Lotus Carlton
Encyclopedia
The Lotus Carlton was a Vauxhall Carlton
(Opel Omega
) saloon upgraded by Lotus Cars
to be a 177 mph (285 km/h) sports sedan with acceleration to equal contemporary supercars. Like all Lotus vehicles, it was given a type designation — Type 104 in this case. The external differences were minimal with the addition of a rear spoiler, air intakes on the bonnet, Lotus badges on the front wings and bootlid, a bodykit and considerably wider wheel arches distinguishing it from a standard Carlton. The car was only sold in one colour, a shade of British racing green
called Imperial Green, a very dark green that in anything but direct light appears black.
Lotus' modifications started with an upgraded engine, which was stroked from the standard Opel 2969 cc 24v straight six unit
, used in the GSi, to a capacity of 3615 cc. Lotus then added twin Garrett
T25 turbocharger
s to give 377 hp and 419 foot-pounds (568.1 N·m). The original engine block was not strong enough and therefore a new under block was cast. The same six-speed manual ZF
transmission as fitted to a contemporary Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 was used to transfer this power to the rear wheels via a rear limited-slip differential from the V8 Holden Commodore. The suspension was modified by Lotus, with the rear suspension mounting to the body at more, different points, and self-leveling dampers. Large 17" wheels from Ronal were fitted, along with wider tyres. Large brakes were added.
The car was capable of 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds and had 12.5 in (330 mm) AP ventilated disc brake
s with racing calipers all round. The car could hit around 50 mi/h in first gear and achieve 0-100 mph and back to a complete stop in less than 15 seconds. The Lotus Carlton held the title of the fastest four door saloon car for some years.
Production of the Lotus Carlton began in 1990, four years after the original Carlton went on sale. Opel
had hoped to build 1,100 cars in total, but owing to the recession of the early 1990s, the £48,000 cars were not selling as well as anticipated and production at Lotus was halted in December 1992. Only 950 cars were completed: 320 Carltons and 630 Omegas, 150 short of the original target. The cars are now starting to become modern classics as low mileage, well looked after examples become rare. As of 2007, values ranged between approximately £12k and £20k.
The Carltons were a favorite target of joy-riders and other thieves, which posed a problem for the police, who had nothing quicker than the 24V Senator Bs. A gang of robbers used one in a string of ramraids of liquor stores and newsagents, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes and alcohol. The small 'panda car
s' used in urban policing were limited to just 90 mi/h, leaving police unable to give chase.
While the base Omega A and the Lotus Carlton/Omega were never federalized for sale in the USA, the Lotus Omega is now allowed to be imported into the USA under the DOT's "Show and Display
" exemption.
Performance comparisons
Vauxhall Carlton
The Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...
(Opel Omega
Opel Omega
The Opel Omega was an executive car marketed by the German automaker Opel between 1986 and 2003 in two generations, both manufactured at Opel's Rüsselsheim, Germany plant. The first generation, the Omega A , superseded the Opel Rekord, was voted European Car of the Year for 1987, and was available...
) saloon upgraded by Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
to be a 177 mph (285 km/h) sports sedan with acceleration to equal contemporary supercars. Like all Lotus vehicles, it was given a type designation — Type 104 in this case. The external differences were minimal with the addition of a rear spoiler, air intakes on the bonnet, Lotus badges on the front wings and bootlid, a bodykit and considerably wider wheel arches distinguishing it from a standard Carlton. The car was only sold in one colour, a shade of British racing green
British racing green
British racing green or BRG, a colour similar to Brunswick green, hunter green, forest green or moss green , takes its name from the green international motor racing colour of Britain. Although there is still some debate as to an exact hue for BRG, currently the term is used to denote a spectrum of...
called Imperial Green, a very dark green that in anything but direct light appears black.
Lotus' modifications started with an upgraded engine, which was stroked from the standard Opel 2969 cc 24v straight six unit
Opel Straight-6 engine
Opel used the straight-6 engine configuration for many years, creating a major family of straight-6 engines for the 1970s and 1980s.-Moonlight:The Opel Moonlight roadster was the first Opel vehicle with a straight-6. It used a 1790 cc six in 1933. It was a 12-valve engine with a...
, used in the GSi, to a capacity of 3615 cc. Lotus then added twin Garrett
Garrett AiResearch
Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch...
