Lotus Carlton question

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LANDO

LANDO

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Landokarl
Ok, I am from Spain and the Lotus Carlton looks exactly like an OPEL/VAUXHALL SENATOR. Am I right?
 
No...

It rather surpsrisingly should look like a Vauxhall/Opel Carlton... <- of course in europe the Carlton might have a different name!

The Senator was a slightly bigger car (Albeit not that much bigger).

So they look like each other but they aren't the same car.

C.
EDIT: It appears that the Carlton was called the "Omega" in mainland Europe... obviously not the Omega of today.
EDIT2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Carlton try here.
 
One thing it's for sure the SENATOR and the OMEGA are not the same car, the OMEGA replaced the SENATOR.
 
LANDO
One thing it's for sure the SENATOR and the OMEGA are not the same car, the OMEGA replaced the SENATOR.
Click to expand...

I think it was more that the "Omega"/Carlton and "Senator"/Senator merged into what we now see as the Omega.

They probably did this as the space in the market had evolved and two cars of similar shape and size were no longer needed where 1 could do.

(Names in quotes are old euro names)

C.

EDIT as explained here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Omega
 
yeti
I think it was more that the "Omega"/Carlton and "Senator"/Senator merged into what we now see as the Omega.
Click to expand...

Ok, that´s right brief moment of weakness JAJAJA.
 
Lotus has some connections with Vauxhall (for example, the Vauxhall VX220 is basically just a Lotus Elise chassis with a different body) and in the early 90's Lotus upgraded their Carlton. I read somewhere that the Lotus Carlton was the fastest 4-seater car in the world, but I doubt it still holds this record.
 
Group C Fanatic
Lotus has some connections with Vauxhall (for example, the Vauxhall VX220 is basically just a Lotus Elise chassis with a different body) and in the early 90's Lotus upgraded their Carlton. I read somewhere that the Lotus Carlton was the fastest 4-seater car in the world, but I doubt it still holds this record.
Click to expand...
"At 173Mph the Carlton is s shade faster than the latest M5 (in 1990)"
The Lotus Carlton was made in 1990 though so like you said I doubt it still holds that record.
 
They say "production saloon car", not "production car".

And it may well be true. Other saloon cars with similarly powerful - or more - engines are generally German and generally limited to 155mph. Remove the limiter and it's no longer production specification.

The only other one I can think of are the Brabus cars (which may or may not be production cars, depending on your point of view) and the Jaguar S-Type R, which I believe also has a 155mph limiter.
 
The most noticable difference between the GSi3000 Carlton/Omega and the Lotus Carlton was the changing of the rear wheel arches from the square topped to rounded. Most of the 'fake' kits don't have the rear arch conversions so a 'fake' can be spotted a mile off (plus they were made in one colour only, Imperial Racing Green). Obviously the rest of the car was kitted out entirely.
I recall Jeremy Clarkson test driving one of these for either a mag or 'Top Gear' and I quote;
"I got to 176MPH and bottled going any faster even though the car still had much more to give!!"
Awesome cars and worth every single penny of their second hand value (around £13,000 for a good condition one). if I didn't have 4 kids I would have bought one last year!!!!! :(
 
Ha it also is basially a VN Holden Commodore as they are slightly based on the Opel Omega I believe etc.

vn-form1.jpg


Its mainly the side that shares the same shape, the front and rear is slightly different obviously.
 
In Brazil it was produced as Chevrolet OMEGA.





more details....


some good info, if you understand Portuguese :D






---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
This is very simple to explain,


Between 1987-1993 Opel built the Omega A which Vauxhall renamed as the Carlton, so both vehicles are the same except for the badges.

As for the Lotus Carlton i believe that Vauxhall supplied Lotus approx. 500 vehicles that were fitted with a 3.6 litre (C3.6GET) Lotus engine together with Lotus styling and suspension/brakes etc.

I'm not 100% on this but i believe the Opel equivilant to this vehicle was the Omega Evolution which was an Irmscher Internation styled vehicle.

To cause extra confusion in the Mid 1990's GM Europe decided that all of there vehicles should have the same names, therefore the replacement for the Vauxhall Nova was given the Opel name (Corsa B) and the Opel Kadett replacement was given the Vauxhall name (Astra F)
 
Ok according to my nice big book here;
"Despite it's GM parentage, Lotus Engineering was a facility that also orked for other manufacturers once they were convinced GM did not have access to confidential files (suggesting the Lotus Carlton was originally built withoug GM's knowledge) The Lotus Carlton was a demonstration of what could be done - It was also sold as the Opel Lotus Omega. "
-"Such a performance increase obviously demanded chassis improvements to be safe; the brakes used ventilated discs with 4 pot calipers and the new alloy wheels are taller with low profile tyres and wider, increasing the track at both ends. The standard system of independent suspension is reatined, but stiffened and strengthened, while the rear suspension features variable rate coils blah blah blah..."
"The front spoiler and rear wing combine to create zero lift, and the drag factor is an impressive 0.37."
Hope that clears up most of the questionsd in here. :) 👍
I'm not sure if it's still the world's fastest production 5-seater, my book was printed in 1997 and it still makes that claim though.
 
