Lotus helps out with RAF's Bobsled

NORFOLK, England — Light weight for racing, apparently, is light weight for racing in any context. That was proven when Lotus Cars teamed up with the U.K.'s Royal Air Force to repair and refurbish the RAF's competition bobsled.

Lotus Group CEO Mike Kimberley accepted an offer from the Royal Air Force to assess one of its sleds that had so much damage that it had been deemed a safety hazard. With its wealth of experience in composites R&D and manufacturing, it was logical that the RAF saw Lotus as the go-to manufacturer for the job.

"Lotus recognized the value of an affiliation between themselves — as an elite car manufacturer — and an extreme sport like Bobsleigh, and this developed into the repair of the project prototype, which so happened to be the worst sled in our inventory," said Flight Lieutenant Craig Dickie, the RAF Bobsleigh team manager.

More than 70 hours of engineering time helped create a functional sled that is now clad in the traditional green-and-gold colors of Lotus.

At its inaugural competition, the RAF sled hit speeds above 77 mph to capture 3rd place at the 2008 Inter-Services Ice Championships in Austria.