One of a handful of true landmark designs in auto racing history, the Lotus 79 was the first Formula One car to realize the full potential of ground effects. Lotus’ legendary Colin Chapman took the lessons he’d learned about underbody aerodynamics on the Lotus 78 and applied them to its successor. The result was an aerodynamically-efficient car that out-cornered and out-braked its competition by a country mile. Mario Andretti, who assisted with the development of iRacing’s version of the Lotus 79, dominated the 1978 Formula One World Championship. With performance that still impresses today, iRacers will enjoy every lap behind the wheel of the pioneering Lotus 79. New for 2025, the iRacing Vintage Grand Prix Tour brings the Lotus 79 on a tour that loosely resembles the 1978 World Driver’s Championship.