This is the 1998 Bitter GT1, and the story with this car starts with a different car, the Lotus Elise GT1 (type-115). The Elise GT1 was an attempt by Lotus to compete in the FIA GT Championship. Just 7 GT1 race cars were built and 1 road-going version. The Elise GT1’s best result would go on to become only a 5th place result at Helsinki Thunder, a temporary street circuit located in Helsinki, Finland. Lotus eventually ended their involvement with GT1 racing, which gave Toine Hezemans & his son Mike, both former racing drivers, an interest in purchasing a pair of GT1 chassis from Lotus. Together, the Hezemans bought the remaining inventory of the Lotus GT1 division which consisted of a couple of chassis, a plethora of spare parts, and some body molds. Mike Hezemans drove an Elise GT1 during the 1997 season and due to his experience behind the wheel, he also happened to notice some flaws that could use improvement. The two chassis were then sent to the Netherlands to be reworked by a small team of mechanics consisting of Peter Classen and Mario van Beek in collaboration with Lotus designer Martin Ogilvie and chief mechanic Hans Willemsen. The cars were made longer and smoother in an attempt to increase downforce, and were equipped with 8.0L Chrysler V10 356-T6 engines to ensure of more power. In order to compete in the 1998 FIA GT championship and comply with FIA regulations, the Hezemans family reached out to a good friend by the name of Erich Bitter, founder of an independent German car manufacturer who kindly agreed to let the Bitter name be used for the cars. From there, the 1998 Bitter GT1 was born, and while it might not have had the most ideal racing career, it sure was promising. This example (number 10, raced by Team Hezemans in just 5 events) sat stagnantly from 1999 until 2021 when the car was brought back to life by hendriks_motorsport, where it was finally driven again by @lorishezemans/ @mikehezemans1.
How many made? 1 of 2
Debut: 1998 Silverstone Circuit
Engine: 356-T6 8.0L Chrysler Viper V10
Top Speed: N/A
0-60: N/A
Photo Credit: @jr_carphotography
Research: @rarecarsonly