Lotus launch 'solid' 2010 car called T127

New team Lotus' Formula One car for the 2010 season is called the T127.

Coloured deep green with yellow trim in recollection of the famous British name's evocative history, the Malaysian-owned team launched the car in London on Friday evening.

With USF1 and Campos yet to unveil their cars, the mere presentation of the T127, shakedown debuted at Silverstone earlier this week, is a feat in itself, given that Lotus was the last outfit to be granted an entry for 2010.

"I'd just love to finish every race," the Malaysian-owned team's boss Tony Fernandes said.

The car's technical chief, Mike Gascoyne, admitted the T127 was designed very quickly starting in September and has therefore been born slightly overweight.

"We know it is not going to be easy. We are running out of time before Bahrain," said Jarno Trulli, whose teammate this year is another established F1 driver, Heikki Kovalainen.

"What they have achieved so far is great but for this year we have to be realistic. We know we will have troubles, but we have to be reliable, decent and show great promise," he told the BBC.

Gascoyne said he felt "shell-shocked" that a car has been produced in merely five months, describing the T127 as a "good, solid, current car".

It will make its proper test debut at Jerez mid next week.

Also at the launch was Lotus team founder Colin Chapman's widow Hazel and son Clive, and several historic Lotus F1 cars.