This epic car seems to crop up in threads quite a bit - thought it deserved a thread of its own...

So what do you know about it?

I found this advert - blimey, look at the price! :eek:

Autotrader - LOTUS CARLTON

Fantastic cars! Absolutely love them. No electronics to help you with all that power though, apaprently they can be a handful with all that power.

This epic car seems to crop up in threads quite a bit - thought it deserved a thread of its own...

So what do you know about it?

I found this advert - blimey, look at the price! :eek:

Autotrader - LOTUS CARLTON

Its much faster than the last model M5

When they first tested it in the UK it was clocked after 2 miles at 175mph and still climbing.

The problem with it is it has a super long 6th so that at about 60mph your doing 1,000rpm and it revs to 7000rpm. But it doesnt have the power to pull much beyond 3,500rpm.

It had 377bhp & 414lbf

I think it has 6 pot front calipers & 4 pot rears.

Inside apart from the sport seats its no different than that of a normal carlton.

I have seen one not that long ago and it still today looks impressive (especially from the front).

Parts are a problem/becoming a problem - but there are ways around that.

If you buy one for

Think I'd rather have the VXR8 for that kind of money!

Fantastic cars! Absolutely love them. No electronics to help you with all that power though, apaprently they can be a handful with all that power.

Tiff Nidell loves them tail out fun.

If you have ever played PGothem racing and used the Koni then you will know what I mean when I say changing up from 5th to 6th (even on the limiter in 5th) the rate practically hits a brick wall it accelerates really slowly from there on - aerodynamics are not good either.

You can tune them to 600-750bhp Nice.

cool I am a bit of a closet Vauxhall nut, the engine for this baby first saw light in 1967!!

yes I have got the date right 1967, in the opel commadore gs.

I had this straigt six in my Vauhall royale coupe but a little 2.8ltr.

not 3.6ltr as the lotus, lotus took stock engines the 3.0ltr at the time and just lengthend the stroke to get 3.6 added new pistons and their 24v head and two turbos.

lots of other stuff ZR1 6sp gear box etc.

Why so long geared in 6th? 1k rpm at 60 means 420mph at 7000rpm....

It's ok, but it's no Fabia is it Tom? :confused:

Ive seen one or two over the years, and they have the visual impact of a kick to the face.... I love them.

Never driven one with tuned suspension on a game though, so I have no idea how they must be on the road

Why so long geared in 6th? 1k rpm at 60 means 420mph at 7000rpm....

Maybe it's to allow you to cruise in relaxed mode (at 160mph or so) on the German autobahns

Chris

Found this link too Lotus Carlton

Chris

1k rpm at 60 means 420mph at 7000rpm....

Shh, you might put Welshy off his BMWs

Maybe it's to allow you to cruise in relaxed mode (at 160mph or so) on the German autobahns

Chris

I think it was done due to the fact its quite thirsty so having a 6th gear like that really helped on the motorways.

Mind you it is the gearbox off the Corvette as thats all at the time which could handle the torque so they stuck with what they were given.

As expected theres some pretty nice vids of the legend that is the Lotus Carlton on the youtube

I have a mate who was involved with the liaison between Vauxhall and Lotus (we both live in Luton). He was based at Hethel for a a year, and sometimes brought the various prototypes back to show the folks and Vauxhall, and to put some miles on them. Some of the half-sorted hybrids he brought home were deeply scary. I vividly remember leaving Luton on the A6, passing the delimit signs (before the days of speed cameras), and feeling the back tyres fighting for grip as he floored the thing in third. Fantastic cars.......

Phil

The 6th gear length was due to the Corvette 6-speeder being the only box available in budget that could handle the torque of the engine. That then set the ratio spread, and they needed a sensible first gear, so finished up with a full overdrive for 6th.

I remember when they first came out and my brother in law's window cleaner

bought a new one! Just goes to show how much window cleaners can earn

in London

How much!!

Great cars but

7,900m miles on the clock (all trackday miles ;-))

lol, wans't the carlton the start of the super saloon era ? Audi RS2s, M3 etc etc ?

there is one on ebay, currently at 7k

eBay.co.uk: 1991 VAUXHALL LOTUS CARLTON TURBO GREEN (item 280126751660 end time 29-Jun-07 16:54:24 BST)

I would have one for sure.... but not at

Those Thema's were very understated indeed. My mate had one, who then sold it to another mate who liked to tinker, and the end result was an M3 (Back in the day) muncher. Hnadling wasn't it's strong point, but it was the first car that I had driven at over an indicated 150.

mmm lotus carlton...

got to valet one many years ago, it was 8 months old. my jaw nearly hit the ground when my boss drove it into the workshop. it looked spectacular when it was finished and it was then i got to drive it.......20 meters from the workshop to the forecourt! still, it sounded fantastic!

cheers!

mark

Those Thema's were very understated indeed. My mate had one, who then sold it to another mate who liked to tinker, and the end result was an M3 (Back in the day) muncher. Hnadling wasn't it's strong point, but it was the first car that I had driven at over an indicated 150.

indeed (handling of it frightened me) but high speeds were easily attainable with no fuss... same engine as the integrale

anyway, I'll not highjack the thead!

The Lotus Carlton was orignally going to use the engine and the gearbox from the ZR-1. But they found the V8 wouldnt fit hence Lotus tuning up the straifght six.

I have two friends with them. One of them (Dave) owns a Vauxhall tuning company with his Dad (v-tuning) and has done a full ground up restoration on his one. It was his third one after buying a few dogs and learning a lot.

Brake discs as big (diameter) as old Mini wheels is some of what I remember.

Indecent rocket for its' day - and carried 4 / 5 etc