The latest Bentley Continental Flying Spur has reached top speeds of 190 MPH...

So I would say that it isn't any more...

And I bet that the Vauxhall Monaro thing might be pretty close too?

C.
 
yeti
The latest Bentley Continental Flying Spur has reached top speeds of 190 MPH...

So I would say that it isn't any more...

And I bet that the Vauxhall Monaro thing might be pretty close too?

C.
Click to expand...

The Vauxhall Monaro isnt a 4-door saloon car - different all together. As far as records go, I'm pretty sure the Lotus Carlton retains the record for the fastest production saloon car.
 
Haven't Maserati just brought out a four-door? I think that can hit 190+.

Or it may even be a Ferrari?

Anyway, in it's day the Lotus Carlton caused as much of a stir as a 500BHP Ford Mondeo would nowadays. It was produced during a time when sports saloons were getting more and more competitive; remember the Ford Sierra Cosworths? I think they even tried to ban the Lotus Carlton at some point, for being TOO hairy. Then insurance rocketed, and we had to say goodbye to car manufacturers producing hot hatches and sports saloons. In the early nineties there was a real slowdown in the design of anything even slightly sporty.

But now 10 or 15 years on we're well back on track (excuse the pun); Evos, Ford RS, Renault Sport, Scoobys, Type-R etc..............

And it's great!
 
Oh yeah, and as for the German cars being limited, rumor has it that on a few models the limiter doesen't even cut in. So we may find that the RS6 saloon, M5 etc take the prize.
 
AJP400
Haven't Maserati just brought out a four-door? I think that can hit 190+.
Click to expand...

The "QuattroPorte"...

No it gets upto about 170. It says so on the Maserati website.

"Top speed 275 km/h (171 mph)" - http://www.maserati.com/

It was one of the ones I checked to see if anything had beaten the Lotus.

C.
 
Also the Brabus Maybach is limited upto 300 KM/H...

And that is a 4 door saloon.

And if you can count Lotus as the tuner of a Vauxhall you can count Brabus as a tuner of a Merc.

C.
 
yeti
Also the Brabus Maybach is limited upto 300 KM/H...

And that is a 4 door saloon.

And if you can count Lotus as the tuner of a Vauxhall you can count Brabus as a tuner of a Merc.

C.
Click to expand...

Its not a 4 door saloon, its a friggin Limo.

Don't forget the VW phaeton, but i think thats limited too, without it can top 200mph
 
yeti
Also the Brabus Maybach is limited upto 300 KM/H...

And that is a 4 door saloon.

And if you can count Lotus as the tuner of a Vauxhall you can count Brabus as a tuner of a Merc.

C.
Click to expand...

Actually it just falls under the Lotus brand. Hence the reason you cannot find Vauxhall/Opel written on any major parts such as engine/body parts etc


I am quite suprised that Holden doesnt hold the fastest production saloon record at the moment. 410bhp from the current R8 with LS2 would be surely enough to take it to 180+, but im not sure if they are speed restricted to 250kph
 
Impreza04
Its not a 4 door saloon, its a friggin Limo.

Don't forget the VW phaeton, but i think thats limited too, without it can top 200mph
Click to expand...

4 door saloon - Limo... What's the difference?

Still has 4 doors and 5 seats.... just a bit bigger.

C.
 
AJP400
Oh yeah, and as for the German cars being limited, rumor has it that on a few models the limiter doesen't even cut in. So we may find that the RS6 saloon, M5 etc take the prize.
Click to expand...
the limiter does cut in on every model, you can however get rid of it (may harm warranty). in addition some of the carmakers have started to rise the speed when the limiter kicks in.

for example you can order most AMGs with a limiter already set at 300kph or 186mph.

the e39 BMW M5 already did 305kph or 190mph without the limiter, new new one that is due to hit the dealers tommorrow does 330kph or 205mph without the limiter.
 
i'm into cars so i know a little bit , a senator is a carlton like the same chassis and things but its got a bigger engine and more spec . it looks different because it has a differnt front spoiler and grill and maybe some different stuff at the back . google image search the 2 and u'll c the differences
 
Who ever mentioned the top speed record Koiensegga holds the record officaly. I think it was 2-5mph faster then the Mclaren F1. But bugatti has yet to make a run in the new veryon b/c ther are still some issues teh want to work out. *Somthign with the front spillter.
 
i know this has been told ... i think it has anyways

Vaxhaul is opel, and visa virsa
lotus modified a carlton / omega
this was sold s lotus carlton in the UK
and as lotus omega in the rest of the world

the only thing i dont get is why it has allways been vaxhauls in GT, since most of them are opels out on the streets
 

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