Lotus has confirmed that it will back Colin Kolles' team's World Endurance Championship LMP2 program. The Kolles-run Kodewa squad will campaign two Lola B12/80s under the Lotus title, with Lotus-badged V8s from John Judd's Engine Developments, which is also building the sports car maker's IndyCar engine.
Lotus' motorsport director Claudio Berro said the partnership was an ideal way for the group to take a step up the endurance racing ladder after returning to the GT class with the Evora last year.
"This is a very exciting step for us," said Berro. "We made no secret of our intention to tackle LMP2 this year but it had to be done in the right way and we're very happy with the setup with our partners. More than anything else, we're looking forward to our return to Le Mans in this capacity after our success with the Evora last year.
"The engine development is going well, but there's a lot to do over the coming weeks to ensure that the car is prepared for the intensive testing that we must undertake to ensure we're ready to compete."