The Lotus 109 was a Formula One

Formula One

Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 car used by Team Lotus

Team Lotus

Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...

 in the latter part of the 1994 Formula One season

1994 Formula One season

The 1994 Formula One season was the 45th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1994 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 27, 1994, and ended on November 13 after sixteen races. The season is remembered as one of the most tragic and controversial seasons in...

. It was designed by Chris Murphy who based the car on his Lotus 107

Lotus 107

The Lotus 107 was a Formula One car used by Team Lotus. Designed for the 1992 Formula One season, it brought in a final, frustratingly limited and short-lived period of competitiveness for the legendary Team Lotus in Formula One...

 model. The car featured sculptured sidepods, a shorter wheelbase and lower centre of gravity than its predecessor, whilst Mugen developed the engine to be lighter and higher-revving than the previous spec engine issued to the team. It was powered by a Mugen-Honda V10. Johnny Herbert

Johnny Herbert

John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B...

 was able to keep Lotus competitive in Belgium

1994 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1994 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 28, 1994 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa. It was the eleventh race of the 1994 Formula One season.-Background:...

 and Monza

1994 Italian Grand Prix

The 1994 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 11, 1994 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza. It was the twelfth race of the 1994 Formula One season....

 with the car, but the funds were drying up and development was limited. At the end of the season the car was retired and Team Lotus went into receivership

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....

.