Vauxhall-Lotus Carlton
One of the most distinct cars in the Lotus lineup is the Carlton/Omega. The name Omega name was given to the left-hand-drive cars while Carlton’s had their driver on the right. Internally at Lotus the car was known as the Type 104.
The motivation behind the car came from Opel and Vauxhall who wanted to improve the image of their platform car. Lotus used the Vauxhall Carlton 3.0 GSi 24v as a base for the car, improving almost every component.
The engine used was a GM inline-6 although the block is the only original component. To cope with the 100 bhp per litre load Lotus replaced the pistons, crankshaft, induction system, cooling manifold and induction bodies. The Inline-6 was bored and stroked to a capacity of 3.6 litres. A redesigned cylinder-head and twin Garrett turbochargers were also added in the mix. The result was 377 bhp from an engine that originally had 204 bhp.
As expected, Lotus also reworked the suspension, brakes and aerodynamics.
This super-tuned saloon offered the the fastest four-door experience in 1989. It was leaps and bounds ahead of the competition which included the BMW M5.
The Lotus Carlton/Omega was built up to 1992 with around 900 examples being built, all in Imperial Green Metallic.
Related: Lotus Race Car List / Lotus Current Lineup / All Lotus Models / Lotus News
Pictures
Specs & Performance
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | England |
| price £/td> | £48,000 |
| engine | GM Inline-6 |
| position | Front Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Twin Garret T25 Turbochargers |
| valvetrain | DOHC 4 Valves / Cyl |
| displacement | 3615 cc / 220.6 in³ |
| bore | 95 mm / 3.74 in |
| stroke | 85 mm / 3.35 in |
| compression | 8.2:1 |
| power | 281.1 kw / 377.0 bhp @ 5200 rpm |
| specific output | 104.29 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 228.07 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 568.1 nm / 419.0 ft lbs @ 4200 rpm |
| redline | 6200 |
| body / frame | Unit Steel |
| driven wheels | RWD w/Limited Slip |
| front tires | 235/45ZR-17 |
| rear tires | 265/40ZR-17 |
| front brakes | Vented Discs w/ABS, 4-Pot Calipers |
| rear brakes | Vented Discs w/ABS, Twin-Pot Calipers |
| front wheels | F 43.2 x 21.6 cm / 17.0 x 8.5 in |
| rear wheels | R 43.2 x 24.1 cm / 17.0 x 9.5 in |
| steering | Recirculating Ball w/Power Assist |
| f suspension | MacPherson Struts w/Coil Springs, Anti-Roll Bar, Twin Tube Dampers |
| r suspension | Multi-Link w/Semi-Trailing Arms, Twin Tube Dampers, Coil Springs |
| curb weight | 1653 kg / 3644 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2730 mm / 107.5 in |
| front track | 1448 mm / 57.0 in |
| rear track | 1473 mm / 58.0 in |
| length | 4763 mm / 187.5 in |
| width | 1930 mm / 76.0 in |
| height | 1435 mm / 56.5 in |
| transmission | ZR1 ZF 6-Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 2.68:1, 1.80:1, 1.29:1, 1.00:1, 0.75:1, 0.50:1 |
| final drive | 3.45:1 |
| top speed | ~281.6 kph / 175.0 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~5.4 seconds |
| 0 – 100 mph | ~11.5 seconds |
| 0 – 1/4 mile | ~13.5 seconds |
| drag | 0.31 Cd |
