Lola Cars Develops Sustainable Composite to Slash T70S Carbon Footprint by 54 Percent

British motorsport brand Lola Cars has developed an innovative, sustainable composite system for its T70S sports car, reducing the vehicle’s carbon footprint by 54 percent compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

According to a lifecycle analysis report released by the company, the T70S generates a cradle-to-gate footprint of 4.6 tons (4,643 kg) of CO2e. This reduction is driven by a shift from traditional fiberglass—which Lola used in the 1960s before carbon fiber became the industry standard—to a newly developed natural composite system.

The proprietary material is a combined fiber system featuring basalt outer layers and flax inner layers, which function similarly to Aramid synthetic fibers. The structure is bound together using a PFA resin system derived from sugarcane.

“So rather than just being a material, it is a system that you can go make parts with, and we’re running this on cars now,” said Faulks.

While other natural fibers have appeared in racing—such as the hemp fibers used by the Eco Racing team in a 2008 diesel-powered sports prototype, or the Bcomp composite developed by a Swiss firm—Lola’s system serves a distinct role. Unlike Bcomp, Lola’s composite is not intended for structural use, but it outperforms traditional fiberglass in tensile strength and stiffness. Lola is utilizing the material for body panels, interior trim, and seat backs.

The T70S’s cockpit is snug. Lola Cars

The manufacturing process also limits emissions during production. Lola avoids the use of shielding gases during smelting, and Faulks noted that the company employs an environmentally benign shielding gas for casting processes.

Velocity stacks! Lola Cars

Comparing the new build to an original Lola T70, Faulks highlighted the dramatic improvement in manufacturing tolerances.

“The really fascinating thing is that we’re taking body work off this now and we’re building cars with it, and the quality of the body work in terms of finish, stability out of the tooling, et cetera, is so far beyond an original GRP. We have an original Lola T70 at Lola that we can compare the two of them, park them side by side, and panel gaps and stability of panel and everything is so, so much better [on the T70S],” Faulks said.

Technical Overview: Sustainable Composites in Motorsport

To understand the significance of Lola’s new composite, it helps to examine the properties of its constituent materials:

• Basalt Fiber: Manufactured by melting quarried basalt rock, this material offers excellent thermal performance, high tensile strength, and chemical resistance. It serves as an eco-friendly alternative to carbon fiber and fiberglass.
• Flax Fiber: A plant-based material that provides high vibration-damping properties. When used as an inner layer, it mimics the impact-resistant qualities of Aramid (commonly known by the brand name Kevlar).
• PFA Resin: Polyfurfuryl alcohol is a thermosetting resin synthesized from furfural, a byproduct of agricultural waste such as sugarcane bagasse. Unlike conventional petroleum-based resins, PFA has a significantly lower carbon footprint and emits fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during curing.

About Lola Cars and the T70

Founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley, Lola Cars is one of the oldest and most decorated names in British racing car manufacturing. The original Lola T70, introduced in the mid-1960s, became a legendary sports prototype, competing in endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Can-Am series. Historically, these cars utilized Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP), commonly known as fiberglass, for their lightweight bodywork. The T70S represents a modern, ecologically conscious continuation of this historic racing lineage.