T25 turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s to give 377 hp and 419 foot-pounds (568.1 N·m). The original engine block was not strong enough and therefore a new under block was cast. The same six-speed manual ZF
ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....
transmission as fitted to a contemporary Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 was used to transfer this power to the rear wheels via a rear limited-slip differential from the V8 Holden Commodore. The suspension was modified by Lotus, with the rear suspension mounting to the body at more, different points, and self-leveling dampers. Large 17" wheels from Ronal were fitted, along with wider tyres. Large brakes were added.
The car was capable of 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds and had 12.5 in (330 mm) AP ventilated disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s with racing calipers all round. The car could hit around 50 mi/h in first gear and achieve 0-100 mph and back to a complete stop in less than 15 seconds. The Lotus Carlton held the title of the fastest four door saloon car for some years.
Production of the Lotus Carlton began in 1990, four years after the original Carlton went on sale. Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
had hoped to build 1,100 cars in total, but owing to the recession of the early 1990s, the £48,000 cars were not selling as well as anticipated and production at Lotus was halted in December 1992. Only 950 cars were completed: 320 Carltons and 630 Omegas, 150 short of the original target. The cars are now starting to become modern classics as low mileage, well looked after examples become rare. As of 2007, values ranged between approximately £12k and £20k.
The Carltons were a favorite target of joy-riders and other thieves, which posed a problem for the police, who had nothing quicker than the 24V Senator Bs. A gang of robbers used one in a string of ramraids of liquor stores and newsagents, stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes and alcohol. The small 'panda car
Panda car
The phrase panda car refers to a small or medium-sized police car operated by British police forces. They are used for ordinary patrol work, with larger and more powerful vehicles being used for emergency response, Road Policing Unit duties and as Armed Response Vehicles-History of the term:Panda...
s' used in urban policing were limited to just 90 mi/h, leaving police unable to give chase.
While the base Omega A and the Lotus Carlton/Omega were never federalized for sale in the USA, the Lotus Omega is now allowed to be imported into the USA under the DOT's "Show and Display
Show and Display
The "Show and Display" rule, introduced by the United States federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1999, made it legal for car collectors to import cars for use in their private collections that would otherwise not be street legal in the United States...
" exemption.
Performance and comparisons
Specifications- Top speed - +176 mi/h
- Peak power - 377 hp @ 5200 rpm
- Acceleration - 0-60 mi/h : 5.1 sec., 0-100 mi/h : 11.1 sec.
- Peak torque - 419 lbft @ 4200 rpm
- Engine displacement - 3615 cc
- Engine type - Twin turbochargedTwin-turboTwin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine, in which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations: parallel twin-turbo and sequential twin-turbo...
straightStraight engineUsually found in four- and six-cylinder configurations, the straight engine, or inline engine is an internal-combustion engine with all cylinders aligned in one row, with no offset...
six-cylinder - Configuration - Front-engined, rear-wheel drive
- Transmission - Six-speed ZF manual
- Weight - 3666 lb (1,662.9 kg)
- Production - 950 units
- Price - £48,000
Performance comparisons
- 1989-1994 AlpinaAlpinaAlpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH is an automobile manufacturing company based in Buchloe, in the Ostallgäu district of Bavaria, Germany selling their own cars, based on BMW cars....
B10 BiTurbo - 360 hp 0-60 mph - 5.6 s. Top speed: 182 mph (291 km/h) - 1989-1995 BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
M5 E34BMW E34The BMW E34 is the version of the BMW 5 Series automobile built from February 1988 to 1995 with the Touring model ending June 1996. It replaced the BMW E28 in 1988 and was replaced by the E39 in 1996....
- 315/340 hp 0-60 mph - 6.3 / 5.9 s. Top speed (electronically limited): 155 mph (250 km/h) - 1991-1995 Mercedes-Benz 500EMercedes-Benz 500EFrom 1990 to 1994 , Mercedes-Benz sold a high performance version of the W124, the Mercedes-Benz 500 E . The 500 E was created in close cooperation with Porsche; each 500 E was hand-built by Porsche, being transported back and forth between the Mercedes plant and Porsche's Rossle-Bau...
- 326 hp 0-60 mph - 6.2 sec. Top speed (electronically limited): 155 mph (250 km/h)
External links
- Photo
- Audi RS6 v Jaguar S-Type R v BMW M5 (v Carlton) - evo magazine
