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S2000 History
Various contributors have provided the historical information on this page, and we appreciate their input. If you can add to this information or if you believe you've read something that is incorrect, please let us know (pkrause@nac-srcc.com). We would also like to get photos of the various examples.
Basic Lola Buyers Guide
Info courtesy Steven Johnson and Peter Krause
| Type | Comments |
| T-492 | Built from 1978 to late 1979, square-tube with sheet aluminum reinforcement, very basic little car. Very stout, strong and safe. Reasonably quick, although overshadowed by the rapid development of the class. Bolt-on Revolution wheels, simple fiberglass body, side mounted radiators low in the rear. |
| T-590 | Built between November 1979 and late 1980, very basic car, steel front uprights, very small in comparison to other cars, earlier or later. Very fast in a straight line, not a lot of downforce. First fully aluminum monocoque design from Lola. Was replaced quickly by front runners when the T-592 came out in 1981. Was on the pole for the SCCA RunOffs in 1980 with John Paul, Jr. |
| T-592 | More advanced than T-590. Won National Championship in 1981. T-592S, upgraded T-592 with alloy uprights and centerlock wheels, built through 1982. Body and construction closer to later cars than the T-590. Replaced for 1983 by T-594. |
| T-594 | First of the three strongest "older" cars and went to LD-65 4-piston calipers all around and more modern body. Uprated engine bay and longer, wider than T-592S. Won first pro series (Road America Cup) in 1983 at hands of Haas driver, Bill O'Connor and the National Championship with Bob Lobenberg. |
| T-596 | Not much change for 1984 and the T-596. |
| T-598 | Introduced in 1985, latest and greatest of the outboard suspension Lola cars. Swoopy looks, great driving car, most sold back to the UK four to six years ago. Very nice cars. |
Not a lot of upgrades done to T-590 or T-592/S, cars discarded for newer ones too quickly, as state-of-the-art changed fast early on. Strong challenges from Tiga, Royale and later March chassis.
T-594/596/598 are similar, so upgrades can be applied to each. Thicker front bulkhead, added tub reinforcement, engine bay stiffening, Koni instead of Bilstein shocks, front engine plate, lower stiffener, all mods done most effectively by Steven Johnson, but the cars still go quick in an unmodified state.
Basic Tiga Buyers Guide
Info courtesy Mark Schue and Peter Krause
| Type | Comments |
| SC78-SC79 | Built between early 1978 and late 1979, very basic car, steel front uprights. Better known in the UK and overseas, where it was trouncing the Lola, the Robinson and others while Haas was beginning to sell a bunch of T-492's in this country. While Bill Porter of Chicago still has his early car, Mark Daniels may have an SC79 and I'm aware of an SC79 in Birmingham, the early cars relatively rare in this country as there was no organized sales outlet. Open rear wheels, more squared rear fenders than the classic round lip of the SC80. Inboard rear brakes, Girling calipers all around, bolt on, Compomotive mesh-style wheels. |
| SC80 | Built late 1979 through 1980. The most successful Sports 2000 in the UK and won the RunOffs in 1980, first year for Sports 2000 as a National class at the hands of Caterpillar engineer, Steve Glassey. Beautiful car, tub narrowed at the front as opposed to straight-sided SC78-SC79 (only visible with the body off), similar uprights, suspension, wheels and brakes, mildly restyled and very attractive rear bodywork. Very successful car that kept winning in SCCA National competition until the SC83 came out. Compomotive mesh-style wheels. |
| SC81 | A mild upgrade from SC81, mechanically identical except for rear bodywork change adopting the removable "doors" over the rear wheels. Most ran with them off. As nice to drive as the SC80. Mesh style wheels. |
| SC82 | Some think a radical departure from a successful formula, lower sides of the tub up swept forming a "tunnel", radiators relocated above side pod extensions rather than positioned inside them like the other cars, lower height side pods. More difficult to fabricate and of no great benefit so design for SC83/84 reverted to SC80/81 principals and execution. Last of the line to use bolt-on wheels, fabricated steel front uprights, inboard rear brakes and large cast rear upright to accommodate the Austin Marina CV joint/stub axle assembly. Equipped with attractive three-spoke "Tiga" alloy wheels. |
| SC83 | A return to the tried and true. Similar body to SC81, alloy front uprights, LD-65 4-piston calipers replacing the Girlings on the front, smaller cast rear uprights with conventional axle shafts and CV joints, outboard brakes. Big visual change, center lock wheels. Larger air intake scoop. Compomotive "Turbo" wheels or three-spoke "Tiga" wheels. |
| SC84 | Detail changes to SC83, top of monocoque covered from the rear of the footbox all the way back to the front hoop, open before. Sides of the rear bulkhead gusseted with additional aluminum sheet in a triangular shape from the top of the forward side of the bulkhead down to the outside of the tub. May have smaller flares around the front wheel arches and smaller kickout forward of the rear wheel openings. Almost identical to the SC83. Koni shocks became standard this year, replacing the Bilsteins that were stock on the SC80-83 cars. Gotti "Tiga" branded wheels. |
| SC85 | A very different car - inboard rear suspension, lower bodywork and tub constructed with aluminum honeycomb material. Whole 'nother ball game. Continued virtually unchanged through SC86 and SC87. Gotti "Tiga" branded wheels |
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