Lotus Turbine was a new casting issued in the 1969 Hot Wheels line-up. It is a model of the innovative wedge-shaped 1968 Lotus 56 which was not only powered by an industrial gas turbine but was also four-wheel drive. In the 1968 Indianapolis 500 the car initially performed well but eventually suffered fuel pump problems, two out of three cars retiring during the race and the third, driven by Graham Hill, crashing early on. A fourth Lotus 56 had crashed during test sessions, killing its driver, Mike Spence. After the 1968 season, USAC rules were changed to ban both turbine engines and four-wheel drive.