GTP Cool Wall: 1990-1992 Lotus Carlton/Omega

1990-1992 Lotus Carlton/Omega

  • Total voters
    136
  • Poll closed .
Wiegert
Let's not forget that we're also talking about a Vauxhall (Opel) here. The internal Lotus upgrades are the only thing keeping this above the lowest possible voting option for me.
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I have never, ever understood the bad rap Opel gets everywhere.
 
The Tiff Needell video posted by @Niku Driver HC posted #15 says it all.

In a time of German manufacturer self-imposed 155mph top speed limits, this stuck 2 fingers up to the establishment in the UK and caused an uproar.:cheers:

Legendary status was cemented with all the 'boy-racers' of that time as soon as the middle aged, middle class knobs started moaning about it :lol:
 
numbnuts70
The Tiff Needell video posted by @Niku Driver HC posted #15 says it all.

In a time of German manufacturer self-imposed 155mph top speed limits, this stuck 2 fingers up to the establishment in the UK and caused an uproar.:cheers:

Legendary status was cemented with all the 'boy-racers' of that time as soon as the middle aged, middle class knobs started moaning about it :lol:
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All of that is precisely the reason why I posted the video in the first place. It explains all you need to know about the birth of the Lotus Carlton, what it represented, and the nightmare it became (for the British police forces). While German brands were agreeing to end the speed wars, Lotus showed a middle finger, made people upset enough for them to demand that the Carlton should be fitted with a speed limiter (to which GM answered "Sorry, but no."), and created a rebel dressed as a 4-door saloon.

And it's still better than most of the dull boxes GM made as Opel cars. I'd gladly own one of this in lieu of a normal Carlton/Omega. At least Lotus imbued some personality in their box...
 
I remember the original release, and the huge furore it caused in the British press (the Daily Mail ran a headline about it's 178mph top speed). At the time it was a proper legend of a car.

For me, cars like this just aren't cool when new, but are potentially cooler with time (Like the M5).

Low cool.
 
Cano
Er, aaand?
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GM-made econoboxes, especially 80s-90s ones are not exactly an inbodyment of quality. Not applying that to the Lotus Carlton though, but Opel not being a brand known for exceptional quality is not really surprising looking at their lineup from 20-30 years ago.

A late 90s diesel Astra is so far the worst car I've ever been in. It has the cruelty of a stereotypical German soldier combined with the sense of humour of a stereotypical American school student and the subtlety of a Romanian villager. Every second spent in that car was mentally exhausting to the point of insanity and thoughts of ending your life.
 
Cano
I seem to remember quite a few relevant Opels that seemed anything but that.



Er, aaand?
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Below standard quality transportation boxes aren't cool, old below standard transportation boxes are even less so.
 
The theme here seems to be the 90s, for which I can't give an opinion since Opel was absent in here since the 80s. Carry on.
 
Cano
The theme here seems to be the 90s, for which I can't give an opinion since Opel was absent in here since the 80s. Carry on.
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When Vauxhall and Opel became 'a thing' in the early 80's and their cars became exactly the same (sans badges) any individuality the brands had disappeared. They became no more than multi-national transport for the masses. Their cars have largely been dull/poor handling cars designed for people who don't care about cars but care even less for the charms of public transport. They may well be better these days, but 30 years of crap and drudgery is a hard image to shake.
 
Cano
I seem to remember quite a few relevant Opels that seemed anything but that.



Er, aaand?
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From the early 80's until well into the 00's pretty much everything Opel build was crap.
Dodgy engines. Dodgy electrics. Terrible build quality. And they brought a new standard to the meaning rusty car.

They out-rust Alfa's.
 
Vegard
Don't forget numb. That's the worst part of all the Opels I've driven, the numbness in all the controls.
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But that's a great feature for getting over speedbumps. It's like they're not there!
 
Niku Driver HC
While German brands were agreeing to end the speed wars, Lotus showed a middle finger, made people upset enough for them to demand that the Carlton should be fitted with a speed limiter (to which GM answered "Sorry, but no."), and created a rebel dressed as a 4-door saloon.
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That's why I'm glad most people had never heard of Alpina, the BiTurbo went a bit faster, but did it more discreetly and avoided such praise from <James May> the Yobo's</James May> :D
 
Cool. Not the prettiest cars, but the sleeper factor is over 9000. In Finland, a brave taxi driver had one of these.. as a taxi between the airport and various hotels in Helsinki. Talk about rapid transit..
 
Leonidae@MFT
Cool. Not the prettiest cars, but the sleeper factor is over 9000. In Finland, a brave taxi driver had one of these.. as a taxi between the airport and various hotels in Helsinki. Talk about rapid transit..
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Wow, you Finns are crazy, that's a first. A Lotus Carlton taxi? Now that's one way to have a speedy trip... Guess it saved precious holiday vacation time for many lucky people.

MatskiMonk
That's why I'm glad most people had never heard of Alpina, the BiTurbo went a bit faster, but did it more discreetly and avoided such praise from <James May> the Yobo's</James May> :D
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Wow, guess the Chav/Yobo image is hard to shake off, huh? Still, I think both the Alpina and the Carlton deserve equal praise from us car enthusiats. Sure, the Alpina is classier and more subtle than the Carlton, but they are both great perfomance sedans on their own right.
 
Leonidae@MFT
In Finland, a brave taxi driver had one of these.. as a taxi between the airport and various hotels in Helsinki. Talk about rapid transit..
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That must have been scary in the winter. I mean, if you're an average taxi consumer in Helsinki.
 
The coolest Vauxhall in history.

Cano
I have never, ever understood the bad rap Opel gets everywhere.
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If anything I'd say it's the Vauxhall badge which really hits coolness badly. At least with Opel you get

Opel GT.png
Opel Manta.png
Opel-Manta-400-Rallye-Paris-Dakar-1984.jpg
 
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Niku Driver HC
Ok, let's see if I get the meaning of this picture... It's either a "no sh:censored:" moment, or something that tells me that it hard to believe. One of the two...
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Kristen Scott Thomas.... as in, to decide if a car is cool, ask her what she thinks (watch Top Gear to get the reference, though she must've told them to sod off or something as she hasn't been mentioned in a while...)
 
jeffgoddin
Kristen Scott Thomas.... as in, to decide if a car is cool, ask her what she thinks (watch Top Gear to get the reference, though she must've told them to sod off or something as she hasn't been mentioned in a while...)
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A bit late to the party, as Vegard already answered my question, but thanks for helping nonetheless. 👍

Also, you are right, we haven't heard many KST references as of late. Another great thing that Top Gear has lost, perhaps? :lol:
 
Reminds me of a 4 door fox body. Cool.

I always forget these exist though.
 
Without the Lotus treatment this car is really bad. So it's an automatic cool from me.
 

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