Lotus, that competed in the 1988 F1 season with the 100T powered by Honda’s 1.5-liter V6 turbo engine, was completely different to Lotus in the 2013 season. Colin Chapman (who had passed away in 1982) was a unique engineer who revolutionized the F1 world with his many technological innovations including the first ground effects cars in the 1970s, and the introduction of the concept of sponsorship in the 1960s. The original Lotus, which Chapman founded, competed in F1 from 1958 to 1994, and for two seasons from 1987 to 1988, with Honda engines.

While the British teams powered by Honda engines, Williams in 1987 and McLaren in 1988, dominated the championship, Lotus had been struggling, but it had outstanding driver talent, with Ayrton Senna (the Brazilian genius) and Satoshi Nakajima (Japan’s first full-time F1 driver) in 1987, and Nelson Piquet and Nakajima in 1988. In Japan, where the F1 boom was gaining momentum, Lotus Honda, with its bright CAMEL yellow livery, had great support from the public. The 1998 100T (powered by the RA168E) was a car that made its mark on the history of the F1 Japanese GP, as Nakajima qualified 6th and finished 7th at Suzuka.

Lotus assigned numbers to its products including F1 and other racing cars, so the 100T was not Lotus’ 100th F1 car, but its 100th product. (The T denoted the car was turbo-powered.)

The previous year’s 99T is said to be the first F1 car to use fully active suspension for the full-season, but Lotus did not use it for the 100T, opting instead for a more conventional setup. At this point, the active suspension technology, its main purpose to maintain a stable aerodynamic performance by keeping the vehicle height as constant as possible, had not yet reached maturity, and would take another 3 to 4 years of development to become dominant. Lotus, the pioneer of this technology, shelved the concept and reverted to a conventional passive suspension system for the 100T. If this led to a lack of continuity in car’s development, it may have been a contributing factor to the 100T’s struggles.

Honda's 1.5-liter V6 turbo was the most powerful power unit of the era, as seen by the McLaren MP4/4 winning 15 of 16 races, in the last year of the turbo era. (From 1989, only 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated engines were allowed. In 1987 and 1988, both turbos and naturally-aspirated engines were allowed.) The Lotus team, however, could only manage a third-place finish, even with Piquet, the previous year’s champion, who had transferred from Williams with the number 1.

The McLaren MP4/4, with the same engine, was designed based on car designer Gordon Murray’s flat fish concept of low and small frontal projection, to take advantage of the power of the Honda engine, whereas the Lotus 100T was bigger and thicker. Even with the active suspension and the change from Senna to Piquet at McLaren, Lotus could not find a way to effectively utilize the Honda engine, even though it was available a year earlier than McLaren. As a harsh truth, in F1, the world’s most prestigious racing category, such a technical setback has an immediate impact on results. And Gérard Ducarouge, the chief designer of the 100T, left Lotus before the end of the season.

The Lotus 100T, however, was not a complete disaster. In hindsight, the 100T was off to a good start in the 1988 season, with Piquet 3rd and Nakajima 6th in the opening round at Brazil (points were only awarded to the top six). In Round 2, San Marino, Piquet claimed his second consecutive third place finish, albeit a lap behind the McLarens.

Nakajima could not qualify in rounds 3 (Monaco) and 6 (Detroit), both of which were held on street tracks, but he put on a formidable performance in Round 4 (Mexico). At the high altitude, where the advantage of the turbo engine becomes more significant, Nakajima achieved his best qualifying of 6th on the grid. He also made a spectacular move into the first turn, passing the two Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto to take 4th. He unfortunately retired from the race due to mechanical issues, but the Lotus 100T was in a respectable position in the first half of the season.

From mid-season, Lotus Honda struggled even more, but in Round 15, Japan, Nakajima was once again 6th on the grid. At that time, qualifying was held on both Friday and Saturday, and at the end of Saturday’s session, he set the exact same time as Piquet (1:43.693), equalling his personal best. (Piquet, who had set the time first, qualified 5th according to regulations). When Nakajima’s laptime and grid position were announced, the crowd, which had been more interested in the fierce title race between Senna and Alain Prost of McLaren, erupted in applause.

During race weekend in Suzuka, Nakajima was fighting with the sadness of his mother’s passing. In the race, hopeful for a podium finish, his engine at the start, and despite a strong chase, he finished 7th. Despite his disappointment, Nakajima smiled and said to the TV camera after the race, “Someone pushed me, and that’s why I was able to make it.” His engine managed to come back to life on the downhill slope, and although he had lost time, Nakajima thanked his mother for his good fortune. These words touched the many Japanese fans who felt disappointed that he could not gain points at this home race.

In the 16th and final round in Australia, Piquet finished third for the first time since the first two rounds of the season, and with Prost winning and Senna second, it was the second Honda engine 1-2-3 finish of the season. It was a fitting finale to the 1.5-liter turbo era for Honda, with the most powerful engine at the time, and the Lotus 100T had played a significant role. This legend of the Honda Turbo was be revived in the upcoming 2015 season under completely new regulations.

Even after its retirement, the 100T has been used many times for demonstration runs at events and big races held at Suzuka. Nakajima has driven the car at these events, delighting fans with his performance reminiscent of yesteryear. A quarter of a century has already passed since then, and the 100T still has a valuable presence as a car that tells the tale of Nakajima, the first full-time Japanese F1 driver, and as the 100th product of prestigious Lotus.