a high tail similar to that of the T70 Coupe was fitted. Before the season was out, the Mk3B had built up an impressive tally of wins in minor races in European and South African races. Jo Bonnier came very close to beating the 25% more powerful 917 at the Osterreichring, but he to settle for second in his T70.
With the 917 now fully sorted and the arrival of the Ferrari 512, the days of the T70 Coupe were finally numbered in 1970. Although it was not nearly as successful as its Spyder sister, the T70 Coupe has worked its way into the hearts of many enthusiasts in no small part thanks to its stunning appearance. The advanced aerodynamics and chassis design might have deserved a better engine to complete the package. On the other hand it was the easily available Chevrolet engine that made the T70 success and still makes it a popular choice in historic racing. In fact it is so popular that Lola have recently started producing a continuation model, identical to the 1969 Mk3B. The 'new' T70s are even allowed to race in historic events, which understandably is not to everyone's liking. << Prev Page 3 of 3
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Lola did not give up just yet and stepped things up for 1969 with the Mk3B variant of the T70 Coupe. This used a full aluminium monocoque similar to that of the 1968 T160 Can-Am racer. The fiberglass body also received plenty of attention and created even more downforce than its predecessor. The biggest visual difference was the lower nose with two headlights on either side, installed under a Perspex cover. Equipped with Fuel Injection the Chevrolet V8 was now able to produce approximately 450 bhp and the Hewland LG600 was now equipped with five instead of four forward gears. It is safe to say that the T70 Mk3B was a completely new car, but the CSI again leaned in Lolas favour and considered it a mere development of the already homologated Mk3.