Those with an interest in classic British sports car might remember the Lotus Carlton as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This year, the Lotus Carlton turns 30 and as far as we’re concerned, it’s still the same bonkers car that came to be in 1990. We even have a video to support our statement.
The Lotus Carlton was faster than almost everything on the road
Lotus likes its cars lightweight, we know that already. But the company’s mechanical whizz showed what can you do with a platform that’s not necessarily built for high-end performance. Back in 1990.
It all started as Lotus started working on the Vauxhall Carlton/Opel Omega platform produced in Russelsheim. The Omega came with a 3.0-liter straight-six mill, but Lotus bumped the displacement to 3.6 liters and brought two Garrett T25 turbochargers to the party as well. The engine now made 568 Newton-meters (419 pound-feet) of torque at 4,200 rpm and cranked out 377 horsepower.
In the Lotus Carlton, 0-100 mph took 11.1 seconds, while top speed was capped at 174 mph - although the car could easily do over 180 mph. It helped, too, that the transmission came from a Corvette ZR1.
On top of the above-mentioned tweaks, Lotus re-worked the front and rear suspension to meet its own ride and handling standards. What’s more, the stock tires were replaced with Goodyear Eagle rubber as seen on the Esprit Turbo SE.
The brakes, of course, were tweaked to handle the bump in power and performance.