• High quality resin model
• 1:43 Scale
• Perspex display case included

Ian Walker Racing Lotus Elan 26R Le Mans Coupe

The Green Bug That Changed Everything

In 1964, when the racing world was obsessed with cubic inches and horsepower, Ian Walker Racing dared to think differently. Their "Green Bug" a dark green Lotus Elan 26R with signature gold stripes proved that 600 kilograms of perfectly engineered British brilliance could embarrass cars twice its size and power. This wasn't just another racing car; it was Colin Chapman's lightweight philosophy taken to its absolute extreme, wrapped in Williams & Pritchard's aerodynamic aluminum artistry.

Born for Le Mans, Built for Glory

Every curve of this bespoke aluminum hardtop body served a purpose. Fixed headlights cowled behind Plexiglas shields sliced through the air while cooling ducts channeled vital airflow to brakes and differential. Flared wheel arches housed wider magnesium wheels that gripped the track like a vice. The streamlined silhouette wasn't just beautiful—it was functional sculpture, designed to cheat the wind at 140 mph down the Mulsanne Straight. This scale model captures automotive engineering at its most purposeful and elegant.

The Cosworth Heartbeat

Beneath that aerodynamic skin beat a 1,558cc Cosworth-tuned twin-cam heart, breathing through race-spec induction to deliver 140-180 bhp of pure, screaming power. Paired with a close-ratio gearbox and sliding spline driveshafts, every mechanical component was optimized for endurance racing's unique demands. The uprated suspension with larger anti-roll bars transformed Chapman's road car chassis into a circuit weapon that could dance through corners while larger, more powerful rivals struggled to keep pace.

Rarity Beyond Measure

With only three to six Le Mans Coupes ever built by IWR, this represents automotive exclusivity at its most extreme. While the factory produced an estimated 97 standard 26Rs, the Le Mans Coupe's bespoke bodywork and endurance-specific modifications make it the holy grail of an already legendary bloodline. Today, surviving examples command reverence at Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Revival, where their rarity makes every appearance a celebration of 1960s racing genius.

From Stewart's Triumph to Nürburgring Tragedy

This scale model immortalizes a machine that lived motorsport's highest highs and lowest lows in a single season. Jackie Stewart's stunning class victory and fourth overall at Montlhéry's Prix de Paris announced the 26R's arrival with authority. Yet that same car met tragedy at the Nürburgring when brake failure sent Mike Spence into the barriers, ending not just the race but the planned Le Mans campaign. Sometimes the most compelling racing stories are written in practice sessions, not on podiums.

The Legend That Inspired Legends

Driven by giants like Stewart, Jim Clark, and Jochen Rindt, the 26R Le Mans Coupe proved that in the Thermal Efficiency Index Class, intelligence could triumph over brute force. Its success inspired a generation of lightweight racing cars and established IWR as masters of the art. Today, with IWR announcing recreations to meet modern demand, this original specification remains the gold standard—quite literally—of 1960s endurance racing excellence.