1993 Lotus Carlton

1993 Lotus Carlton
1993 Lotus Carlton Navigation

In 1989 Lotus introduced the Carlton Omega at the Geneva Auto Show and production began in 1991 and concluded in 1994. The vehicles were produced in limited numbers, resulting in around 1100 examples being created.

At the time, GM owned both Lotus Cars Limited and Opel. Mike Kimberly, the director of Lotus, and Bob Eaton, the president of GM Europe, decided that a high performance version of the Opel/Vauxhall Omega 3000 GSi 24v should be created. The goal was to use the standard Opel car but refine it with Lotus performance and handling. The result was the Lotus Carlton Omega outfitted with a three-liter DOHC 24 valve inline-six cylinder engine. Later, the displacement was enlarged to 3.6 liters and fitted with two Garrett T25 turbochargers and a water-cooled intercooler. The twenty-four valve clyinder head received a larger combustion-chamber. The five-speed manual gearbox was replaced with a ZF six-speed manual courtesy of the Corvette ZR-1. The gearbox was so large the Lotus engineers were required to enlarge and modify the floor and transmission-tunnel. With 377 horsepower and 420 foot-pounds of torque, the 3600 pound vehicle could race from zero to sixty in 4.9 seconds. The top speed was achieved around 175 miles-per-hour.

The interior was outfitted with Recaro seats and Conolly leather. Suede was used on the door trim panels and Alcantara was placed on the steering wheel.

The Opel Omega 3000 was given to Lotus for modification. The engine, suspension, transmission, tires, wheels, and more were heavily upgraded. To compliment the performance upgrades, the interior were given luxurious amenities. The result was a 'sleeper' car that looked like a standard sedan but was a high performance machine.


By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2005
The Lotus Carlton, also known as the Opel Lotus Omega, was produced from 1990 through 1992. Lotus took the Vauxhall Carlton and made modifications, bringing it to true sports car status with a blistering 177 mph top speed. There were few exterior visual differences between the Lotus and the Vauxhall, the most obvious being the rear air spoiler, and air intakes on the bonnet. Other differences included Lotus badges and wider wheel arches. The Lotus came in only one color called Imperial Green. Under direct light, the color appeared black.

The bid differences were under the hood, where Lotus fitted the six-cylinder engine with twin Garret T25 turbochargers. Horsepower rose to 382 horsepower. The 6-speed ZF transmission found in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 was mated to the engine, sending the power to the rear wheels.


By Daniel Vaughan | May 2009
Nearly 70 years before Vauxhall's Lotus Carlton was launched, the company's top brass were being lauded for bringing the 100mph 30-98 to market. But in 1989, Paul Tosch – Vauxhall's then Chairman and MD – was thrown on the defensive with the mainstream press when the Lotus Carlton became the world's fastest four-door saloon car, with a top speed of 176mph.

Using GM's 3.6-litre straight-six, with the addition of two Garrett T25 turbochargers and twin water-cooled intercoolers, the Lotus Carlton produced a quite shocking 377bhp and 419lb ft of torque, giving it its headline top speed (later found to be conservative) and acceleration to beat a Ferrari Testa Rossa.

Lotus Engineering was responsible for developing the LC's MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear set-up, and the result was a superbly assured and blindingly fast GT of the highest order.

Only 286 Lotus Carltons were sold in the UK, the first of which rolled off Lotus's production line at Hethel in 1990. Its cost when new? £48,000.

Related Reading : Lotus Carlton History

Ah, Britain. Tea time, the Queen, quaint little taxi cabs… and the fastest sedans in the world. If that latter facet of British culture sounds at all out of place, take a moment to ponder all of your choices when shopping for a 200mph luxury land-yacht. Brabus can make you up a nice Mercedes-Benz with plenty of gusto, but how about a production car Looks like the only option is Bentleys latest iteration....
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Performance and Specification Comparison

Carlton

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
107.87 in.
6 cyl., 220.60 CID., 377.00hp

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